The most important element of managing a client is to get to know them. This will enable you to begin to understand their needs. Think of your client in the same realm of a new friend you meet. To grow any relationship you must invest time. The worst thing about having to do this is usually most of us have limited time to get to know our friends properly, much less our clients. As with any relationship (friend or client) the more time you invest the more you get out of it.
To explain in a more simplistic way, think of being a manager of a baseball team. Your main duty is win ball games with the players you have and “out manage” the other team. Sound easy? Yeah right. To manage your team properly on game day you would have already had to practice (same as investing time in client) prior to the game. Before the game you have to prepare a lineup (to do this you must know their strengths and weaknesses) . Now to win the game you have to manage better than the other team’s manager (your competition). If you do all of these steps in a orderly manner and invest the time needed, then you will be a successful manager of your team, friends and clients.
One of the toughest management practices you will deal with is the difficult client or customer. When this happens you will have to decide whether your time investment is getting out of hand for what your returns should or could be. As soon as a client or customer starts to demand all of your time dedicated to your other clients, trade them.
Do not be afraid to fire that bad customer! In the long run you will be glad that you managed your clients properly.