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Believe it or not, some of the worst-written RFPs we’ve seen led to big wins. And some of the most beautifully polished submissions have been trashed. So, why do some RFPs win while others don’t?
We’ve reviewed thousands of RFPs across industries. And we’ve seen just about everything you can imagine:
- Chaotic processes
- Strange requirements
- Rushed responses
- Last-minute heroics
So, you’re wondering why you lose RFPs? We don’t blame you.
Look, there’s no exact science to winning RFPs. But there are patterns. If your win rate is low, of course, it’s worth looking at what could be going wrong.
1up is here to help with the 5 most common reasons sales teams lose RFPs. We’ll also give you proven tips for how to get it right next time.
problem isn’t a lack of knowledge. It’s that the tools meant to organize that knowledge can’t keep up with modern teams.
That’s where AI comes in.
Key Takeaways
- Not all RFPs are worth pursuing, so make sure you qualify hard and walk away from the unwinnable ones.
- Differentiation wins (almost) every time, so ditch the generic templated responses that will just get ignored.
- Process matters, so build a repeatable, collaborative process to ensure quality and meet deadlines.
1. You Didn’t Meet the Requirements
It sounds obvious, right? You didn’t meet the requirements, so you didn’t win. But you’d be surprised how many teams will go ahead and take the hours and days to complete the RFP anyway. This is obviously going to affect your win rate. And it will definitely affect your team morale.
What probably happened is that a sales rep got excited and determined the RFP “a great fit!”
But then you start reading it.
As you scan each line of functional requirements, you find yourself repeatedly marking “No” and “Non-Compliant.” Maybe you’re missing critical features. Perhaps your platform doesn’t support the requested integrations. It could be that the client’s entire approach simply doesn’t align with your architecture.
What you’ve got on your hands is a red flag. You’re either genuinely not a good fit, or you don’t understand what’s being asked. Either way, you don’t qualify. And that’s okay. But you shouldn’t be wasting time responding. That time is better spent with RFPs you can knock out of the park.
After all, the worst-case scenario here is that you’re looking at an RFP shaped by a competitor. You were never going to win.
What to Do to Win:
- Get your buyer on the phone. Ask them directly: “Which of these requirements are must-haves? Which are negotiable?” You’d be shocked to find how many RFP checkboxes are more like items on a wish list.
- Watch for shaping. Ask how the RFP was developed. If a “partner” helped them write it, you’ll want to dig deeper.
- Qualify ruthlessly. If the hard requirements don’t align with your offering, walk away early. Save your time and energy for winnable opportunities.
2. You Didn’t Differentiate Enough
When you’re in the middle of an RFP grind, it’s easy to default to template language. But RFPs aren’t just compliance checklists. They’re a competitive battle. If your response sounds like everyone else’s, you’re not giving your buyer a reason to choose you.
So many teams try to play it safe in their responses that they all blend together. No one stands out. And the majority get tossed in the discard pile. Sure, you might write a technically perfect response, but you didn’t tell your story. You focused so much on matching requirements that you forgot to showcase your value.
What to Do to Win:
- Tell a better story. Don’t just answer the question. Connect the dots between your offering and the buyer’s goals. Highlight your unique approach and proprietary capabilities.
- Don’t just tell. Show. Use real data, customer stories, screenshots, and visuals to demonstrate your differentiators. Make your response feel human rather than robotic.
- User buyer language. Mirror the language your potential buyer uses in conversations and documents. This will help your response resonate more directly. And remember, every answer is an opportunity to embed something you do better than the competition.
3. Your Response Quality Was Poor
This one also might seem obvious, but yeah, you can’t half a** it and expect to win. If you’re offering single-word answers to questions that require more detail, you’re gonna look bad.
A confusing, incomplete response will look unprofessional and trigger second thoughts.
Why do they want to do business with you again…?
Even if you’re the best fit for the job, a sloppy, rushed, or hard-to-read RFP can kill your chances. This is a classic unforced error, and it happens more than you think. It signals to a potential buyer that you didn’t prioritize their RFP.
So, they’re wondering why you would prioritize the client work. Not a good look.
What to Do to Win:
- Build a repeatable process. Winning RFPs consistently means having a system. For every question, you should have an answer, an explanation, and additional documentation (documents and visuals). Create a response library, use RFP response automation, and assign owners, so you have a clear line of action and accountability.
- Start early. Even a few extra days can make a huge difference in quality. Give your team time to tailor responses instead of copying and pasting.
- Make it skimmable. Use bullet points, headings, and visuals to make your response easier to digest. Buyers are often reading dozens of RFP responses, so help them find the “wow” moments quickly.
4. Another Vendor Was Already Pre-Selected
This one is the worst. As you read the RFP, you realize it was clearly shaped by a competitor.
Maybe it’s packed with oddly specific requirements. It could be that the terminology aligns suspiciously well with a competitor’s marketing site. Perhaps the buyer keeps dodging your calls. Either way, it becomes clear: you’re just there to check a box. The real decision was already made.
The competitor has already won.
No, you’re not paranoid. It happens all the time.
What to Do to Win:
- Qualify hard, again. Ask early: “How was this RFP developed?” or “Is there an incumbent provider?” If the buyer won’t answer, proceed with extreme caution.
- Call it out (tactfully). If you strongly suspect the deck is stacked, have an honest conversation. “It seems like some of these requirements are highly tailored. Would it make sense for us to wait for a future opportunity?”
- Politely decline, but leave the door open. Let them know you’re stepping back but happy to help if things don’t work out with their chosen vendor. You’d be surprised how often that call comes later.
5. You Wait Until the Last Minute
This is a surprisingly common reason for losing. The good news is it’s entirely avoidable.
Sometimes it’s a last-minute scramble. Your team pulled an all-nighter to hit the deadline, only to realize you submitted the wrong version. Oops, you missed an attachment. Or, worse, you emailed it to the wrong address.
Or even worse… you just… didn’t get it in on time. If only you had a way to speed the RFP process up.
Even if your submission is only a few minutes late, many buyers will disqualify it immediately. No exceptions. It’s a trust issue, of course. If you can’t manage a deadline now, what happens during implementation?
What to Do to Win:
- Plan backward from the deadline. Set internal deadlines 24 to 48 hours before the due date to allow time for reviews, approvals, and final QA.
- Use project management tools. Treat the RFP like a mini project. Assign tasks, track progress, and have a clear owner.
- Create a go/no-go decision process. If you can’t realistically meet the deadline with a quality response, don’t force it. Walk away.
Don’t Lose RFPs When They’re Winnable… With the Right Approach
At the end of the day, not every RFP is winnable. And that’s okay. The key is to stop treating every opportunity the same.
To recap, here are the five common reasons teams lose RFPs:
- You didn’t meet the requirements.
- You didn’t differentiate enough.
- Your response quality was poor.
- Another vendor was already chosen.
- You missed the deadline.
Remember, every loss is a chance to get better. Whether it’s a misalignment with requirements, a lack of differentiation, or a rushed submission, each mistake reveals something you can fix, refine, or avoid next time.
The most successful teams don’t just write better RFPs. They qualify harder, collaborate earlier, and treat every response as a strategic sales tool. They know when to walk away, when to push for clarity, and how to use the RFP process to set traps for the competition.
If you’re serious about winning more deals, don’t just aim to submit more RFPs. Aim to submit smarter ones.
Want to improve your RFP win rate? We’ve helped hundreds of sales teams overhaul their response process. We’ve helped with everything from qualification frameworks to scalable content libraries and response automation. Get in touch to see how we can help your team win more, waste less time, and close faster.
Start your free trial with 1up today and level up your RFP game.
