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.

17 of 19 found the following review helpful:


Kicking in the front door to higher sales  Nov 12, 1998
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

20 of 23 found the following review helpful:


TOP SALES STYLE  Jun 03, 2000
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.

22 of 26 found the following review helpful:


A New Addition to My Top Three Sales Books  Feb 23, 1998
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.

9 of 9 found the following review helpful:


Great book for opening doors  Jan 13, 2003 By Donovan Goode
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.

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