AI adoption in B2B drives revenue growth & boosts hiring
Responsive, in partnership with the Association of Proposal Management Professionals, has released its 2025 State of Strategic Response Management Report, which surveyed 726 global revenue leaders and practitioners to gauge how AI is reshaping revenue operations and roles.
The report identifies a growing divergence between high-performing organisations - described as "Leaders" with over 25% year-on-year revenue growth - and their lower-performing counterparts, referred to as "Novices." Leaders are found to be six times more likely to have deployed AI agents across revenue functions and more than twice as likely to use AI for both decision-making and workflow optimisation compared to Novices.
More than half of the surveyed companies that have adopted AI report increasing headcount, while only 27% of companies not using AI say the same. This contrasts with the narrative that AI adoption may replace jobs across the industry.
Ganesh Shankar, Chief Executive Officer at Responsive, said, "The 2025 Strategic Response Management Report makes it clear: AI isn't just a tool; it's both a force multiplier and a catalyst for transforming how organisations compete and win. When strategic response teams are empowered with AI, they gain sharper insights, faster decision-making, and greater agility. The most successful organisations are those investing in this synergy, amplifying human expertise with AI to democratise knowledge, unlock higher win rates and accelerate revenue growth."
The findings highlight that high-growth companies are combining investments in technology with hiring. Of the Leaders identified in the study, 77% report investing in technology and 69% in staffing, suggesting a balanced approach between AI and human resources. By contrast, Novices are less than half as likely to be increasing their staff numbers.
The report also outlines how B2B buyers are expecting more from sellers than previously, with more than three-quarters of organisations noting that buyers now have tighter budgets, demand faster response times, and require greater personalisation. This has heightened the requirements for speed, customisation, and accuracy in sales and revenue operations.
Toby Carrington, Chief Business Officer at Seismic, commented on the organisational changes brought by AI: "AI is fundamentally reshaping how revenue teams operate, allowing us to think more strategically, collaborate better across functions, and focus on high-value work. At Seismic, we're embedding AI into everything we do, not just to automate tasks, but to enable smarter decisions and better outcomes. The companies that move quickly on AI, and use it to elevate both their people and processes, will be the ones that gain a true competitive edge."
According to the research, AI usage is becoming a clear differentiator between companies experiencing significant growth and those that are stagnant. Leaders are more than twice as likely as Novices to use AI for orchestrating workflows and assignments (41% compared to 17%), analysing win/loss data (37% compared to 18%), and making go/no-go decisions (37% compared to 26%).
The report finds that over half (54%) of organisations are either testing or have fully integrated AI into their strategic response management workflows, such as requests for proposals (RFPs), security questionnaires, and due diligence documents. Adoption rates are higher in particular sectors, with 72% of large enterprises, 67% of companies dealing with more than 10 RFPs each month, and 64% of technology firms trialling or deploying AI within these processes.
Revenue growth linked to strategic responses has also been observed, with 62% of surveyed companies reporting year-on-year increases. Leaders stand out as being six times more likely to have fully deployed AI agents and three times more likely to use AI across all revenue functions.
Despite these trends, a portion of the market remains cautious, with more than 10% of all organisations and up to 36% of smaller companies stating they are not using AI agents and have no intention to implement them within the next year.
Julia Duke, Chief Operating Officer at the Association of Proposal Management Professionals, said, "As the bid and proposal profession evolves, understanding the trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping our work is more important than ever. This survey provides meaningful insights into the strategies and practices that are helping teams succeed today. APMP is proud to support research that advances the knowledge and growth of bid and proposal management professionals globally."
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