RFPs (Requests for Proposals) are a necessity in B2B sales. Yet most sellers respond reactively, mistakenly believing that more proposals mean more deals.
In truth, without a strategic approach, businesses waste valuable resources on low-probability bids. Worse, failing to differentiate means buyers default to price-based decisions rather than value-based ones.
This article outlines a smarter RFP response strategy: how to choose which RFPs to pursue, craft standout proposals, and leverage AI to improve your win rates.
Your Guide to Responding to RFPS
- The RFP Landscape (and AI's Growing Influence)
- Why RFP Documents Rarely Reflect the Full Set of Buyer Needs
- How to Decide Which RFPs Are Worth Pursuing
- FAINT as a Framework for RFP Qualification
- Buyer Collaboration to Shape RFPs
- Using Win Labs Strategically
- Sales Team Collaboration for RFP Success
- How to Write a Winning RFP Response
- Follow-up Matters
- Shaping the Future of RFPs
Take Your RFP Strategy To Go
Download a checklist to qualify, differentiate, and set strategy when planning your RFP responses.
The RFP Landscape (and AI's Growing Influence)
B2B procurement has evolved. Companies increasingly leverage AI-driven analytics throughout the procurement lifecycle, from pricing negotiations and supplier assessments to risk management and value optimization (McKinsey, 2024). These systems streamline decision-making and remove bias, but they also make it harder for vendors to differentiate.
The reality is buyers engage across multiple channels well before RFP issuance, making pre-RFP engagement essential. To compete effectively:
- Engage with decision-makers before the RFP is released
- Demonstrate strategic value, not just pricing advantages
- Align proposals with automated scoring models and AI-driven criteria
(This means understanding the buyer’s AI evaluation priorities such as keywords, solution alignment, quantifiable outcomes, or compliance metrics and crafting your proposal accordingly. Tailor your responses explicitly to match these automated scoring metrics, ensuring clarity and structure that perform well both for human evaluators and AI tools.)
According to RAIN Group Center for Sales Research, Top-Performing Sellers are 52% more likely to develop strong RFP responses than their peers. Why? Because they focus on pre-RFP engagement, strategic collaboration, and personalization.
Why RFP Documents Rarely Reflect the Full Set of Buyer Needs
One of the major drawbacks of the RFP process is that RFPs rarely capture the true priorities of decision-makers. Many are written by evaluators rather than business drivers, meaning they may not fully reflect the needs of all key stakeholders.
At RAIN Group, we call these decision roles Approver, Business Driver, Champion, Domino, and Evaluator and unless the RFP gathers input from all five, critical gaps in buyer needs can exist.
Sellers who deeply understand these needs, beyond what’s written in the RFP, can shape a more compelling response by answering the “Why us?” question effectively.
Engaging early is critical. If you’re just responding to the RFP document without prior conversations, you’re likely missing key business drivers and differentiation opportunities.
How to Decide Which RFPs Are Worth Pursuing
Not all RFPs are worth your time. Before investing resources, ask:
- Is the RFP wired for a competitor? If the specifications heavily favor a competitor’s solution, your chances of winning are low.
- Does your solution fully align with the buyer’s needs? If not, customization may not be worth the effort.
- Do you have prior engagement with this buyer? If you’re responding cold, you’re at a disadvantage.
- Does this opportunity align with your strategic goals? Pursuing low-margin deals or unprofitable contracts hurts long-term growth.
A structured qualification process ensures you pursue only strategic, profitable opportunities.
FAINT as a Framework for RFP Qualification
Before committing to an RFP, answer the questions below:
- Funds: Does the buyer have the budget or access to funding?
- Authority: Are we engaging the true decision-makers?
- Interest: Have we generated real interest before the RFP was issued?
- Need: Does the buyer truly need our solution, or is this a compliance bid?
- Timing: Does the timeline align with our ability to deliver value?
Using FAINT to qualify opportunities helps you:
- Identify gaps in your pursuit strategy
- Make smarter bid / no-bid decisions
- Proactively address weaknesses
Qualify your RFP opportunities, build strategy, and win more with this complimentary checklist.
