How would you suggest someone new to consulting handles sales? I've talked to consultants that get all of their leads from old conference talks they did, but you advise against it.

In my book, there is a finite number of options:

1. Go through your network - lots of writing / talking in case someone knows someone who's looking right now.

2. Become famous - conferences, blogging etc.

3. Cold call potential clients.

4. Work with recruiters and dedicated boards for this.

For an established consultant, I can imagine they get a lot of business through referrals, but for someone just starting out, I don't think so. What worked for you in the early days? Did I miss a strategy that works?