In short
- January's self assessment deadline means less time for new enquiries, just when many arrive.
- Ignoring or pausing enquiries loses good clients to practices that reply first.
- A waitlist keeps screening enquiries, tells prospects when you'll be in touch and saves them to contact later.
- Plan time in February to work through the list while the prospects are still warm.
Why January is hard
The online self assessment deadline is 31 January, so for most UK practices the month is taken up with returns. It's also when many people decide to change accountant, after a stressful year-end or a missed deadline. The result is more enquiries arriving just when there's least time to deal with them.
The options most practices try
- Replying when you can. Enquiries wait days for a reply, and good prospects go to whichever practice gets back to them first.
- Pausing your enquiry form. It protects your time, but you lose the enquiries altogether, including the good ones.
- Squeezing in calls. You keep the prospects, but at the cost of the work you're already behind on.
None of these is ideal. What you really want is to keep good prospects warm without spending January time on them.
How a waitlist works
A waitlist sits between pausing and replying. Enquiries keep coming in through your form, and they're still screened against your rules, so poor fits are declined as usual. Prospects who are a good fit get your own message straight away, explaining that it's your busiest time of year and when you'll be in touch, and they're saved to a separate list to contact when you're ready.
The prospect gets an immediate, professional reply instead of silence, and you get a list of screened, good-fit prospects to work through once the deadline has passed.
strively has a built-in waitlist you can turn on for January or any other busy period. In our comparisons, we didn't find a waitlist in Ignition, GoProposal, FigsFlow, Socket, Better Proposals or PandaDoc.
What to say in your waitlist message
Keep it short, warm and specific. Thank them for getting in touch, explain that you're in your busiest period, say when you'll contact them and offer a way to reach you if something is urgent. For example:
"Thank you for your enquiry, and for thinking of us. We're in the middle of our busiest time of year, so rather than rush your enquiry, we've added you to our list and will be in touch by [date] to arrange a call at a time that suits you."
Free template: follow-up emailsThe full waitlist message, plus meeting confirmations, reminders and proposal follow-ups.Open it →Plan when you'll work through the list
A waitlist only works if you follow up when you said you would. Block out time in early February to contact everyone on the list, starting with the earliest enquiries. Because they've already been screened, every call should be with a prospect who's a good fit.
Other busy periods
January isn't the only crunch. Payroll bureaux have the tax year end in April, and many practices are stretched over the summer when staff are on holiday or around corporation tax deadlines. The same approach works for any period when your team is at capacity.
Frequently asked questions
How should accountants handle new enquiries in January?
Keep screening enquiries, send good-fit prospects an immediate message saying when you'll be in touch, and save them to a list to contact once the 31 January deadline has passed. A waitlist does this automatically.
What should I say to new enquiries when I'm too busy?
Thank them, explain that it's your busiest time of year, say when you'll be in touch to arrange a call, and offer a way to reach you if anything is urgent.
What is a waitlist for accountants?
A waitlist keeps screening new enquiries during busy periods, sends good-fit prospects your own message and saves them to a separate list to contact when you're ready. strively has one built in.