Buyer Collaboration to Shape RFPs
The best way to win RFPs is to shape them before they’re written.
Sellers who proactively collaborate with buyers to co-create solutions have a significant advantage. Using a tool like the Buyer Change Blueprint (BCB), sellers collaborate directly with buyers to co-create solutions before formal procurement begins. By aligning buyers with your solution early, your proposal feels like the natural choice.
Using Win Labs Strategically
Win Labs are structured, collaborative sessions designed to generate the best ideas, strategies, and action plans to win sales opportunities.
In the context of RFPs, Win Labs can be used to both evaluate opportunities and craft superior responses. Before responding, use a Win Lab to:
- Evaluate RFP viability and buyer needs
- Determine competitive positioning
- Develop differentiated messaging and action plans
A Win Lab can help determine whether an RFP is worth pursuing by guiding teams through key problem-solving steps—exploring buyer needs, competitive positioning, and deal viability—before committing resources. This prevents wasted effort on low-probability RFPs and ensures you have a strategic advantage before submitting a response.
Pro Tip: If an RFP comes from a buyer with no prior engagement, establish a dialogue immediately to shape the buyer’s criteria proactively.
Sales Team Collaboration for RFP Success
A winning response involves collaboration across:
- Sales: Drives strategy and aligns with buyer needs
- Marketing: Ensures compelling messaging and branding
- Finance & Legal: Verifies pricing, profitability, and compliance
Collaboration between these teams is essential for developing proposals that go beyond check-the-box responses and differentiates from competitors.
How to Write a Winning RFP Response
Crafting an impactful RFP response involves:
1. Structure for Maximum Impact
- Executive Summary: Clearly state your unique value
- Solution Fit: Directly address specific buyer pain points
- Value Proposition: Highlight measurable outcomes and strategic advantages
- Case Studies: Showcase proven successes
- Pricing & Terms: Transparency with clear value alignment
- Compliance & Risk Mitigation: Clearly address key requirements
2. Differentiation Is Key
Sellers don’t have a pricing problem—they have a differentiation problem.
Most sellers think they differentiate, but buyers tell us otherwise. In RFP responses, sellers often sound identical, making it difficult for buying teams to distinguish between options. This forces buyers to default to price, not because price is the issue, but because sellers fail to highlight their unique value.
Use the Resonate/Differentiate/Substantiate value proposition framework to stand out:
- Resonate: Align with stated and unstated buyer needs
- Differentiate: Demonstrate how your approach is unique in their eyes
- Substantiate: Provide compelling proof (case studies, ROI, success metrics)
Filtering every response through this framework will clarify your value.
3. Use AI to Strengthen Responses
AI-driven tools can help sales teams:
- Accelerate proposal generation while maintaining personalization.
- Ensure consistency in pricing and compliance across multiple RFPs
- Analyze past RFP results to improve win rates over time
However, buyers still buy with emotion and justify with logic. The quickest way to outsmart buyers’ AI-driven evaluation models is to meet both the rational and emotional needs of your buyers.
4. Sharpen Responses with a Win Lab
Use Win Labs before submission to workshop buyer needs, differentiate strategically, and ensure your response is compelling and tailored.
Follow-up Matters
Proactive follow-up after submission improves win rates. Successful teams:
- Check in regularly with buyers
- Quickly address post-submission questions
- Offer supplemental insights or data
- Proactively schedule proposal reviews or debriefs
Key Takeaways
- Qualify opportunities strategically using FAINT and Win Labs.
- Engage buyers proactively before RFP issuance.
- Prioritize personalized, differentiated proposals.
- Collaborate across sales, marketing, finance, and legal teams.
- Leverage AI strategically for efficiency and consistency.
- Follow-up proactively post-submission to secure wins.
Shaping the Future of RFPs
Winning RFPs in 2025 demands a strategic, data-driven approach emphasizing differentiation, proactive engagement, and strategic AI use. By selectively pursuing high-impact opportunities and crafting compelling, collaborative responses, you'll position your organization for sustained growth and success.
