It can always be a mad scramble to identify, court, and land new clients. But what if you could land new business — and new income — without landing a new client? Wouldn’t that be sweet? There actually is a way to do this. To do it, though, you must pay attention to your client’s needs.

When you are wrapping up a project with your current client, consider what other services or products you offer that can add value for your client. Then invite the client to add that product or service to the current project, at a discount or with some special offer. This is an easy way to increase your income without landing a new client. The key is to make sure the offer is relevant and useful to your client. Don’t make an offer just for the sake of making an offer or simply because it will add to your bottom line. You never want your client to feel that you’re out just to make a buck or that you’re just trying to sell something to her regardless of whether she needs it. Make the offer because it can enhance your client’s experience.

For instance, in addition to writing, editing, and design, our company, RootSky Books, also creates ebooks and websites for authors. So that means if we are wrapping up an editing or design project for a client who will offer her book in paperback, we may offer our ebook services to that client at a special rate. Or we may offer our website services, if the client does not have a website. This offer can help the client better position herself as an author because she also offers ebooks or has a website, and it helps our company by allowing us to provide another product or service to an existing client.

Don’t just think of each project you do as a one-time deal. Think of each client as a potential long-term relationship. To make that relationship work, you want to do good work, offer great service, and present relevant offers for additional products and services. If the client likes the work you’ve done so far and needs what you have to sell, there is a good chance she will sign on for the additional offer.

Incorporating this one strategy into your operations can boost your income from about 3 to 10 percent (or more) on a project.

What is your favorite way to boost income in your writing business?