In B2B sales, proposals are more than just documents—they are the bridge between opportunity and revenue. Yet, for many agencies and sales teams, the proposal process feels like driving through heavy traffic: slow, frustrating, and full of unnecessary stops. These bottlenecks don’t just waste time—they cost deals.
With AI tools like Genpitch, you can cut through the red tape, streamline workflows, and move from draft to signed deal faster than ever. Let’s explore the five most common proposal bottlenecks and how AI can fix them.
1. Delayed Information Gathering
The bottleneck:
Many sales reps spend hours chasing internal teams for client data, pricing updates, and service details. Waiting for responses creates downtime, slowing the proposal creation process.
The AI fix:
AI-powered platforms can pull data from CRM systems, past proposals, and pricing databases in seconds. Instead of manually searching through folders or sending repeated “just checking in” emails, AI can auto-fill proposal sections with up-to-date information.
Example: Imagine pulling a complete client background, tailored pricing, and relevant case studies in less than 60 seconds what used to take half a day.
2. Inefficient Content Reuse
The bottleneck:
Sales teams often rewrite the same value propositions, product descriptions, and service outlines for each new proposal. This wastes time and introduces inconsistencies.
The AI fix:
AI can store and instantly adapt reusable content blocks to fit each client’s needs. With tools like Genpitch, your winning proposal sections—client testimonials, service descriptions, and competitive advantages—can be instantly tailored for industry, tone, and project scope.
Example: Instead of writing a new “About Us” section for every proposal, AI generates one customized for a healthcare client versus a tech client, without starting from scratch.
3. Version Control Chaos
The bottleneck:
When multiple team members edit a proposal simultaneously, outdated versions circulate. This leads to confusion, missing details, and embarrassing errors sent to clients.
The AI fix:
AI-driven proposal tools keep a single source of truth. All edits happen in one centralized platform, with live updates and tracked changes. This ensures no more “Which file is the latest?” moments.
Example: A sales manager, content writer, and designer can work on the same proposal in real time without emailing PDFs back and forth.
4. Approval Delays
The bottleneck:
Even the most well-written proposal stalls when it sits in a manager’s inbox waiting for approval. These delays are common when proposals require multiple layers of sign-off.
The AI fix:
AI can automatically flag pending approvals, send smart reminders, and even pre-check compliance and formatting against company standards. Some platforms can predict the sections most likely to get flagged and adjust them proactively.
Example: Instead of waiting three days for approval, AI ensures the document is ready for review the same day—and alerts the right people instantly.
5. Slow Turnaround on Client Feedback
The bottleneck:
When a client requests changes, teams often go back to square one manually editing the proposal and reformatting it before sending a new version.
The AI fix:
AI can make instant edits based on client feedback and regenerate the updated proposal in minutes. This responsiveness can be the difference between winning and losing a deal.
Example: If a client asks for a change in scope and pricing, AI can adjust the affected sections while maintaining branding and layout consistency.
The Bigger Picture
Bottlenecks aren’t just annoyances—they’re deal killers. According to PandaDoc’s 2024 Sales Productivity Report, 41% of sales teams say administrative tasks like proposal prep take away from selling time. The more you automate with AI, the more time your team has to focus on relationship-building and closing deals.
With Genpitch, you’re not just eliminating delays you’re building a smoother, faster, and smarter proposal process from start to finish.