[IsaacL]

"Until you sign the contract, you have to be the mum of your clients, reassuring him, explaining things, understanding him. Once signed, you are his father : you are here to reminds him the terms of the contract. It means that you have to be thorough on revisions, delivery dates for contents, and of course, payments."

Funny analogy. I like it, however...

I've recently been skimming the book "Million Dollar Consulting". In there, the author says you should avoid the temptation to treat the client like a parent ("I'd better hide this problem, or the client will get mad!") or like a child ("I'd better hide this problem - the client is too helpless to deal with it themselves").

Instead, treat them like a partner ("we have a problem. What should we do?").