Loyal customers make up 20 percent of the average customer base, but they contribute to over half of the income of a given business. Why is there such a disparity between the amount of people and the amount of income they bring? 

It may be a good deal, a huge discount or a genuine smile that makes a customer happy, but whatever you have to do to create loyalty is worth it. A loyal customer will go out of his or her way to repeat their business with a company they prefer. Take the ambiguity out of commanding an undervalued resource by following these three pieces of advice.

1. Talk to your customers

From the first interaction with a customer, you should be trying to initiate conversation. No, don’t talk to them about what you want from them, and don’t be thinking about what they can do for you. Talk to them about what they want, how they are doing and what you can do for them. Ask your customers what they like and what they don’t. Use surveys, face-to-face communication or non-intrusive emails to learn about them and what they want.

2. Give them what they want

Once you have a good idea of what they want, give it to them. Do not be sidetracked by personal motives or ideas about what might be better for your customers. If they tell you what they want, or you see what they want by examining purchase patterns, pay attention. If a particular competitor is doing better than you in any areas, study them and work to improve your own business in those areas. What are your potential customers getting with your competitor that they are not getting with you? Once you find the difference, do what you have to do to change your business to suit your customers.

3. Be willing to change for them

Change can be scary, risky and costly. But sometimes it is absolutely necessary. If you insist on sticking only to traditional means of sales and marketing, you will be left behind with innovative ideas that are just plain better. Evaluate the risks, put your fears behind you and invest wisely in changes that can push you ahead of your competitors in the market.

People can be finicky and fickle, but any customer at any moment can be made into a loyal customer and, more importantly, a repeat customer. Make them want to come back to you by talking to them, finding what they want and simply giving it to them.

Jeff Jacobsen is a freelance writer and editor who specializes in lead management software with an enthusiasm for sales techniques.