First, break even. Whether you've got a product or not, break even. Resize, restructure, do whatever it takes to get to profitability. Venture capitalists or private investors may be willing to split their funding between an up-front investment and one of those milestones. Companies that have customers and profits will find funding fast.
Relationships still matter.
Venture capitalists will only fund the second round of their favorite companies. Customers will strategically invest in companies whose products they use. So build relationships that allow you to get cash without diluting your equity stake in the company. License or codevelop your product with a big corporate partner. In turn, you can leverage their sales force and don't have to hire more salespeople.