In the high-stakes world of RFP responses, timing isn't just about meeting deadlines. It's about strategic positioning. While most competitors scramble to submit their responses at the last minute, smart organizations are discovering a powerful advantage: submitting first can significantly increase your win rate.

This isn't just about speed. It's about psychology. By leveraging two powerful cognitive biases, Primacy and Anchoring, you can position your proposal to make a lasting impression on evaluators and set the standard against which all other responses are judged.

The Power of Being First: Primacy Bias in Action

Evaluators reviewing multiple RFP responses face a cognitive challenge: they must compare and recall information from numerous proposals. This is where Primacy Bias comes into play.

Primacy Bias: People tend to remember and favor information they encounter first. When your proposal is reviewed first, your key points, differentiators, and solutions create powerful first impressions that stick in evaluators' minds more clearly than competitor responses they review later.

Imagine an evaluator reviewing seven different proposals. By the time they reach the fourth or fifth response, your well-crafted messaging from the first review is still occupying prime real estate in their memory.

Setting the Standard: How Anchoring Bias Works in Your Favor

Anchoring Bias: The first information received establishes the reference point against which all other information is judged.

When your proposal lands on an evaluator's desk first, you're not just winning the race to submission. You're setting the standard. Your approach, pricing structure, and solution framework become the benchmark against which all subsequent proposals are measured.

This is particularly powerful when introducing innovative solutions or approaches. If evaluators encounter your novel idea first, competitors' more conventional approaches may seem lacking by comparison. Conversely, if competitors present standard solutions first, your innovative approach might be perceived as unnecessarily complex or risky.

The Dangerous Allure of Recency Bias

Some organizations deliberately aim to be the last to submit, hoping to capitalize on Recency Bias, the tendency to remember and favor the most recently encountered information.

This approach carries significant risks:

• It signals poor planning and potential capacity issues

• It requires perfect execution under extreme time pressure

• A single technical issue could mean missing the deadline entirely

• It positions you as a follower rather than a leader

The marginal benefit rarely outweighs these considerable risks.

Practical Strategies for Being First Without Sacrificing Quality

Being first doesn't mean rushing or compromising on quality. Here are practical steps to systematically position your responses at the front of the evaluation queue:

1. Streamline your RFP workflow: Eliminate unnecessary review cycles and approval bottlenecks

2. Create organization-wide buy-in: When stakeholders understand the strategic importance of timing, they're more likely to prioritize their contributions

3. Leverage AI and automation: Use advanced tools to accelerate response generation while maintaining quality

4. Develop robust content libraries: Pre-approved content can dramatically reduce response time

5. Establish clear ownership: Designate specific responsibility for driving timely completion

The Competitive Edge: Results Speak for Themselves

Organizations that master the art of early submission while maintaining quality see remarkable results:

• For standard RFPs: Aim for a 2-3 day turnaround, even for complex requests with hundreds of requirements

• For strategic opportunities: Take more time to develop a differentiated approach, but still target being among the first responders

One organization implementing this approach reports never missing a shortlist opportunity within their ideal customer profile, a powerful testament to the effectiveness of this strategy.

Finding the Right Balance

While speed matters, quality remains paramount. The goal isn't just to be first. It's to be first with a compelling, high-quality response that leverages these psychological advantages.

For routine RFPs where your organization has established expertise, rapid response protocols can deliver significant advantages. For strategic opportunities requiring more customization, the focus shifts to being among the first responders with a standout proposal.

Conclusion: A Simple Yet Powerful Strategy

The psychology of timing represents one of the most accessible yet underutilized advantages in the RFP process. By understanding and leveraging Primacy and Anchoring biases through early submission, organizations can position themselves for higher win rates without additional cost or resource investment.

Best of all, this approach doesn't require special technology or expertise, just a commitment to strategic timing and efficient processes. In the competitive landscape of RFP responses, being first isn't just about checking a box. It's about positioning yourself for success.