Time Management, BT Style RFP Season Edition

Time Management Strategies for RFP Season: A BT Seller’s Survival Guide

RFP season can feel overwhelming for BT Sellers in hotel sales. Learn how to manage your time, protect your energy, and hit your numbers with these smart, strategic tips.

RFP Season isn’t busy—it’s built different. Every request feels urgent, timelines tighten, and inboxes swell with rate questions that sound the same but carry wildly different stakes. If you're not careful, you’ll end the quarter exhausted with little to show for it.

That’s why time management isn't a nice-to-have during RFP Season—it’s your survival kit. And it starts with structure.

1. Anchor Your Calendar Around Your Needs

Don’t let RFPs drag you into reactive mode. Block your workflow in phases:

• Prospecting Days → Discovery calls & intro emails

• Prep Days → Research, rate strategy, and leadership alignment

• Pitch Days → Client presentations, proposal follow-ups

• Renewal Days → Focused on current accounts & red-to-green strategies

This cycle keeps your energy focused and your pipeline balanced.

2. Set Boundaries Like a Seller Who Closes

Say no to distractions disguised as productivity:

• Don’t let internal meetings hijack your pitch blocks.

• Turn off email notifications during deep work hours.

• Give your DOS or GM set “rate response windows” so you can protect outbound time.

Boundaries create bandwidth. And bandwidth creates better business.

3. Batch Your Work. Don’t Ping-Pong.

Multitasking murders momentum. Instead, batch similar tasks:

• Send all follow-up emails in one sitting

• Schedule renewal check-ins for the same day each week

• Review rate strategy proposals back-to-back

You’ll cut decision fatigue and boost speed, without sacrificing clarity.

4. Track What Moves the Needle

During RFP Season, not all activity is equal. Keep your focus on:

• Touchpoints that convert (not cold spam)

• Accounts that align with your BT Goals

• Rate strategies that meet both value and volume

Log it. Measure it. Adjust. Momentum is built, not guessed.

5. Protect Your Mental Energy

Your time isn’t the only thing at risk—your mindset matters too. RFP burnout is real. Fight back with:

• Micro-breaks between calls

• A Friday CEO Hour to review wins + realign goals

• Affirmations that ground you in your value (yes, they work)

Don’t let a stressful season convince you you’re unqualified. You’re built for this, especially with the Make Them Stay framework in your corner.

The Lie, the Lesson, and the Truth

The Lie:

“RFP Season is too chaotic to stay organized.”

The Lesson:

When you don’t control your calendar, RFPs will control your confidence. Time management isn't about doing more, it's about protecting what actually matters.

The Truth:

Strategic sellers win RFP Season by staying clear, not busy. The right system gives you back your time, and your power.

Download This Week’s Free Resource

RFP Time Block Planner – BT Cycle Edition Includes sample time blocks, weekly focus prompts, and a customizable grid for tracking red-to-green progress across accounts.

BT Planner Time Block RFP Season Edition.pdf

Download PDF • 4.11MB

AI Tools to Help BT Sellers Stay Organized

1. Motion – AI Calendar & Task Manager

• Uses AI to automatically schedule your to-do list around your meetings

• Reprioritizes your day based on what matters most

• Great for blocking time for prospecting, proposals, and renewal follow-ups🌐 usemotion.com

  
  

2. GrammarlyGO – AI Writing Assistant

• Helps write faster, more clearly, and in your own tone

• Perfect for responding to RFPs, writing follow-ups, and tightening client messages🌐 grammarly.com

  
  

3. SaneBox – AI Email Prioritization

• Filters out low-priority email so you can focus on decision-makers

• Offers automatic reminders and follow-up nudges🌐 sanebox.com

  
  

4. Fireflies.ai – AI Meeting Notes + CRM Integration

• Records and transcribes your sales calls

• Auto-generates action items and sends summaries to your CRM🌐 fireflies.ai

  
  

5. Notion AI – All-in-One Planner & Knowledge Base

• Use it for account tracking, renewal notes, red-to-green lists

• Auto-summarizes meeting notes, generates sales call prep, and organizes outreach🌐 notion.so/product/ai

🤖 6. ChatGPT (with Custom GPTs)

• Use as your daily planning assistant, call script builder, or idea generator

• Ask it to organize a 30-minute renewal call, build a weekly outreach plan, or reword an email🌐 chat.openai.com

The Reframe:

RFP Season doesn’t have to run you. With the right rhythm, structure, and clarity, BT Sellers can turn the most stressful season of the year into their most strategic one yet.