Close better by knowing

 How Steve Martin and a performance review can help you close more sales

“How can I close more sales?”

It’s the most common question I get in sales training—and not surprisingly, the most common weak spot when salespeople evaluate themselves.

A recent interview with comedian Steve Martin reminded me of an old employee review I once gave, and oddly enough, both experiences highlight the same truth: closing better starts with knowing better.

What Comedians Can Teach Salespeople

If you’ve followed me for a while, you know I frequently point to top comedians as some of the world’s best salespeople. Why? Because they don’t just get on stage and wing it. They write, rewrite, rehearse, and repeat. Then, they face a tough crowd night after night and try to “sell” a joke every 60 seconds. If you want to sharpen your selling skills, go to an open mic night—or better yet, get on stage yourself for four minutes. It’s brutal, humbling, and a masterclass in the need for “putting in the reps”.

In an interview, Steve Martin was asked, “How do you become a great comedian?” 

His answer was simple:  “Be so good they can’t ignore you.”

He explained that most people want a quick fix—an easy joke, a magic trick. But his success came from years of relentless effort. Hours of writing, testing material at open mics across California, and adjusting until he knew what landed with every kind of audience.

Sound familiar? It should—because great selling works the same way.

Know Your Audience, Become Unignorable

Just like a comedian knows each audience and what works to make them laugh, a salesperson must know each customer. There are no shortcuts. The more you understand about your prospect’s needs, problems, and preferences, the more tailored—and irresistible—your solution becomes. That’s how you earn the right to close.

And that brings me to the performance review…

A Lesson from a grouchy plant manager

Years ago, as a new manager, I had to conduct annual reviews just three months into the job. One team member had been with the company for over 30 years. He was a legend—literally there when the company purchased the building.  When it came time to evaluate him on a 5-point scale, I gave him a 5: “Exceeds Expectations.”

While I knew he wasn’t happy to have his review done by someone half his age, I thought the high rating would improve his attitude.  It didn’t.

He stared at me for a moment, stood up, and said, “You don’t know me well enough to give me a 5.”  And walked out.

His attitude is a story for another day, but his words stuck with me—and they apply directly to sales.

Too many salespeople haven’t earned the right to ask for the close.

They haven’t asked enough questions. They haven’t listened deeply. They haven’t connected the dots between the customer’s challenges and their product’s value. Without that depth of understanding, even the best closing technique falls flat.

So How Do You Close Better?

Yes, there are tactical closing methods worth learning. But in my experience—both as a salesperson and a sales trainer—they aren’t the biggest difference-makers.

The real secret?  The more you know, the more you earn the right.

The more you earn the right, the more confident you’ll be.
And when you’re confident and informed, your solution becomes hard to ignore.

So, take it from Steve Martin—and a grouchy old plant manager—

Close better by knowing.