Getting to know your client
Out of context: Reply #4
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- mg330
This is a great question, because I think building relationships with clients is absolutely critical to how you deal with serious problems and maintain a cool head if they happen.
With many of my clients (and i mean in my job as a project manager and consultant) I've made a point of finding things we have in common, places we like to travel, etc. For example, i had one client who I just didn't along with well for an account and web site project I inherited, until we figured out that we were both Mac users (have fun with that!). Once the iphone 3G came out, every conversation was about how soon I was getting one; after I got one it was all about how I liked it, how great it was, etc.
The point is - the client kept thinking about my interests as much as I thought about theirs - both personal and professional/technical. I work with several people who just do it by the book and don't have any good relationships with clients, they don't cultivate them and it seems so difficult to deal with problems when they come up.