The Hidden Cost of Waiting for RFQs

For many industrial suppliers, the arrival of an RFQ feels like an opportunity. It isn't. By the time an RFQ is issued, the most important parts of the buying decision have already been made. Waiting for an RFQ is a reactive posture that erodes your margins.

An RFQ is a Lagging Indicator

An RFQ is the end of a buying process, not the start. Long before it was written, the problem was defined, solutions evaluated, and technical specs drafted—often with input from a preferred vendor.

If you're bidding on an RFQ, you're already late. The game was won months ago by the supplier who helped write the specifications.

Become a Partner, Not a Price-Taker

Reactive strategies shift power to the buyer, forcing you into a race to the bottom on price. Winners engage in "specification selling," building relationships with architects and engineers early in the project lifecycle to shape the requirements.

The Takeaway

Stop treating RFQs as your primary source of pipeline. Invest in a proactive system that gets you into the conversation early, ensuring your solution is the one the RFQ is eventually written around.