An email pings your inbox. Another RFP has arrived. It’s urgent, it’s long, and seven stakeholders are waiting for you to provide perfect answers.
It feels similar to being handed a surprise pop quiz. You know the material is somewhere in your head (or buried in last quarter’s documents), but the pressure is immediate, the clock is ticking, and the stakes are high.
This isn’t a rare frustration. According to Loopio’s 2025 RFP Response Trends Report, responding to a single RFP still takes most teams about 25 hours on average. Multiply that by dozens of RFPs a year, and the burden is obvious: sales teams are spending more time managing documents than actually selling.
The Hidden Costs of RFP Chaos
RFPs don’t just take time — they drain energy and momentum.
Responses often sprawl across spreadsheets, Google Docs, Slack threads, and email chains. Important answers get lost. SMEs leave conflicting comments. Teams duplicate work. And when deadlines loom, the process turns frantic.
It’s no surprise that Loopio’s 2025 RFP Trends Report found over half of proposal professionals cite finding accurate, up-to-date content and collaborating with SMEs as their biggest challenges. And while some organizations throw more people at the problem, that only adds to the noise.
The result? Missed deadlines, inconsistent answers, and deals lost not because of your product — but because of your process.
Why AI is Changing the RFP Game
This is where AI comes in. Proposal automation isn’t just about working faster; it’s about working smarter.
Modern AI proposal tools can instantly surface the right answer from months ago, draft consistent responses in seconds, and flag jargon or unclear language before it reaches your prospect. Instead of chasing SMEs, sales teams get clean, accurate drafts to review and refine.
The impact is tangible. McKinsey suggests that AI could improve sales productivity by as much as 3–5x. And according to Loopio, proposal-specific platforms have already helped teams cut RFP turnaround times by 40%.
That’s not just efficiency — it’s a competitive edge. When you can respond faster, with higher quality answers, you win more often.
Meet the AI Proposal Manager
Settle was built for this exact problem. Unlike generic project tools that try to shoehorn into proposal workflows, Settle is purpose-built for RFPs.
It remembers the obscure answer you buried six months ago. It won’t drown you in 12 conflicting comments. It can answer 100 questions in 10 seconds — without crying.
And because it’s AI-native, it gets better the more you use it. Every RFP becomes a chance to refine your playbook, making the next one even easier.
What This Means for Sales Teams
For sales teams, the payoff is immediate. Faster turnarounds mean you can pursue more RFPs without burning out. Time saved means reps can focus on conversations with prospects instead of formatting documents. And when the process feels less painful, morale improves — no one dreads the next RFP drop.
It also changes how buyers perceive you. A fast, clear, consistent response signals professionalism and reliability. Instead of looking disorganized under pressure, your team shows up prepared — every time.
Stop Cramming for RFPs
RFPs will never fully go away. But they don’t have to feel like pop quizzes that ruin your weekend.
With the right AI teammate, you don’t have to scramble for answers or copy-paste from spreadsheet graveyards. You can respond with confidence, speed, and quality — and spend more of your time actually selling.
At Settle, we built the AI Proposal Manager that never sleeps, so your team doesn’t have to.
Book a demo with Settle — and stop cramming for RFPs.