For decades, agencies have treated the RFP as the moment that mattered. The brief arrived. Then the war room opened. And the pitch became the battleground.

But that world is disappearing.

Increasingly, the RFP is no longer where decisions are made—it’s where they get confirmed. The real selection happens quietly, upstream, long before marketing hits “send” on a formal request.

Let me be blunt:
In this new world, if you’re waiting for the RFP to sell, you’re already too late. 

The old RFP game is over, long pegged as a broken process. And agencies that don’t adapt to the new one are fighting on the wrong field.

Why the RFP Has Lost Its Power

As RFPs evolve, the playing field is being completely redrawn.

1. Shortlists are built long before the brief is drafted.

Internal teams identify potential partners months ahead of time. They ask peers for recommendations, review content, and quietly study your agency’s presence. By the time a need officially surfaces, the list is already narrowed. 

2. Procurement starts evaluating before marketing does.

Procurement gathers vendor intel early—benchmarking rates, analyzing delivery models, even reviewing contract histories with other agencies. They’re shaping the playing field before you’re even aware a game exists.

3. AI is rewriting the rules of vendor selection.

Modern procurement stacks use AI tools to analyze:

• Past performance
• Language patterns in your materials
• Your pricing structures
• Industry familiarity
• Risk factors
• Thought leadership footprint

These systems score and categorize agencies before humans ever see the responses. And when the RFP finally arrives? You’re not persuading. You’re being validated—or filtered out.

“The RFP is no longer a sales opportunity. It’s a confirmation exercise.”   

— Mark Duval, Founder, The Duval Partnership

The shift is already underway. Have you noticed briefs shrinking from a dozen pages to just a couple? With fewer strategy questions and more checkboxes? More templated forms requiring direct answers? Restrictions on page counts and less ability to insert differentiators or tell your story? 

RFPs are shrinking and becoming more rigid because stakeholders only want essential details. Just as agencies’ resources have been drained by RFP submissions and pitching, brand-side stakeholders have been overwhelmed by processing this information. And they need things to move quicker.

A whopping 68% of brand marketers surveyed by Creativebrief would embrace AI to save time reviewing agencies (in Digiday). 

The evolved RFP eliminates fluff. It also leaves agencies with less room than ever to differentiate. And it means that you’re not being evaluated on creativity—at least, not at this stage—but on whether you fit a pre-determined mold.

The Real Battle Is Happening Earlier

The agencies winning today are already top of mind when internal teams quietly question their current partners, or when CMOs start talking about capability gaps. By then, marketing and procurement leaders have already identified those that are of particular interest. 

These agencies are already on the radar when procurement or marketing begins early vendor assessment, or when a budget shift triggers new agency exploration. They’ve established credibility before anyone calls for a formal review.

These agencies are showing up where decisions start—not where they end. Their reputation precedes them. It’s because their outbound is timely, relevant, and personalized. And their POV is known and trusted. 

These are the agencies whose founders are seen as an industry voice, with visible, demonstrated expertise. It’s their LinkedIn posts and blogs that are being forwarded and circulating internally.

These agencies are not pitching their way into accounts.

They’re preselling their way into inevitability.

This Is the New Imperative for Agencies

If the first time a prospect hears from your agency is during an RFP, you’ve already lost.

Modern growth demands something different. Something earlier, more intentional, and more strategic.

Here’s what winning agencies are doing:

They lead with a clear, differentiated point of view.

Their POV signals relevance, expertise, and confidence. It helps clients diagnose problems they haven’t articulated yet. And it attracts inbound interest well before the market need surfaces.

Their work speaks for itself.

Their work is gorgeous. Or hilarious, clever, or thought provoking. Maybe it’s just annoyingly sticky. While it may not be the work that wins at Cannes, it demonstrates proof of effectiveness in ways that clearly move businesses forward.

They build founder-level and executive-level visibility.

In a world of sameness, leadership presence is an advantage. Clients want experts, not anonymous logos. And they’ll trust a demonstrated history of expertise long before they trust conversations about abstract processes.

They operate with procurement-ready maturity.

Procurement wants clarity, structure, discipline, and predictability. If your agency can’t demonstrate operational rigor before being asked, you’re already behind.

Operational maturity is no longer a “back-office” concept. It’s a competitive advantage.

They run meaningful, insight-driven outbound programs.

Not templated messages. Not generic sequences. But thoughtful outreach grounded in category pain points, market timing, and brand realities. 

Brand-side marketers and procurement are coming into RFPs with an advanced understanding of what your agency can offer. Likewise, you should be using AI-driven tools to inform whom it makes sense to have conversations with, and about what. Outreach messages should connect your expertise to actual and specific challenges your prospect is facing right now. 

Outbound done right is about driving awareness, building relationships, sharing ideas, delivering value, and generating demand. Not impersonal mass solicitation.

The Bottom Line

The RFP isn’t disappearing. But its influence is migrating upstream.

Agencies that cling to the old model—waiting passively until a brief magically arrives—will be competing for scraps. They’ll be fighting over the leftovers filtered through procurement algorithms and compliance checklists.

But agencies that show up early—with a compelling POV, proof of results, consistent visibility, and meaningful outbound—will win before the brief is even written.

These agencies shape the conversation before the process begins. They’re building trust before a decision is required. And they’re becoming the default choice long before anyone thinks to issue an RFP.

The future of growth is not pitched.
It’s pre-sold.

Read more:

• Will RFPs Finally Die? A New Approach for Agency New Business
• The Essential Elements of Agency Credibility: Why Proof Points Matter
• What Ad Agencies Need to Know About Lead Gen Services