Customer Reviews

Getting to VITO (The Very Important Top Officer): 10 Steps to VITO's Office

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Anthony Parinello is at it again. The sales training guru and author of several sales-related books, including the excellently written "Getting the Second Appointment" leads the way once again into the office of Very Important Top Officers (VITO). In his latest book, "Getting to Vito," Parinello elaborates even more on why it is important to reach and sell to VITO.

In this new book, the author stresses the importance of pre-planned calling, prioritization, correspondence, and many other topics that are designed to get salespeople talking with and selling to executive level officers. Not only does the book serve as a must-have reference guide but also as a motivator to all salespeople who go through the rigmarole of sweet talking gatekeepers, leaving tons of voicemail messages, and making sales presentations, and getting no results.

The chapter on how to leave voicemails (The Art of the Voice Mail Message) is a humorous and inspiring treat. Though the method he suggests requires energy, tenacity, and above all, courage, readers should expect to notice a higher number of returned calls in no time after using this technique.

Though the book contains lots of material from some of Parinello's earlier work, it should still be a useful tool for anyone who reads it and wants to sell to executives, especially those who have never read his previous books. This book is a must-have for sales folks who want to get out of the rut of performing below quota and want to make a powerful impact in sales. Parinello turns the sales game into an art form.

Recommended.

Emanuel Carpenter
[...]

This well-disciplined book reflects the focus, clarity and drive required to sell successfully to the top dogs at corporations great and small. Top corporate officers often have specific "Type A" personality characteristics. By factoring those attributes into the way you approach and sell to these "very important top officers," you'll increase your closing rate significantly. It's hard to imagine an aspect of top-echelon selling that author Anthony Parinello hasn't already considered, and his coaching here is particularly valuable for newer salespeople. getAbstract believes that anyone who wants to sell to the upper ranks of the corporate food chain ought to get to know VITO - and this book.

This book was recommended by a friend who is very successful in sales.
I am not quite done with it yet, but so far it's really good. It's putting me into the mindset in which I need to be, and giving very specific instruction for every aspect of contacting the important people with which i will need to communicate. It includes exercises along the way to make you start creating your vito letter a little at a time, while the description is clear in your mind. I'm happy with the change in my thinking.

I found value in the author's first book: "Selling to VITO" but I've been disappointed with his books since then. It seems that subsequent to his first book he has spent his time learning to market books rather than focusing on writing great books.

"Value Forward Selling," by Paul DiModica is the book to buy if you are wanting help selling up the food chain.

Tom Peters gave us "In Search of Excellence" many years ago for developing well-run companies. This is my second "VITO" book from Mr. Parinello, and it eclipses the first one which I used very successfully. This is the guidepost for anyone who sells into Fortune 500 and global companies on finding and practicing Business Development Excellence. If you are serious about selling success, this is your "magic bullet!"
E.R.G MBA/TM
Vice President of Business Development
International Software Productivity and Engineering Institute
Kiev, Ukaine

Parinello speaks with many years of exeperience. The formula he presents actually makes the often daunting task of sales a lot of fun, because it actually places YOU in a position of control through understanding the process much more clearly. This book along with Parinello's other books have become my primary source of sales reference (and success). Andtheonline support and training is sensational.

When Parinello's first book came out in the mid-nineties, e-mail was a novelty, the World Wide Web had barely been spun, and line managers had a heck of a lot more independent spending authority than they have today.

The massive changes in communications and business philosophies that have taken place since then have made Parinello's take-it-to-the-top selling approach all the more relevant for contemporary sales forces. This book is required reading for anybody who's ever had to stare a quota straight in the eye. If you have to buy one of Parinello's books, it should be this one.