Proposal management is hitting a new threshold of pressures in 2026. As competition intensifies and buyer expectations rise, a subset of teams is consistently pulling ahead, winning more than 51% of the RFPs they pursue. The question isn’t whether they’re working harder. It’s what they’re doing differently to win.

According to Loopio’s 2026 RFP Response Trends & Benchmarks Report, which surveyed 1,533 professionals globally, the gap isn’t driven by a single advantage. It’s a set of habits – strategic, behavioral and technological – that compound into a different way of operating.

Here are the five things top-performers are doing differently to win in 2026.

1. Set Ambitious Targets, but Rule with Selectivity

Top performers respond to an average of 180 RFPs per year, which is 14 more than the industry average of 166 annually. But the important story here is not about volume of bids, it’s about being selective about which opportunities you pursue.

According to the research, 81% of top performers use a formal go/no-go process, 6% higher than the average. Top performers balance ambition, with strategy, spending their time intentionally – and the results bear this out. Overall, this group advances on 65% of the RFPs they respond to, compared to the industry-wide average of 46%.

2. Use AI Deliberately, and Not For Everything

Nearly 80% of teams now use generative AI in their response process, up 10 points from last year. So while use of AI is near ubiquitous, it’s how teams use it that sets them apart.

While the average team leans on AI to draft faster answers and edit more efficiently, teams with high win rates report deploying it for analyzing proposal quality, interpreting data, and informing strategy. Overall, they lean more into AI as an analytical partner, not a tool for a faster first draft.

3. Prioritize Quality Responses, Not Speed

Top performers spend an average of 35 hours per RFP, two hours more than the norm. That extra time shows up in personalization and storytelling, the kind of response that’s uniquely written for this buyer and not just assembled for any client.

They also focus heavily on process improvement, with 43% citing better processes as the reason they’re able to respond to more RFPs, compared to 35% of the average team.

4. Measure What Actually Moves the Needle

In 2026, it’s become commonplace for most teams to track win rates and submission volumes. According to this year’s report, 62% of teams track win rate, and 60% track volume of bids submitted.

Where top performers deviate from the crowd is in analyzing more granular insights. In comparison to the average, they’re more likely to monitor speed of completion, section-level scores, cost per bid, and overall revenue sourced from RFPs.

5. Position Bids as a Strategic Revenue Lever

This may be the most important differentiator of all. While only 47% of average teams say they have genuine influence over sales success and deal strategy, that number rises to 60% among top performers.

It shows up in the revenue numbers too. Top-performing teams influence a whopping 47% of their company’s total revenue through RFPs, which is seven percentage points more than the average of 40.

While these five habits signal different focus areas, one clear pattern emerges across all. Top-performing teams aren’t just doing more. They’re making clear decisions about where to invest time, how to use technology, and how to position their role in the business.

Winning more isn’t a volume game. It’s a discipline. And the teams at the top treat it that way. For a deeper look at the data behind these trends, explore Loopio’s 2026 RFP Response Trends & Benchmarks Report.