How do I get to know my clients as a photographer?

Who stands in front of my camera matters deeply to me. It probably matters to other photographers too, but for me, getting to know each person properly is essential if I am to do my work the way I want to. “Properly,” of course, is a vague term; it means different things to different people. I have mentioned elsewhere that I was once a PhD researcher, and perhaps it is that researcher and ethnographer in me that needs a certain depth of understanding in order to work.