Most business professionals know that follow-up is important, but few are masters of it. Sure, they may leave one or two voicemails or send a couple of emails, but those attempts merely scratch the surface of what follow-up is really all about.

Following up with a prospect—whether it’s to pitch a new account for servicing restaurant grease traps or pumping a single residential septic tank—is about attending to the details of business. It’s doing what you say you will do and honoring your word. It is committing to what you know you can commit to and then doing it. Following up is calling your prospect or client not to nag or harass them, but to remind them of the valuable product or service you know will enhance their business or life.

Here’s another way to look at it: Follow-up is acknowledgment. Most people want to feel acknowledged for who they are and what they do. So when you say you’re going to call back in one week and you do, your client feels acknowledged. If you don’t follow up with prospects and clients, why should they form a relationship with you? They’ll think you don’t care if you get their business or not. You’re not only offending the person but also sabotaging your company’s bottom line.

So if you’re ready to take your follow-up skills to the next level, practice these strategies:

Don’t give an exact timeframe.

Many people fall into the trap of being too specific with their follow-up promises. They may say, “I’ll call you back in 30 minutes,” no matter what the situation or request. As a result, they rarely honor their 30-minute promise.

Instead, say something like, “I’ll get back to you when my project is complete in the next day or so,” or use some other vague but reasonable time frame. That way you’re not being held to a strict timeline. If you intend to get back to them in an hour, say you will get back by the end of the day, in case something comes up in that hour.

If you can’t get back to the person within the promised time frame, phone them and say you’re detained: “I know I was supposed to have an answer for you by 5 p.m., but it looks as though I’m going to need more time to resolve this situation. I will call you back by tomorrow afternoon.” Acknowledging the problem lets the other person see that you can be relied on.

Be happy.

When you are talking with someone or leaving a voice mail, put a smile in your voice. If you aren’t feeling happy at the time, listen to some upbeat music, read a few jokes online or pick up a humorous book. You must be positive when doing follow-up.

Never get on the phone when you’re angry or depressed. No one wants to speak to Mr./Ms. Grumpy. And no one will return a voice mail that has a negative tone in it. Your message must be light and lively—and it must be awaiting a response with glee.

If you’ve left a few voice mails and still haven’t received a response, never let the other person know you’re irritated. You will never get Mr. Smith to call you back if you leave a “guilt” message like this: “Mr. Smith, I have already left you three messages. If you do not return my call in the next 48 hours, I will have no choice but to not do business with you again. Please call me immediately.”

Instead, you must leave a fourth and fifth voice mail with as much enthusiasm as you had when you left the first one. If you are courteous and guilt-free, even on the sixth or seventh voice mail, you leave all doors open for Mr. Smith to return the call. Plus, your courtesy and enthusiasm may prompt him to not only give you his business, but all of his referral business as well. Therefore, stay positive and put a smile in your style.

Follow up for the fun of it.

Not every follow-up has to be about “are you ready to buy from me now?” Sometimes you just do it because it’s the right thing to do. And when you follow up without an immediate sales goal in mind, you’ll see how it can be beneficial. For example, suppose a product you bought from a salesperson arrived in the mail and is now functioning properly in your home. Two or three days later you get a follow-up call from the salesperson asking how the product is working for you. This kind of call will probably result in more purchases from that salesperson. When you do a few follow-ups like this, calling to ask for the sale later is much easier—and the prospect is much more inclined to say yes and refer others to you.

Become a master follow-upper.

When you implement these suggestions into your follow-up efforts, you’ll see how rewarding follow-ups can be. Your prospects and customers will appreciate your efforts to keep them informed, and your company will be grateful for your persistence and diligence in one of the most basic business tasks. In the end, you’ll close more business and enjoy greater success.