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Leads & growth
How to Follow Up Accountancy Enquiries Faster
Turn slow replies into a repeatable follow-up habit
Built by a practising Chartered Accountant · Unlimited users · Free for 60 days
Leads overview
Pipeline, owners and next actions at a glance.
- Premier Books Consultancy
- Cranleys Chartered Accountants
- CJM Accountants
- Towpath Accounting Solutions
- Auditax International
- RS
Quick answer
Following up enquiries faster means replying to new prospects and re-contacting those awaiting a decision within a defined, short window rather than whenever time allows. Firms that respond quickly convert more enquiries because prospects are often comparing several accountants and choose whoever engages first.
What does 'follow up faster' mean and why does it matter for UK practices?
Fast follow-up means an agreed, tracked response time for both the first reply to a new enquiry and subsequent nudges while a proposal is being considered.
A prospect looking for a new accountant often contacts two or three firms at once. The one who replies first, asks sensible questions and moves the conversation forward tends to win the business, all else being equal. Slow follow-up loses winnable work not because the firm was wrong for the client, but because someone else answered sooner.
The same applies after a proposal is sent. Prospects rarely chase a firm themselves if they are still deciding, so a firm that does not follow up loses deals that were genuinely close to signing.
Why does follow-up keep slipping at busy practices?
Client deadlines always come first
Statutory work with a fixed date understandably takes priority over an enquiry with no deadline, so follow-up drifts to the bottom of the list.
No reminder to check back in
Once a proposal is sent, there is nothing prompting anyone to follow up a week later, so it is simply forgotten.
No record of who said what
Without notes on a conversation, following up feels awkward because nobody can remember exactly what was promised or discussed.
Follow-up feels like nagging
Team members are reluctant to chase a prospect a second or third time without a clear, professional structure for doing so.
What does slow follow-up cost an accounting firm?
Every enquiry lost to slow response is lost fee income that the firm has already paid to generate, through marketing, referrals or reputation.
If a firm converts only a third of enquiries because two-thirds go cold from lack of follow-up, doubling that conversion rate through faster response could add meaningful recurring fee income without spending anything more on generating leads.
How do you follow up enquiries faster? Step by step
- 1
Set a first-response target
Agree a maximum time, such as same working day, for replying to any new enquiry, and track whether it is met.
- 2
Reply with a clear next step
Every first reply should propose a specific next action, such as a call time, rather than a vague acknowledgement.
- 3
Schedule the next follow-up on the spot
As soon as a proposal is sent, set a reminder for a follow-up a week later rather than relying on memory.
- 4
Use a short, direct follow-up message
Keep follow-ups brief and helpful, checking if the prospect has questions rather than simply chasing a decision.
- 5
Cap the number of follow-ups
Agree a maximum, such as three attempts, after which the lead is marked lost or parked for a longer-term nurture list.
- 6
Track response times as a team metric
Review average first-response time monthly so slow follow-up is visible and can be addressed early.
How does Remindoo help you follow up enquiries faster?
Remindoo keeps every enquiry visible in the leads overview with its current status, so nothing needs to be remembered from memory to know what happens next. Automated reminders can be linked to each lead, prompting a follow-up at the interval your firm decides on, rather than relying on someone to notice a proposal has gone quiet. Custom lead statuses and pipelines make it clear which enquiries are awaiting a decision and which need a first response, so managers can spot anything stalling before it goes cold. Round-robin lead assignment ensures new enquiries always have an owner from the moment they arrive, removing the delay caused by leads sitting unclaimed. Together these features turn follow-up from something that depends on individual memory into a process the whole team can rely on, and you can test the full setup during Remindoo's 60-day free trial.
Leads overview
Pipeline, owners and next actions at a glance.
See featureAutomated reminders
Timely prompts before work becomes urgent.
See featureCustom lead statuses and pipelines
Track enquiries through your own stages.
See featureRound-robin lead assignment
Share enquiries fairly across the team.
See featureSpreadsheets vs Remindoo: what changes?
| Area | Spreadsheets & email | With Remindoo |
|---|---|---|
| First response | When someone has time | Tracked against a target |
| Follow-up after a proposal | Often forgotten | Reminder set automatically |
| Visibility of stalled leads | Not visible | Shown in the pipeline |
| Ownership of follow-up | Unclear | Assigned from first contact |
| Measuring response time | Not measured | Tracked as a team metric |
See it with your own clients
A 30-minute walkthrough using your services and deadlines.
“Automation saves time and no follow-up is missed.”
Frequently asked questions
What is a reasonable first-response time for an accounting enquiry?
Same working day is a sensible minimum for most firms; some competitive markets aim for a reply within a couple of hours during office hours.
How many times should I follow up before giving up?
Two or three attempts spaced roughly a week apart is typical, after which the lead can be parked and revisited later rather than pursued indefinitely.
Does fast follow-up mean lower quality responses?
No, a fast reply can simply acknowledge the enquiry and confirm a call time, with the detailed proposal following once you understand their needs properly.
Can automated reminders replace judgement in follow-up?
No, reminders prompt the action but the message itself should still be personal and relevant to what was discussed with that prospect.
Is it worth following up leads that seem unlikely to convert?
Usually yes, a brief follow-up costs little time and some prospects who go quiet are simply waiting on other factors before deciding.
Can I try Remindoo's reminder and pipeline features for free?
Yes, they are included in Remindoo's 60-day free trial, so you can test faster follow-up on real enquiries before paying anything.
Ready to run a calmer practice?
See Remindoo with your own clients, or start free for 60 days with unlimited users.
Sources
Comparing options? Read our guide to crm for accountants.
Last updated: . General guidance, not regulatory advice. Check with your professional body.
Why recording every task matters in an accountancy practice
Accounting firms run on deadlines: VAT returns, payroll, confirmation statements, accounts and Self Assessment. Recording every job as a task, with an owner and a date, is the simplest way to make sure nothing is missed.
Avoid penalties
HMRC and Companies House charge penalties for late filing. A task for every deadline, with an internal date before it, gives the team a buffer.
Nothing depends on memory
Recorded tasks mean work continues when someone is off sick, on leave or has left the firm.
Consistent quality
Subtask checklists make every job follow the same steps and reviews, whoever does the work.
Visibility for managers
Filters by owner, status and deadline show at a glance what is late, what is due and who needs help.
Practical tips from UK practice
- Set an internal deadline two to four weeks before every statutory deadline.
- Use recurring tasks for repeat work such as VAT, payroll and bookkeeping.
- Break larger jobs into subtasks, including a review step.
- Comment on the task instead of by email, so the history stays with the work.
Related Remindoo features
Written and reviewed by Waqas Sagar ACA FCCA FMAAT, Chartered Accountant with 18+ years in practice. Founder and MD of Accotax, an ICAEW, ACCA and AAT regulated London practice that has served over 5,000 clients, and founder of Remindoo. Guidance is general; check current GOV.UK and professional body guidance for your firm.
What UK practices say about Remindoo
Read all reviews on Trustpilot“With Remindoo, everything from the first enquiry to onboarding and ongoing client management is tracked in one place… It saves us hours and gives me, as a practice owner, complete visibility of where the firm stands.”
“The biggest benefit is having clients, tasks, deadlines, workflows, proposals and communication all organised in one place.”
“During my trial, the team were absolutely amazing. They helped onboard my clients, set up my settings and made sure everything was ready for me to use… they made the whole process completely stress-free.”
“It brings client information, tasks, recurring deadlines, workflows and reminders together in one place, giving us much better visibility across the team.”
