It's January, the scoreboard is still 0 to 0 for most sellers, and the difference between a clean Q1 and a scramble often comes down to one thing: getting to "zero to one" without doing something stupid to win a deal you'll regret. In this episode of Two Tall Guys Talking Sales, Kevin Lawson and Sean O'Shaughnessey use a basketball fast-start analogy to sharpen your Sales strategies for early momentum, tighter Sales processes, and better Revenue management—without defaulting to discounting, panic, or hope-as-a-plan.

Key Topics Discussed

• Why the first "bucket" matters in Q1 (and how fast starts change the game) (00:00–02:15)
  
  

• Zero to one: picking the highest-probability path to get on the board (02:15–05:30)
  
  

• Buyer readiness: the "fast food vs. interstate exit" test for prioritizing your pipeline (03:00–05:10)
  
  

• Reverify everything: deals inside 45 days, shifting priorities, and MEDDPIC discipline (06:45–10:20)
  
  

• Don't get squirrely: protecting Value selling and profitability when you're tempted to "do something crazy" (10:35–13:10)
  
  

• Sean's practical tax tip: mileage documentation that saves pain later (13:25–14:20)
  
  

Key Quotes

• Sean: "It's time to score that first bucket. It's time to go." (02:01)
  
  

• Kevin: "You have to discern as a seller… who is the most likely to buy now." (03:35)
  
  

• Sean: "Every deal that's on your forecast for the next 45 days, you need to touch base." (08:45)
  
  

• Kevin: "Pause. Think about the deal you want… you're conditioning somebody how to buy from you." (10:54–11:20)
  
  

• Sean: "Take a picture of your odometer… you'll thank me a year from now." (13:35)
  
  

Additional Resources

• MEDDPICCC qualification concepts referenced in the conversation (Champion vs. Coach; reconnecting with the Economic Buyer as the calendar turns).
  
  

• Mileage-tracking best practice: capture odometer readings now to support business mileage documentation at tax time.
  
  

A Significant Actionable Item from this Podcast

Pick up the phone today and re-verify every deal on your forecast that's expected to close in the next 45 days (and don't accept vague answers). Confirm priorities didn't shift post-holidays, validate your Champion and Coach are still in seat and aligned, and re-confirm the Economic Buyer's expectations and paperwork path. That single discipline move is sales management in action, and it's how you protect Revenue generation without resorting to margin-killing "quick wins."

Summary

If you're sitting at 0% of quota in mid-January, this episode is your gut-check and your playbook. Sean and Kevin cut through the noise with practical Business acumen: prioritize buyers who are ready now, tighten your Messaging around value instead of price, and pressure-test your forecast so Sales success doesn't depend on luck. Listen if you want a fast start that holds up all year—because January habits become full-year outcomes.