"Whew, those guys are nice enough, but they are so hard to talk to." Have you ever made a comment like that about a client, a coworker or an acquaintance? Most of us have. You know the type. "Hi. How are you today?" "Fine." "How was work?" "Good." "Have you lived here long?" "No."
You may be temped to think there is something wrong with you or them, but 
the truth is it's the questions you ask. You asked close-ended questions. I read a book years ago while working on my MBA. In that book, Conversationally Speaking by Alan Garner, Garner discussed this very scenario. If you give someone close-ended questions they can answer in one word answers and they have satisfied the question.
So, rather than saying, "How was work today?" you might say, "What did you do at work today?"or you might say, "Tell me a little about your job." That opens the door to more dialog. When working with clients, you want to know them well enough to know their likes and dislikes. You won't get there with one word answers.
It may not be that they like or dislike you, it may be how you ask questions. "Tell me a little more about your needs. Do you have a specific style of home that you really like? And, if so, tell me what it is about that home that appeals to you most? If you could build your dream house, what would it be like?" Keep the questions open-ended and you'll not only get to know your clients, you'll also get to know their needs.
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