With these headwinds, printers are caught in a precarious position. One way to get revenues back to pre-recession levels is to find new clients. That requires dusting off your sales manual and getting back into prospecting. Another way to help climb out of the gap is to increase the average revenue per client. By adopting both strategies, though, you might find that you’ll be able to boost your revenues today and put yourself in good shape for tomorrow.
 

Remember, the economy works in cycles. There are good periods, when print budgets are higher, and periods of weakness, when spending dries up. Your business plan should be based on always looking out for new business opportunities.
 

In tough times, companies often make hasty decisions and cut relationships with suppliers. Invariably, a must-complete project will pop up and they won’t be able to handle it. Make sure you have a network of creative suppliers you can count on should you need to be able to offer those services to a potential customer. If they don’t have a go-to designer on staff, maybe you can connect them to someone who can help them out of their bind.
 

I once had a print shop call me to see if I could provide some design work for one of its potential customers. I was able to clean up some existing artwork files and the printer was able to win that small piece of business because it brought more to the table than simply ink and paper. Expand your network to include writers, designers, art directors and anybody else who might be of value to your client base.
 

Ask your existing clients for referrals. Ask your friends and family for referrals. If people don’t know that you’re “open for new business”, they are less likely to recommend you when the opportunity presents itself. You’d be surprised—print buyers often talk to each other. They compare notes and recommend suppliers to each other. If you’re not asking for a referral, you can bet that one of your competitors is.
 

But that’s not to say that you have to come across as desperate. Be honest—you appreciate the business you’re receiving but would like to find more people to work with. Remember, too, that as much as you have a relationship with your clients, nobody will look after your own business better than you.
 

Once you have a referral, your new lead is not cold. Please, though, always ask permission to use the name of the person who referred you when making the call and thank them for the referral. It’s just polite.

Often, cold calls aren’t particularly useful. That’s because too many people are calling with an undifferentiated message. Everybody wants to know “are you looking for a print supplier?” The warm call makes you stand out—especially if you’ve been referred by someone the buyer trusts.
 

Before you call, research the company so you know what types of print projects it does on an ongoing basis. The biggest turn-off for a print buyer is someone who pretends to understand his needs but then—after a few pointed questions—reveals himself to be ignorant of the business at hand. So, if you know the company you’re calling does a lot of outdoor signage, don’t try and sell them offset printing.
 

One way to increase revenues is not to find new customers, but to increase the amount that each customer spends with you. This begins by communicating with your clients to find out what other areas of their business you might be able to help with. Be prepared, though: very few companies will award all of their business to one supplier, so don’t be too aggressive.
 

Assertion is the key. By asking questions, you may find opportunities that you didn’t know existed. Time and again printers offer services that buyers aren’t aware of. Go into a meeting with the objective of educating the buyer about how you might be able to help them. One useful way to do this is to bring in samples of a project you’ve done for another firm. By using a real-life example of unique work you’ve done, you may just open up a conversation for more business. Customers must know what services you provide and how you can expand your commitment to them.
 

If you’re able to increase your revenue per client or add new clients, great! If you’re able to do both, you’re on your way to rocketing out of the recession.