The Art of Good Client relations: Every good dessert is a result of good recipe

I love sweet things, they somehow improve my mood. And in a similar manner, as a consultant, you would not want the mood to change to be bad between you and your clients.
Whether you have a long lasting relationship with the client or you just won the account, there are basic principles if I may say, to retaining the account. Firstly, what brought you and the client is business. And at the heart of that relationship is the word: DELIVERY. And you do not want heart-failure, because once that happens, you may not be able to have the same relationship again. So, you need to keep delivering, and that is the key to keep your relationship working and rewarding. There are four suggestions or rather areas that need attention, and if you can manage to do them well, you can be somewhat assured of a sweet and happy relationship. Here they are: 1. Ask the right questions. 2. Understand the brief. 3.Deliver on time. 4. Manage obstacles.
It is almost impossible for your company to deliver good work if you did not understand the brief in the first place, and again, you cannot understand the brief if you do not ask the right questions. Asking the right questions does not always mean asking too many questions, however, it means asking the kind of questions that allows you to get the information that you need, which information will allow you to execute you job accurately. Remember that, clients may not be experts in the specific field, so, they may know in their minds what they want you do for them, but somehow fail to convey their message in a manner that is easily understandable. However, the sad reality is that, whether they managed to get their message across correctly or not, they still have expectations from you to deliver exactly what they have in mind. In short, you have to be able to read minds, and you can only do this through asking the right type of questions. That is the key to understanding your brief. Even with you understanding the brief, you at time become unable to deliver on the expected / agreed time. Chances are, you will anticipate your delivery time not being met. Take the courage to communicate with your client on time. Missing deadlines is not fashionable, but, you are most likely to be understood and forgiven if you communicated on time. Whereas, telling the client that you missed deadline after he/she is already aware because the deadline time has already past, may be detrimental to your business and ultimately, you relationship with the client.
Once you have managed this expectation, and ensured that the services are delivered in a satisfactory manner, remember to be consistent. That is the only way you build a good reputation and a strong brand.