While there is no official, disaggregated figure for the number of government contracting officers who have retired, quit, or been fired in 2025, the available evidence shows that contracting officers are among the many federal employees (between 250,000 – 300,000) affected by sweeping workforce reductions, hiring freezes and early retirement programs.

A New Sales Target

The scale of the reductions is unprecedented.

If we translate this into simple sales language, it means the targets you were aiming at in 2025 are likely no longer the same targets. Maybe they quit, maybe they changed positions, maybe they accepted a “voluntary retirement” and are waiting to depart later in the calendar year.

Jeopardized Relationships

And maybe the new contracting officer you are selling to has no idea who you and your company are, despite all the hard work you put into building relationships with the previous contracting officer. Bummer.

Brand Visibility Matters

This is why you must continuously attend to and nurture brand visibility, creating awareness and connection and engagement with everyone who does or can influence the achievement of your goals. It is easy to get laser-focused on your current target audience (prospect or customer) and miss out on the influencers and decision-makers and replacements who take over when your target contact quits, changes positions or retires.

Be Offensive

When it comes to brand building, recognize that the best defense is a good offense. The most effective way to protect your investment is to proactively and aggressively act against a potential threat, rather than waiting to react.

Lead the Way

See the whole field and ensure everyone understands what makes your brand special – not just the contracting officer, but everyone around him or her. Because you never know when the target is going to change.

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