Thou shalt not over promise
Did we say deadlines are sacrosanct? They are and so is being realistic. If you can’t understand head or tail of a topic, try not to tell your client you’ll do a brilliant job for him. Over promising leaves an aftertaste of disillusionment in its wake. Always try and give a client a little more than he expects and you’ve got a client for life!
Thou shalt be loyal to thine clients
They pay you so try and accord them the loyalty that is their due. If you can’t be loyal to your client, don’t work for him. You don’t have to like a client but you need to be loyal. This means no recycling the work you have done for him and which he has paid for and sending it to someone else. It means no bitching about him to other clients – yes, even if it means you don’t really like him. He’s paying you – reciprocate the way you should. You’ll find that your clients stand by you for years.
Thou shalt be self critical
If you look at your work objectively, you will learn to be more critical and make the necessary corrections. You’ll find that when you are critical, others need not be because you’ve raised the bar and given them the best.