…from design firms (and law firms too?).  Absolutely great tips.  Here are the first three (out of ten):

1. Keep the Principal Involved.  "It feels like bait-and-switch when you start out dealing with the president of the company and end up working on a day-to-day basis with someone fresh out of college," Grant says. Be up-front with clients about who will be responsible for the project, and bring that person to the new-business presentation. And no matter who's in charge of the day-to-day work, make sure you, as principal, are meaningfully involved in the account at all times.

2. Communicate Effectively.  "A client should never, ever have to call your office to ask where you are on the project," Grant says. Establish protocols for client communications; develop standardized tools such as memo formats, e-mail bulletins and status reports.

3. Be Easy to Work With.  The most lethal six words in a conversation with your client? "We don't do it that way." If your client wants invoices twice a month and your office manager usually generates them only once, change your system. If they want status reports in two copies, one in pink and one in goldenrod, get to Kinko's for that colored paper.

Thanks to Signal vs. Noise for the tip.