Where the conversation changed.Where the deal broke.
Alex the Sherpa publishes forensic research on sales conversations — deal autopsy, call breakdowns, and the moments where momentum weakened or the buyer emotionally left.
What we study
Most analysis of sales performance focuses on outcomes—win rates, quotas, pipeline coverage. The Institute focuses instead on the moments inside a conversation where outcomes are quietly determined.
Through systematic review of anonymized conversations, structured interviews, and longitudinal pipeline studies, we publish findings intended to advance the understanding of conversational failure as a measurable economic phenomenon.
Lost conversations are an unmeasured cost of doing business.
Estimated annual revenue lost to preventable conversation breakdowns across global B2B sales (Institute estimate, 2025).
of qualified opportunities never reach a documented decision—they simply fade after a critical conversational moment.
more likely a deal stalls when pricing is introduced before a shared definition of value is established.
Active fields of inquiry
Conversation Breakdowns
Identifying the precise moments in a sales dialogue where engagement, trust, or clarity collapses.
Revenue Loss Patterns
Quantifying the economic impact of failed deals across industries, deal sizes, and conversation types.
Behavioral Signals
Studying linguistic and behavioral cues that precede pipeline stalls, objections, and disengagement.
Post-Pricing Dynamics
Examining how pricing discussions reshape the trajectory of an opportunity—often invisibly.
Recent publications
Published articles will appear here once they are available.