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.

January resets every scoreboard to zero, making your mindset and operating discipline your first competitive advantage. In this episode of Two Tall Guys Talking Sales, hosts Kevin Lawson and Sean O'Shaughnessey break down how to start the year with intentional sales management, tighter Sales processes, and the kind of daily actions that drive Sales success and consistent Revenue generation, especially when Q4 either "drained the swamp" or left you with deals that slipped.

• Why January mindset matters more than motivation (and how to avoid "being behind" by month-end) (00:00)
  
  

• CRM data hygiene as a revenue lever: clean stages, real close dates, clear next steps (04:20)
  
  

• Pipeline focus: prioritizing what you can actually work on, and aligning probability to reality (06:35)
  
  

• Post-Q4 momentum: thank-you outreach that creates new expansion opportunities (08:05)
  
  

• Prospecting with structure: start with five companies this week, then build the cadence (09:35)
  
  

• Networking for leverage: partnering with adjacent vendors to unlock access and influence (10:40)
  
  

• Kevin Lawson (04:55): "Stop. Go to your CRM and practice good data hygiene."
  
  

• Kevin Lawson (05:55): "If someone has to ask you the status of your deal…your notes aren't good enough, your data hygiene isn't good enough."
  
  

• Sean O'Shaughnessey (02:35): "Q1 started. You have quotas, you have a quota right now, and you have revenue of zero."
  
  

• Sean O'Shaughnessey (08:10): "Go back and say thank you to every single one of your customers…and one of them is gonna say, 'but we need a little bit more.'"
  
  

• B2B Sales Lab community (14:35): Join to get feedback, practical coaching, and peer support from sales pros, leaders, and marketers.
  
  

Do a 30-minute pipeline reset today. Update your CRM with accurate stages, real close dates, and a clear next step for every active opportunity, then choose five target accounts to contact this week with a message tied to a specific business problem you solve. This single block sharpens your Messaging, improves Revenue management, and forces the Business acumen choices that separate busywork from real Value selling.

If you want a stronger Q1, this episode offers a clean operating model: tighten your Sales strategies and processes early, treat data hygiene as a performance habit, and build momentum through customer outreach, a structured prospecting approach, and intelligent networking. Kevin and Sean keep it practical, direct, and immediately usable, precisely what you need when January starts from zero, and Sales success depends on what you do next.

B2B Sales Lab is a private, member-led community for sales professionals who want actionable insights, not theory. It's a space to ask real questions, share proven practices, and connect with others who are serious about improving revenue performance. Designed and led by veteran sales leaders, the Lab is where strategy meets execution. Join us at b2b-sales-lab.com

You can reach out to Sean at New Sales Expert, LLC - Sean@NewSales.Expert - https://www.linkedin.com/in/soshaughnessey/

You can reach out to Kevin at Lighthouse Sales Advisors & Sales Xceleration - kevin@lighthousesalesadvisors.com - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kwlawson/

You can book time on Kevin's calendar at https://lighthousesalesadvisors.pipedrive.com/scheduler/JP7rZXH3/virtual-meeting-booking-time-with-kevin

You can book time on Sean's calendar at http://newsales.expert/sean-oshaughnessey-calendar/

B2B Sales Lab is a private, member-led community for sales professionals who want actionable insights, not theory. It's a space to ask real questions, share proven practices, and connect with others who are serious about improving revenue performance. Designed and led by veteran sales leaders, the Lab is where strategy meets execution. Join us at b2b-sales-lab.com