Customer Reviews

Selling To VITO (The Very Important Top Officer)

5 star:		(38)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

One of my former bosses said "Selling is an unnatural act." You have to do things you would normally shy away from, put your ego in your pocket and be exceptionally brave. And calling on decision-makers (VITO's) requires some real guts, and also some special know-how.

The problem with most sales trainings is that they say "call on the decision-makers" but neglect to teach you the right way to reach that person. Many large firms now have preferred-vendor programs and limit from whom they will buy; if you aren't on the "A" list, you won't even get in the door. So if you tend to call on the end user or the purchasing manager, you may find you have trouble making sales except to your established customers. Real explosive sales growth comes from developing new customers, and if you sell important services or capital equipment, or even supplies you should be talking to the decision-makers.

Important people have rings of handlers, gatekeepers and other systems to protect their time and attention. You might have just the product that will save their company money, streamline their production, solve a pressing problem and be just what they are looking for. But if you don't have the tools to get your message across to the man or woman who can make it happen, they may never find out.

Years ago, I had sales training done by a VP of a successful firm. He explained how to contact top decision makers by making yourself be seen as a mutually beneficial business partner. For example, the book explains how to write a value proposition in a letter that explains how you can provide mutual benefits, without trying to get an in-person sales call. It also explains how to deal with the gatekeepers--they've heard it all, seen it all, so you'd better be treating the VITO's admin assistant as if he or she were the top officer themselves. And it gives important info on using the phone--phone skills can be more effective than sales calls. This book is a tremendous resource for training people to break out of their habits and reach the customer who can really make things happen.

Everyone talks about how to sell to the customer once your in the door and have an established relationship with the account. Anyone who's gone through Solution Selling, SPIN, etc., understands the need to listen to the customer and direct him/her to your solution. The unanswered question remains - how do you get in front of the right person to begin with. What if you've never called on the account before and have no relationship. Selling to VITO will give you a workable blueprint for effectively getting to the right person. I've tried it and I like the structured approach. It also offers great advise on how to avoid spending much time with SEMORE, the guy who will suck up your time with never ending requests for information but unable to actually buy your product. While your "hit" rate will depend on how closely aligned your product is to who you think VITO is in your suspect organization, with "Selling to Vito" you will be better armed to get in the door and stay there. - SM

I read Selling to VITO. It is the best book I have read as a 25 year experienced sales person and sales manager. The recommendations WORK. I was a top sales performer for our company using VITO as my guide. All people in our team who read Vito ended there year at least 300% of plan. For anyone that trully wants to over achieve and view sales as a profession this is a MUST read. I read the entire book in one day. Could not put it down. The approach works for small companies and big. I work for a $80B Technology company and I find that Parinello's advice is applicable for both big companies and small.

I read lots of books on selling. I've read some great books by people who've never sold anything and lousy books by great salesmen, but this is the first great book I've read by a great salesman. Selling to VITO is the first sales book that I need to carry with me to use for reference. Most sales books provide lots of theoretical knowledge that the reader can HOPEFULLY apply to real selling situations. Parinello delivers a book with REAL things to say and things to write. He tells you what to do and what order to do it in. In order to apply the material in this book, you will need to understand how to translate his examples into your selling situation. Tony helps you with this by giving you a mental process to work through the translation. There's no fluff here. If you are serious about corporate sales, don't miss this book. It won't be easy to follow the instructions within, but if you do, the results will be profitable.

This book not only talks about ways in which to get to the decision makers you need to sell to, but gives you the exact letter writing and phone calling skills to do so. My personal experience so far has shown it's ideas to work. Out of 13 top targets for my territory, I received a 31% success rate in getting the attention of the VITO, and starting the sales process where 0% communication existed before. The book really works.

Selling To VITO is definately a must read for anyone who sells high-dollar products or services in low volume. It would be terribly hard, however, to make a good living using Parinello's process if you are required to close large numbers of sales to hit quota. (Because the work that goes into pulling this off is immense.)

The success of Parinello's process is rooted in four key features:

1. Social Proof: If other, well-known companies used you, then you must be great.
 
2. Authority: One of VITO's peers will supply testimonials of success on your behalf.
 
3. Process: Develop a linear process to ensure objectives are preplanned and met.
 
4. Consistency: Keep a consistent message that focuses on results and makes you stand out as unique among the many salespeople attempting to get in.

(For information on social proof and authority, see INFLUENCE, Science And Practice, by Robert B. Cialdini, Ph.D.)

I must admit that I was unable -- perhaps unwilling is more accurate -- to make the follow-up phone call and voice-mail processes work, because, while I'm passionate about what I sell, faking perkiness simply doesn't work for me. (And I'll bet that being over-the-top perky is a key part of pulling this off.)

Bottom line, if you do any type of cold-letter writing, you should read this book.

I read this book when it was first published (1994) and recently re-read the 2nd Edition. As others have already noted, some of the material seems somewhat "dated" but perhaps that is because other books published since the 2nd Edition (1999) have recycled many of Parinello's best strategies and tactics. Also, I suspect the competitive marketplace Parinello surveyed six years ago has changed substantially since, in large measure because of online merchandising, segmented marketing (e.g. to minorities, gays and lesbians, and now seniors), and especially the shift from vertical (hierarchical) to horizontal organizations within which authority as well as responsibility is more widely dispersed. There are far more decision-makers with VITO-like power in each organization now than ever before. In my opinion, Marinello's book is more relevant...hence more valuable.

