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In our everyday world of business (and life), there are things that we can control, and then there are things we can’t control.

And you adapt to the changes that you didn’t see coming.

This week, we are looking at how policy changes can affect your positioning with your customer.

Policy change isn’t a memo; it’s a shift in how your world operates.

It can hit…and hit hard.

Policy change can come from your business, state, local, or federal changes.

Cyber-related (think CMMC), acquisition, HR, the list goes on.

Most teams react. They scramble to catch up once customers start asking tough questions, missing the precious window when the ones who understand how policy changes affect current relationships that you have with the customer pivot first, educate, and completely reshape the relationship.

Because when the rules change, those who understand and act before anyone else don’t just survive.

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You don’t have to bite off a whole policy change all at once, either. Take it piece by piece, too.

I’m going to break it down here. I’m going to give you an example. I’m unpacking the recent FAR overhaul and showing you how to seize the advantage while others stand still. Don’t just know that there are changes, but how to position your business to leverage them.

Let’s dance.

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While everyone else scrambles to understand what changed, educate your customers on what it means and how to capitalize on it. Don’t wait for the next RFI or RFPs to reflect the new reality. Don't wait for procurement teams to interpret the changes. Lead the conversation.

The recent FAR overhaul is a perfect case study. While most vendors are still reading the policy documents, reposition your customer relationships around the new opportunities.

Check out my past posts are engaging with your customers as well:

Why Relationship Selling Crushes Transactional Selling in the Age of AI

If You Don’t Know How They Buy, You’re Just Guessing

90% Listening, 10% Talking: Build Trust Before You Talk Business

The Revolutionary FAR Overhaul just eliminated over 500 procurement requirements, the most significant reform to federal buying in 41 years. But here's the thing: your customers are drowning in what this means for them. Most contracting officers are still figuring out how to apply these changes to their day-to-day work.

Instead of waiting for your customers to understand the new landscape, here's how to pivot first and position yourself as their strategic partner:

How to apply this:

Make sure every team member understands:

Train them to identify which path fits each customer's situation and guide the conversation accordingly.

When regulations shift in your industry, apply this framework:

Don't just read the policy, understand how it changes your customer's day-to-day reality. What gets easier? What gets harder? What new options become available?

How does this affect how you engage with your customer?

For each change, identify:

Your first conversations shouldn't be sales pitches. They should be strategy sessions. Show customers what the changes mean for them, then position your solution as the natural way to capitalize on the new opportunities.

Policy changes create confusion. Confusion creates conservative decision-making. Conservative decision-making defaults to status quo providers—unless someone emerges as a trusted guide through the uncertainty.

When you pivot first and educate your customers on how to navigate change, you're not just a vendor anymore. You're a strategic advisor. And strategic advisors get called first when new opportunities emerge.

Pick one recent policy change in your industry. Map out:

Then start having educational conversations, not sales conversations, about what the change means and how customers can benefit.

From new tools, recent trends, and market updates, here is what has been on my mind.

Not everyone likes change. Some are very much stuck in their ways. Changes aren’t roadblocks; they’re opportunities disguised as complexity.

The FAR overhaul didn’t just rewrite rules; it handed you a new playbook to engage your customers smarter, faster, and more strategically.

Pivot first, educate boldly, and guide their customers through these options will be the ones who dominate the next procurement cycle.

Don’t wait for your customer to ask how the new acquisition types work. Show up first with clarity. Help them navigate the maze. Make it obvious why you’re the partner they can’t afford to lose.

There will be more shifting, more dancing, more changes in the future. Just be there and be the one that your customer relies on the most. The individual that your customer relies on for trust.

Pivot. Educate. Lead. Win.

See you next week.