Two of my favorite Mark Cuban lines:

"You have to crawl before you ball" and "Sales cure all."

Go after smaller clients that are easier wins. Deliver an excellent product and service, and collect testimonials. When you approach the bigger clients, your real target, you'll have the proof larger clients want to see (a long and growing client list and other people's words). Put in a little extra work and show some patience and you'll get there.

Best advice I've ever received:

"Never throw in the towel because of exhaustion. Throw it in because the model doesn't work."

Until you prove the model doesn't work, keep going.

I nearly gave up, without proving my model did not work, weeks before I raised $100,000 in funding. I'm glad I listened to this advice and kept pushing, even through the tough and discouraging times.

It's easier said than done, I know. I've been there. You know how to reach me if you need me.

Having personally designed and produced direct mail pieces for several B2C brands and companies, I've seen what works and what doesn't. You want to make sure the name is easy enough to identify and understand, but not generic enough that consumers cannot discern the name from the product offered. There's a fine line that should not be crossed. I'm happy to discuss this more. Knowing the names you've already tested, and the results from your testing would be great.

This is such a crucial step that must be done right. We are currently navigating this stage on one of our projects. One way to identify the right prescribers is using targeted ads in networks like Facebook or LinkedIn. These networks allow you to be very specific in who you target. Twitter as well. Running a simple campaign on each platform can land you a decent list if prescribers. I'd be happy to chat with you in more detail if you'd like.

I've personally raised capital, as well as helped several other companies and projects raise funds. There are many factors that play into selecting the right method for your venture. I would need more details to offer you a really good answer. Feel free to set up a call and we can talk through it.

A common tactic is to first collect a form of payment, and then the users can start their trial period. This works well for both customers and businesses. Customers get to test drive the product and the majority forget to cancel before the trial ends, leading to paying customers. A 14-day trial is typically sufficient.

Also, provide them their talking points. Creating the narrative for them increases the likelihood of them blogging about it in the first place. On the other hand, if you do not, and they decide to blog about it, the narrative they write may not be what you were looking for, and could even be negative.

I would add being direct. Let them know why you chose to reach out to them specifically and what you specifically need help with.

If you're looking for another crowdfunding platform, Indiegogo has the second best platform and user base, after Kickstarter.