Others have shared their reasons for thinking so highly of the book. Here are mine. First, I appreciate the humor. Consider the names which Marinello selects for various role players which he employs to illustrate stereotypes.

Seymour: one who "sees more" and is highly judgmental but never makes perilous decisions, has tunnel vision, no sense of humor, knows the price of everything but the value of nothing, sees only black and white "cats" in the alley, is a self-appointed "protector" of VITO, loves technology, is risk adverse, thin-skinned, and insecure but dangerous when threatened. "Seymours may be tinkerers. `Can we take the top panel off this thing and look inside? (Engineers are often the most influential Seymours in an organization.)" Marinello goes on to suggest, "They will talk facts, features, and functions (the `F-words' beloved by Seymours the world over) all day long, if you let them." When recalling my own rather extensive experience with Seymours, the worst were those who viewed their own VITO as "soft," therefore vulnerable to "charmers" who could sell her or (more often) him anything. After my associates and I made a riveting (and, yes, totally honest) presentation, VITO would respond with enthusiasm and, sometimes, even with lavish praise. Then the dreaded words: "I'm off to [somewhere] to meet with our partners there. Please work out the details with Seymour while I'm gone." It almost never happens. What to do? Read Chapter Six, "The Seymour Problem." Then there's Mr. or Ms. Importanta, Ms. or Mr. Benefito, Will Prosper and his counterpart Will Perish. Marinello skillfully discusses each with humor to make several serious points.

Another reason I hold this book is such high regard is Marinello's generous sharing of what is commonly referred to as "street smarts." He has learned valuable lessons in effective salesmanship -- relevant to the entire cultivation/solicitation process -- which can only be learned from first-hand experience when "selling to VITO." For example:

"Confusing VITO's personal secretary with the `standard' gatekeeper is a tactical mistake you must avoid at all costs." What to do? Obtain the name of the personal secretary, administrative assistant, etc. before making the initial call to VITO's office and ask for the personal secretary by name when you make that call. "You will specify this person's name. You will not volunteer your name. Don't ask to be connected. Politely but firmly yell the person at the switchboard what needs to happen. Say, `Please connect me with Tommie in Mr. Benefito's office. Thank you.' Do son with confidence and a strong sense of purpose."

When Tommie responds, "Sorry, VITO's not in. Can I take a message?" Now what? "Say this: `Why, yes, thanks for asking! It's rather long, and it may take a few minutes. Have you got a big pad of paper handy? Or -- you know what -- I could save us both some time and get this important message out to VITO. What's VITO's fax number?'" In the highly unlikely event that the person wants to take your entire message, "give your entire Opening Statement [see coverage of various opening statements on pages 94-100, 104-105, 114, 122-123, and 182-192], including the ending question. Include specific times and days you'll be in the office for VITO's call. Then be there!"

Presumably Marinello learned a great deal during the 1994-1995 period, between publication of the first and second editions -- which reflects what he was told by those who read the first edition. "This really worked! This is crap! You should say more about...." My hope now is that Marinello will publish a 3rd Edition which reflects what he has learned from those who have read -- and then applied -- what he recommended in the first two editions.

Only those who are lifelong learnerers and have a high energy level as well as a thick skin can expect to achieve success in sales. Others need not despair, however. They can always become a Seymour.

First a warning. Some of the content of this book seems a little dated.

However, the fundamentals are there. This is definitely an in-the-trenches selling book, with real life examples and anecdotes. (Again, some are dated. Technology has changed our world so quickly, it seems quaint to be reading about a teleconferencing service as an innovation.)

But, don't overlook the good content. It is really, really important to be able to talk to VITOs - the decision makers - about their own business issues. And it takes a lot of research. But without it you are relegated to the "Seymour" (technical buyers who want to "see more - data, demos, references, etc.) who will almost always be a recommender, not the economic buyer.

It is essential to talk to the decision maker. You just don't have to go to the library anymore to find out who that is.

This is a useful guide for sales professionals. Many sales managers and companies will have some sort of letter library. The problem is that most of these letters were written by marketing people, and they do not understand what motivates many top executives into buying your product. They are so canned, and 99% of them will be filed in the circular file under "G." Most executives could care less about all the bells and whistles your product has. They care about how your product or service will add to their bottom line.

If you can follow Tony Parinello's line of reasoning, you will succeed in landing corporate sales. This is not something you can pick up overnight. Selling to Vito is an excellent component to a salesman's library.

I picked up Tony's book 6 years ago ... it's made me a TON of money. To be sure, it delivers on its promise to help you get in front of VITOs ... but I've adapted his approaches to be used as a silver bullet throughout organizations ... and throughout sales cycles.

It's NOT for the squeamish. And the earlier reviewer is absolutely correct in that you need to (as best you can) determine what kind of ROI your past customers have gotten from your solution.

However, I can tell you from experience, that a quantified ROI figure is NOT always necessary to get VITO's attention. My company produces company meetings -- such services have a more QUALITATIVE ROI. However, when I call up a VITO and tell him/her, "I just produced a national sales meeting for your biggest competitor -- and we had the entire place cheering and high fiving -- their CEO told me it was the most exciting meeting in the history of their company", THAT accomplishes the same thing.

Good selling, all ...