The outcomes of professional‐client relationships are often less satisfactory than one would expect them to be. This study suggested that professionals using client‐oriented interaction behaviors grounded in the interactional view (Reusch&Bateson, 1968; Watzlawick, Beavin,&Jackson, 1967) would be rated as more effective than those who did not. A field study of computer professionals revealed that highly rated professionals used client‐oriented communication behaviors more frequently than their counterparts who were rated lower. Moreover, the client‐oriented interactional behaviors provided substantial discrimination between high‐ and low‐performing pr