2024 State of Strategic Response management

How Leading Companies Are Winning More

Sales and proposal teams have a choice: survive or thrive

To isolate the behaviors of thriving organizations, Responsive, in partnership with APMP, surveyed more than 750 sales, proposal, and IT executives and practitioners in the US, UK, and India who have ownership or influence over their company’s bid, capture, and proposal management activities.

Here’s a snapshot of what we learned

The trends:

Escalating buyer demands and higher stakes

Buyers are seeking more information on shorter timeframes. The volume of work and associated business risk are soaring. And a lot is riding on strategic responses.

The tension:

Bid and proposal teams are
invaluable, but undervalued

91% say that bid and proposal teams are a direct and significant contributor to revenue. Yet, executives and practitioners don’t see eye to eye on the level of investment required to drive a proposal center of excellence. 

2024 SRM report. Perception of bid and proposal teams.

All eyes on AI:

GenAI is table stakes – leading companies go beyond

89% say their organization is experimenting with or using AI, but a clear divide is forming. Organizations driving greater revenue are investing in platform-level capabilities that go beyond GenAI and apply to more than just writing responses.

Featuring insights from industry leaders

Rick Harris

Chief Executive Officer

“Organizations must immediately embrace a new approach — one that unifies teams, centralizes content, and democratizes knowledge. Now is the time to recognize and elevate bid and proposal teams, which are at the very core of Strategic Response Management, and empower them to function at maximum capacity.”

Danelle Morrow, CF. APMP

VP, North America Proposal Development Center

“Historically, proposal teams have been seen as cost centers, but this is outdated. It’s time to recognize proposal teams for their vital role in making the revenue engine hum.

Melinda Bunston

Chief Executive Officer (UK)

“In general, bid and capture is becoming more professional. You’ve got to understand finances, strategy, when to fold, how to win things. Leadership and partners across the whole organization are seeing our command of these key business skills, and as a result, we’re increasingly being recognized as key drivers of growth.

Andrew Mersman

Senior Director of Solution Consulting

“AI has dramatically reduced the time it takes to craft winning responses. The result has been faster responses that are more relevant and accurate. These improvements directly contributed to increased revenue and win rates, 
all without adding to our team.”
2024 SRM report. How leading companies are winning more.

The path forward:

How leading companies are winning more

Discover what leading organizations are doing to stay three steps ahead of buyer trends by investing in bid and proposal teams, harnessing AI, and unlocking insights to drive profitable growth.