'If You Can Close, You Can Close' Is a Logical Fallacy
Intel Brief
It's called a No True Scotsman — any rep who fails gets reclassified as never having been a closer in the first place, so the claim never has to get battle tested.
Zach Brown
Founder, Sales Pipeline Pros
Operator Note
“If you can close, you can close.”
Had a founder say that to me when justifying no base, no draw and no need for any type of income floor.
I see what you’re trying to get out but the big problem with that sentence is it can’t ever be wrong.
Rep crushes? See, he could close.
Rep flops? Guess he couldn’t close.
Same sentence explains both outcomes, which means it explains neither one.
It’s actually a logical fallacy. It’s called a “No True Scotsman.”
Any rep who fails gets RE-classified as never having been a closer in the first place, so the claim never actually has to get battle tested.
Basically it just avoids EVERY other variable that matters. Everything the business controls is never considered and the rep themselves is the only thing anyone ever blames.
In other words, it’s a circular argument.
Gooroos love those.
Stay Humble, Hustle Hard.
Written by Zach Brown
1,100+ hires placed. 300 founders. Five years of reading people for a living. Need a sales hire?
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