RFP Automation Software: How to Stop Hating the Process Everyone Dreads
Article written by
Kate Williams
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Summary
RFPs are slow, repetitive, and painful—but they don’t have to be. This blog explains how RFP automation software transforms the process: auto-filling common answers, routing questions to the right people, and tracking what wins. If your team dreads every RFP, it’s time to fix the system and start closing deals instead of losing them.
"We need you to respond to this RFP. It's only 200 questions. Due Friday."
If you just felt your soul leave your body, you're not alone.
Last month, I watched our sales team literally draw straws to see who had to handle the latest RFP. The loser spent two weeks coordinating with legal, product, security, and finance to answer questions like "Describe your disaster recovery protocols in detail" for the 47th time this year.
There has to be a better way, right?
There is. And no, it's not "just don't do RFPs" (though I've been tempted).
Why RFPs Make Everyone Miserable
Let's be honest about why RFPs suck:
- They're repetitive: 70% of questions are the same across RFPs
- They're time-consuming: Average RFP takes 8-10 days to complete
- They're soul-crushing: Nobody dreams of growing up to fill out questionnaires
- They're risky: One wrong answer can kill a deal you've worked on for months
But here's the thing—RFPs aren't going away. Especially in enterprise sales. So we can either keep suffering or fix the process.
I vote for fixing it.
The Day Everything Changed
I'll never forget the day our best sales rep came to me, almost in tears. She'd just lost a $500K deal because we couldn't respond to the RFP in time. Our competitor? They submitted theirs in 48 hours.
"How is that even possible?" she asked.
That's when I discovered RFP automation. And holy crap, why didn't anyone tell me about this sooner?
What RFP Automation Actually Does
Forget the fancy marketing speak. Here's what these tools really do:
1. They Remember Everything
Every answer you've ever written gets stored and tagged. When question #47 asks about disaster recovery (again), the software says, "Hey, you answered this 15 times already. Here's your best response."
2. They Coordinate the Chaos
Instead of chasing people on Slack for answers, the system automatically routes questions to the right expert. Legal gets legal questions. Security gets security questions. No more email volleyball.
3. They Keep Answers Fresh
Your disaster recovery plan from 2019? Probably outdated. Good RFP tools flag stale content and remind you to update it.
4. They Learn What Wins
The best platforms track which answers help you win deals. Over time, you're not just responding faster—you're responding better.
The Different Types (And Which One You Need)
Not all RFP automation is created equal:
The Basic Library
- Stores your answers
- Basic search functionality
- Manual copy/paste
- Good for: Small teams, simple RFPs
The Smart Assistant
- AI-powered answer matching
- Automated workflows
- Version control
- Good for: Growing teams, moderate RFP volume
The Full Platform
- End-to-end RFP management
- Team collaboration built-in
- Advanced analytics
- Integration with everything
- Good for: Enterprise teams, high RFP volume
The Revenue Enablement Suite
- RFPs plus proposals, contracts, etc.
- Unified content management
- AI that actually understands context
- Good for: Teams that want one platform for all revenue documents
(This is where tools like SparrowGenie shine—they handle RFPs as part of a bigger revenue automation strategy)
What to Look For (And Red Flags to Avoid)
After evaluating a bunch of these tools, here's what matters:
Must-Haves
Answer Accuracy The AI better be smart enough to know that "What's your uptime?" and "Describe your availability SLA" need the same answer.
Easy Content Updates If updating an answer requires a developer, the tool is already dead.
Team Collaboration Real-time editing, comments, approvals—like Google Docs but for RFPs.
Integration with Your World It needs to play nice with your CRM, docs, and communication tools.
Red Flags
"100% Automated Responses" No AI is good enough to answer everything without human review. Anyone claiming otherwise is lying.
Complex Implementation If it takes 6 months to set up, you'll give up before seeing value.
Per-Question Pricing RFP volumes spike. Per-question pricing will blow your budget.
No Answer Analytics If you can't see what's working, you can't improve.
How We Cut RFP Time by 75% (Real Story)
Here's exactly what we did:
Week 1: The Content Audit
We gathered every RFP from the last year. Found 500+ unique questions. But guess what? They basically asked the same 50 things in different ways.
Week 2: Build the Foundation
Created our "golden answers" for the most common questions. Got them approved by all stakeholders. This was painful but worth it.
Week 3: Pick the Platform
Evaluated five options. Picked one that:
- Our sales team could actually use
- Had AI that wasn't just marketing fluff
- Integrated with our existing tools
- Didn't cost more than a sales rep's salary
Week 4-8: Pilot and Refine
Started with one team. First RFP took 4 days instead of 10. Second one took 3 days. By the tenth? 2 days flat.
Results After 90 Days:
- Average RFP time: Down from 10 days to 2.5
- Win rate on RFPs: Up 30%
- Sales rep sanity: Restored
- Revenue from RFP deals: Up 45%
The Hidden Benefits Nobody Talks About
Sure, saving time is great. But the real magic?
Consistency Across Responses No more contradicting yourself because different people answered similar questions.
Competitive Intelligence See patterns in what prospects ask. That's gold for product and marketing.
Team Knowledge Capture When your RFP expert leaves, their knowledge stays.
Actually Enjoying RFPs Okay, "enjoy" might be strong. But "not hate" is achievable.
Common Objections (And Why They're Wrong)
"RFPs aren't worth automating" Track how many hours you spend on them. Now multiply by your hourly rate. Still think that?
"Our RFPs are too unique" I guarantee 70% of your questions repeat. Start there.
"AI will give wrong answers" That's why you review before sending. AI suggests, humans approve.
"It's too expensive" Compare it to the cost of lost deals and burned-out reps.
Implementation Tips That Actually Work
Start Small
Don't try to automate every RFP type at once. Pick your most common one.
Get Buy-In Early
Include the people who actually do RFPs. They know the pain points.
Clean Your Content First
Garbage in, garbage out. Update those old answers before automating.
Measure Everything
- Time per RFP
- Win rates
- Questions per RFP
- Team satisfaction
Celebrate Wins
First RFP done in record time? Tell everyone. Build momentum.
What the Future Holds
RFP automation is evolving fast:
Coming Soon
- AI that understands context better
- Real-time collaboration with prospects
- Automated compliance updates
- Predictive win/loss insights
The Dream
One day, RFPs will be actual conversations, not interrogations. Tools will translate between what they're really asking and what you need to share.
Your Next Steps
- Calculate Your RFP Pain
- How many RFPs per month?
- Hours per RFP?
- Win rate?
- This is your baseline
- Audit Your Content
- Gather recent RFPs
- Find common questions
- Identify outdated answers
- Set Success Metrics
- Time reduction target
- Win rate improvement
- ROI timeline
- Start Shopping Smart
- Demo with real RFPs
- Test the AI accuracy
- Check references
- Negotiate pilots
The Bottom Line
RFPs aren't going away. But suffering through them? That's optional.
Good RFP automation turns a soul-crushing process into something manageable. Great RFP automation makes you faster and better than your competition.
The choice is yours: Keep drawing straws to see who handles the next RFP, or fix the process once and for all.
I know which one I'd choose.
Product Marketing Manager at SurveySparrow
A writer by heart, and a marketer by trade with a passion to excel! I strive by the motto "Something New, Everyday"
