Gas prices. Falling home values. Food costs. You can’t turn on the T.V. without hearing about the economy. While people may be watching their expenses more closely, most salon clients will trim spending elsewhere before they give up their salon services — especially haircolor. "What you may see instead are clients stretching their appointments a little more," says Kristine Milkovich, owner of Kristovich Loft in Seattle and a Redken educator. "If they start coming in every 12 weeks, that will affect your bottom line." Don’t wait for a slump. Follow these tips and keep your color business thriving in any economy.

Provide clients with different types of color services

If clients seem hesitant with continuing a premium color service, provide them with a color solution that works for them—and you. "Maybe it’s not a $90 foil but a $45 single process. The strategy is to keep the color client in your chair" says Kristine. "Don’t feed into their ‘no.’ Hear them, turn it around and say, ‘I understand your concern so maybe today we can do a glossing color for half the price and half the time.' "

"Letting my clients know that I am thinking of them and planning their next look, keeps them coming back."

Post your prices

"I am a believer in salon menus with the prices listed," says Stuart Gavert, owner of Gavert Atelier in Beverly Hills. "They do this in top-notch salons in Japan but here we consider it tacky. Clients need to know that you offer a partial highlight and that they can afford it to make their highlights last longer. Be proactive and put the menus on the stations."

Excel at customer service

At Madelines A Contemporary Salon in Las Vegas, owner Sandi Grossano wants her clients to feel special. "Our great customer service is what makes us stand out in our city," she says. "People want to get their hair services done here and, even if they pay more than at other salons, they think it’s worth it because they look and feel great."

Get specific when pre-booking

Since clients may be coming in less often, it’s not enough to just ask them to pre-book. Walk them to the front desk, find a date and ask them to commit to it. "You’re actually making it easy for them by scheduling their appointment," says Kristine. "And in times like these, you don’t want to leave anything to chance."

Educate your clients

Educate your clients. Despite the information available, clients still have many misconceptions about hair color. "People can be afraid of color because they think the upkeep will be too much," says Sandi. "I talk to them about whispers of color and peek-aboo highlights that won’t show when they grow out. Doing less color on these types of clients is better than doing none at all."

Let clients know you're thinking of them

Now is the time to stay in touch. Drop "thank you for your business" cards, send emails highlighting new services or products and at the end of appointments, begin planning your client’s next look. "I may say to a client, ‘Next time I see you it will be getting close to fall so maybe we’ll try some lowlights,’ " says Kristine. "They get so excited. Letting them know I am thinking of them keeps my clients coming back to me."

Continually ask for business

Kristine says that even if she is double-booked with a waiting list, she still asks her customers for referrals. "Once they get a clientele, hairdressers are notorious for not asking for business," she says. "But the fact is people move, get laid off and even become ill. You have to keep building your client base."

Stay positive and plan for success

If your color business isn’t where you want it to be, you can blame the economy or you can do something about it. At Madelines A Contemporary Salon, Sandi told her team not to focus on the financial downturn but to concentrate on the customers. Kristine says the key to success no matter what’s happening in the economy is to watch yourself for indifference. "We wow our clients when they are new and get them hooked. Then once we have them, we get lazy," she says. "To maintain your clientele, you can’t forget what you did to get them in the door."