Exposing the undervaluation crisis
The bid and proposal profession is in crisis. Not because it lacks expertise, but because it remains widely misunderstood. Too often, proposal professionals are treated as sales admin, sales support or “ambulance chasers” – scrambling to assemble last-minute bids with minimal strategic input.
In reality, the bid and proposal function directly influence win rates, revenue growth, and competitive positioning. Yet, despite its impact, it rarely sits at the executive table. Why? Because too many leaders fail to recognise the role of proposal management in driving business success.
Compelling leadership to take notice
It’s time for executives to rethink where proposal teams fit. Sales teams chase opportunities but the proposal function turns them into bankable contracts. Even the best sales pitch can fall flat without a high-performing proposal team. Leaders who embed proposal teams into the fibre of business development see higher win rates, stronger deals, and better customer engagement. Those that don’t? They rely on luck, not strategy.
To change the narrative, proposal professionals must drive the conversation. Stop waiting for recognition – demand it. Speak the language of business outcomes, not just compliance. Position yourself as a revenue enabler, not a form-filler.
Proving the power of data
Data shifts perceptions. When proposal teams track and communicate their impact – win rates, deal sizes, competitive positioning – the numbers tell a compelling story. This is evidenced in the 2025 Loopio & APMP RFP Response Trends & Benchmark Report:
- Organisations with a dedicated proposal team win an average of 51% of their bids, compared to the overall average win rate of 43%
- Teams implementing a go/no-go process are more selective, leading to higher success rates. 85% of top-performing teams use such a process
- High-performing teams involve an average of 10 contributors per proposal, leveraging diverse expertise to enhance proposal quality
If executives are unaware of these figures, that’s on us. Make metrics visible, use dashboards that track performance, and tie every win to the proposal team’s contribution. When leadership sees the numbers, the conversation shifts from “nice to have” to “critical to success.”
The wake-up call
The bid and proposal profession is at a crossroads.
Executives: the time to recognise proposal management as a growth driver is now. Proposal professionals: continue operating in the shadows, and you’ll remain undervalued. Step up, claim your strategic role, and let data do the talking. This is how we redefine the future of business development.
Izane Cloete-Hamilton
Izane is the Master of Inspiration at nFold, a strategic proposal consultancy in South Africa. She is a compassionate leader with a rare and innate ability to develop people. She has held various senior management positions in business development, marketing, and bid management for over 20 years. Izane joined nFold as a partner in 2021, where she continues to inspire success in others through thought leadership, training and strategy development.
