Crucial CES Advice from an Event Veteran

This is not what you probably expected.

No predictions.

No list of best parties.

No advice on how to get around.

The advice I have for you is more important and comes from years of success at major events where networking and advancing your goals is key.

1 - Listen listen listen

Seek first to understand, then to be understood - Stephen Covey

NO ONE likes people who jump into their pitch at the first opportunity and just keep blabbering without paying any attention to the listener's cues.

Even worse, people who just wait for you to finish speaking without listening or darting their eyes around looking for their next victim.

Don't be that guy/gal!

Be ultra present with everyone you meet, acknowledge what they are saying and even rephrase back what they said to confirm it and show you're paying attention. Take notes if possible to show you are really listening.

Someone that truly feels appreciated and understood will return the favor and will be much more open to your ideas or products.

2 - Ask The Best Questions

"Be more interested than interesting"

- Mark Goulston

My number one persuasion trick is to ask the best questions.

When preparing for a meeting, you're probably going to have a pitch with a bunch of key points you want to get across. But I'm willing to bet that you don't spend as much time on the questions you ask. That's a mistake. The person with the best questions wins.

Not only will you learn something valuable about your market but you will also learn about the customer or partner so you can serve them better and potentially close a deal. And of course, your preparation, as demonstrated by your questions, will make it clear you are interested in them and their business.

Lastly, if you're just randomly meeting people, have a few go to question that go beyond "where are you from" or "what do you do". Something like "what's the best session you have attended so far" or "what are you hoping to get out of CES?". Start with interesting open ended questions.

3. People want to do business with people who like them

“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

- Maya Angelou

You've probably seen advice like "people want to do business with people they like". That's not entirely wrong but think about it. If someone truly shows they like and care about you in a non creepy way and it is clear the individual truly has your best interest at heart, isn't that someone you want to do business with, even if it isn't necessarily someone you'd love to hang with over drinks?

We're doing business at CES, not making friends. But you can and should still show people you care! Be their partner, not their vendor.

Ask yourself this "how do you want people to feel after they've met you?".

4. People buy what they want, not what they need

"People don't buy for logical reasons. They buy for emotional reasons" - Zig Ziglar

People make decisions based on emotions, not logic. Emotions alone may not be enough to close a deal - you'll need to provide logic but don't start with data and logic.

Start with an emotional vision and drop in some proof points along the way.

There is nothing like traction. It makes people feel safe and creates a FOMO situation. No one wants to feel left out.

And finally, demonstrate passion and conviction for your product. 

5. Start with Value

"No one cares how much you know, until they know how much you care." 

-Theodore Roosevelt

It is tempting to want to sell sell sell. That will come if you start with value.

Is there some piece of information you can share that would be helpful?

An introduction you can make?

Start with asking smart questions then find a way to be helpful.

Remember that business is about people and we're all in this together. Be helpful.

6. Go Deep, not Wide

It is tempting to focus on volume when you're at CES. To meet as many people as possible while everyone is in one place.

I have found it to me more valuable to focus on CES and other events to deepen relationships with key customers and partners.

At You.i TV, we've gone the private suite route and host customers and partners in a quiet environment. We also organize private events to spend quality time together. This approach is extremely powerful.

7. Stay Healthy

And finally, stay healthy. Here is what I do:

• green juice - I tend to opt for Athletic Greens but there are lots of great options
• extra vitamin C - 1000 mg/day is what I take just ahead of and during big events
• fish oil - great for mental clarity
• avoid carbs in the morning and at lunch - I tend to focus on just coffee in the morning and have salad or Starbucks egg bites if I'm in a hurry. You'll avoid the blood sugar spikes and subsequent drops followed by fatigue.
• alternate alcohol with water - club soda with lime does the trick for me
• staying hyper hydrated - bring a water bottle with you
• hit the gym at least once
• bring a portable hand sanitizer

I wish everyone the best possible CES. If you see me around, say hello.