Like them. That’s it.
As a friend recently said…
“I guess we are the crazies who don’t mind clients. I think clients are the number one complaint when it comes to design.”
They’re hardly crazy. They just know how to keep customers.
Once you like your customers, the rest falls into place. You will naturally do the things that show your appreciation, and that will come back to you.
Whatever you do, don’t follow the lead of Randal from the movie Clerks (slightly edited):
“This job would be great if it wasn’t for the… customers.”
If you’re having a hard time liking your customers, that’s probably a sign that you need to find better customers (or another field).
Have I got a customer for you!
What if your client is demanding and borderline abusive? And that client is worth a couple $million a year?
I, of course, haven’t experienced a client with that much importance to an organization. But I still think it starts with liking them, despite the abuse.