"If we can have the objective truth locked in, and then we can map our success methodologies to it, that's the core of everything. We have to lock this in. Lock that in from a delivery perspective for actual success."
Why it matters
"We talked about it" is not "we locked it in." Lock-in is the moment the customer signs off, agrees to a specific behavior, or commits to a measurable target. Without lock-in, every subsequent conversation has to re-litigate what was already agreed.