Navigating Trump’s Cuts: How empathy wins in the new era of government contracting
Gettyimages.com/ ipopba
By
Nic Coppings
While contractors chase opportunities, savvy firms build trust with federal employees facing unprecedented uncertainty.
Government contracting is at a turning point. While contractors obsess over pipelines, their government customers watch colleagues pack up desks unsure if they'll be next as the Trump administration drives workforce reductions and budget cuts.
The best companies see this as an opportunity to demonstrate empathy. Instead of pressing for procurement updates, they ask: "How can we help?"
The difference? Trust.
And empathy (the basis for trust) is already determining who gets better intelligence, who gets called first on new work, and who gets sidelined when budgets tighten.
The Human Side of Change
Sarah watched another colleague pack up—the third this week. As a senior program manager, she had been through administration changes before, but nothing like this.
This wasn't just a shift in policy. It was personal.
That morning, her inbox was full of contractor emails worried about upcoming procurements. Not one asked how she was holding up.
Reality Check: Two Different Worlds
For contractors, change is about business impact. For government employees, it's personal.
Tom, a government PM, put it bluntly: "I've got contractors calling me with questions about upcoming programs, and all I care about now is the personal impact to my team. Read the room!"
Even contractors are feeling it. A business development executive shared, "Nobody wants to talk to me right now. Topics that used to generate hours of conversation won't even get me a meeting. Their attention is elsewhere, including personal exit strategies."
This is where most contractors go wrong: They make customer engagement about their own needs, not the customer's.
Measurable Impact of Trust-Based Engagement
"One of our industry partners helped us save a critical program," says Tom. "They weren't even the incumbent. But guess who I trust now?"
This trust gap is reshaping the competitive landscape. Companies that pivot from pursuing opportunities to caring about their customers see:
- Increased access to customers
- Earlier insight into opportunities
- Higher intelligence quality
- Improved probability of sole source awards
"These aren't just feel-good metrics," says a chief growth officer. "When we started measuring relationship quality alongside capture metrics, we saw a direct correlation with win rates."
Building a Trust-Based Growth Culture
Success requires a new approach, with skills to:
- Read emotional situations
- Have difficult conversations
- Demonstrate empathy
- Maintain professional boundaries while caring about partners
Training Evolution
Start with your onsite personnel. Provide emotional intelligence training with real-world role-play. Roll out to everyone who engages with customers, including executives. You'll know when you're getting the inside scoop; if you don't, you're probably not.
The Customer Engagement Disconnect
Most executives think their teams are good at customer engagement. But there's often a massive difference between what executives think and what their government customers experience.
Even experienced team members can undermine trust without realizing it. They talk too much, don't listen, and push solutions before understanding the problem. In the current environment, they chase procurement updates and ignore what the government counterpart is facing.
Your Next Move: From Assessment to Action
Score your organization:
- Do your teams understand their government counterparts' career concerns?
- Can your teams identify early warning signs of program challenges?
- Do you have established relationship quality goals and measurements?
"The market will remain uncertain," said a veteran executive. "The only certainty is that those who invest in customer relationships today will have a huge competitive advantage tomorrow."
The question isn't whether to act - it's whether you'll care enough about the customer to matter.
As Senior Partner at Hi-Q Group, Nic Coppings brings over 20 years of experience in the Government market, helping organizations secure billions in contract wins. Our training programs transform customer engagement, equipping your whole customer-facing team with the skills to build Winning Relationships® that drive growth. Ready to stop guessing and start winning? Learn how the Hi-Q Training can transform your team. Schedule a time to chat here.