RFPs for Agencies: How to Qualify Opportunities and Stop Wasting Time

RFPs Are Everywhere - But Not All RFPs Are Worth Your Time

RFPs (Requests for Proposals) are a staple of agency business development - and for many teams, they’re also a consistent source of fatigue. They can pull your best people into weeks of writing, formatting, and internal coordination… only to end in silence or a loss that was inevitable from the start.

The goal isn’t to “never respond to RFPs.” The goal is to respond with eyes wide open and a clear point of view about what’s worth your time.

Why Clients Issue RFPs: 3 Common Scenarios

From the client’s perspective, RFPs typically show up for three reasons:

1. It’s mandatory
   Some organizations - especially government entities - must issue RFPs on a regular interval, even if they’re satisfied with the incumbent.
2. They want fresh ideas
   A surprisingly common pattern: a client invites multiple agencies to generate fresh thinking, then returns to the incumbent to execute.
3. They’re shopping for value (sometimes price)
   Not always a race to the bottom, but in an environment of margin compression and increased scrutiny, many RFPs are about finding the best perceived value.
   
   

The Biggest Red Flag: No Access to Decision Makers

If you can’t speak to a decision maker as part of the process, your odds shrink fast. Lack of access can signal:

• The client isn’t serious, or
• They’re guarding information so tightly that you can’t meaningfully shape the opportunity.

Either way, it’s a strong reason to pause before committing major resources.

Don’t Confuse Activity With Outcomes

When the pipeline feels thin, teams often fall into an “activity trap” - responding to RFPs, posting content, and doing visible work to demonstrate effort.

But effort isn’t the outcome. The outcome is qualified conversations and won work. If your last 6–12 months of RFP activity haven’t produced results, it’s time to reassess.

Estimate the True Cost (Even If It Doesn’t Hit the P&L)

RFPs are expensive - whether or not they show up neatly in your financials. A simple approach:

• Track hours spent on RFPs (separate from general biz dev)
• Multiply by approximate internal bill rates
• Compare that investment to outcomes: wins, revenue, relationship value, and learning

You can’t run an agency by spreadsheet alone - but you also can’t improve what you don’t measure.

A Simple Litmus Test Before You Say Yes

Before you commit, ask:

• Is this cold?
  • Do we have a relationship, shared context, or a connection to the decision makers?
• Is this the work we want—and can win?
  • Does it play to our strengths, or will we be stretching?
• Can we actually fulfill it responsibly?
  • Including delivery risk and subcontractor management.
• What does the effort require?
  • Are we reusing relevant case studies, or building a net-new pitch involving leadership + creative time?

If the answers aren’t strong, the most strategic move is often to walk away early.

Build an RFP Qualification Point of View

High-performing teams develop internal “house knowledge”:

• What conditions lead to wins
• What patterns signal a low-probability opportunity
• What qualification criteria must be true to proceed

AI can help speed up analysis (summaries, risk flags, fit checks), but you still need a human POV on what you will - and won’t - pursue.

RFPs Should Strengthen Relationships or Win New Logos

The most productive way to view RFPs is as an opportunity to:

• Win a new logo, or
• Strengthen an existing relationship

If it’s neither - and you’re “taking a flyer” - you’re likely paying for hope with your team’s time.

Final Thought

If you’re constantly responding to RFPs you don’t want to respond to, it’s worth asking: what went wrong upstream in your pipeline? What relationships, positioning, or outbound efforts need to improve so RFPs aren’t the only path to revenue?

If you want to win more RFPs, start by responding to fewer - but better ones.

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