Why Most Sales Conversations Break Down
By Rich Galgano
Most sales conversations fail before they ever get contentious.
Not because people disagree.
Because they are talking about different things.
The Real Misalignment
In the same conversation:
- One person is thinking about price
- Another is thinking about career risk
- Another is thinking about internal politics
- Another is thinking about timing
Everyone is responding honestly, but from a different frame.
That is why conversations stall.
Not from conflict, but from misalignment.
How Metaphors Create a Shared Frame
Metaphors solve this by giving everyone the same reference point.
When I say,
“This is a river crossing,”
the conversation changes.
We stop debating opinions and start evaluating footing.
Now we are both looking at:
- Where the current is strong
- Where it is safe to step
- What happens if we rush
- What the far bank actually looks like
The metaphor shifts the discussion from personal positions to shared terrain.
Coordination Beats Persuasion
The metaphor aligns perspective without argument.
That is not persuasion.
That is coordination.
Coordination allows people to move together instead of pushing against each other.
Code Yellow
Code Yellow is recognizing when alignment matters more than pressure.
It is choosing tools that create shared awareness instead of resistance.
That is how progress actually happens.
That is Code Yellow.
