Five Minutes with VITO [Paperback]

When I first learned there was a new book that combines VITO (Very Important Top Officer) training with Sandler Institute training, I was intrigued. Not only have I reviewed two of Anthony Parinello's books but I have also worked in sales departments that put his practices into motion. To top it off, I also attended a six-week Sandler Institute course on selling. What's interesting is that in the past I found some of the Sandler training conflicted with what I'd learned from the VITO books. Even with the obvious polarities in strategy, "Five Minutes With VITO" by Parinello and Sandler Institute CEO David Mattson comes off as a marriage made in heaven.

What stands out most in the book are Parinello's teachings on taking on a VITO-like attitude, visualizing success, and establishing rapport with the top officer of the company. For instance, he says:

YOUR JOB AS A TOP SALESPERSON HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOUR PRODUCT'S FEATURE SET, OR THE SPEED OF YOUR WIDGETS, OR THE NUMBER OF TIMES YOUR ORGANIZATION HAS WON AWARDS FOR ENGINEERING OR SERVICE OR PUBLIC RELATIONS EXCELLENCE, OR THE POPULARITY OF YOUR BRAND. THAT'S ALL INTERESTING, AND IT'S ALL POTENTIALLY IMPORTANT, BUT IT'S NOT WHAT YOU DO TO EARN YOUR PAYCHECK...BECAUSE IT'S NOT WHAT VITO BUYS!

YOUR JOB IS SIMPLY TO REACH OUT TO LARGE NUMBERS OF VITOS AND HAVE EFFECTIVE SALES CONVERSATIONS--CONVERSATIONS THAT MIRROR VITO'S OWN SELLING PROCESS. SPECIFICALLY, YOUR JOB IS TO EXECUTE, WITH DUE DILIGENCE, THOSE CRUCIAL FIRST FIVE MINUTES--THE FIVE MINUTES THAT WILL VERY LIKELY DETERMINE THE COURSE THE ENTIRE RELATIONSHIP WILL FOLLOW.

Not only that but it's filled with templates for cold calling, good advice on getting past gatekeepers, and it encourages you take action after every chapter. Sandler's teachings on discovering pain, budget, and decision-making authority fit in nicely. Some of the prior VITO books dealt with how to get in the door. This one deals with what to say when you get in. Though it was my understanding that Sandler Training at one time didn't believe in mailing information prior to a cold call, Parinello does and continues to provide examples on what to mail much like his other books.

The advice in "Five Minutes with VITO" is not without its flaws though. Some of Parinello's pitches sound a little too much like what other salespeople say (something Sandler once discouraged, and this book says to avoid in regards to not doing what the competition is doing). Plus it doesn't take into consideration that many companies have adopted some form of VITO tactics. Therefore, they may send the same type of letters and postcards and make the same type of pitches on the phone and in person and create a saturation of cookie-cutter junk mail and clone-like telephone strategies. (I've seen this happen in my real life consulting experience.)

If you've never read any of Parinello's books or if you haven't read Sandler's classic "You Can't Teach a Kid to Ride a Bike at a Seminar" this book is a nice introduction to both styles of training. But if you've read previous VITO books, you'll find that there isn't much new information here. However, having seen both schools of thought on sales in practices that resulted in new business for companies I've worked with as an employee, a consultant, and a contracted lead generation strategist, how could I not recommend this book? It should be a welcome addition to your sales library.

Emanuel Carpenter
Author of "Dead Guys Don't Buy"

As a former VITO in charge of a $30 million manufacturing firm, I can tell you that Mattson and Parinello clearly understand what it takes to be successful calling at the highest levels of any size organization. In my case, there were only a handful of sales people who ever made it to my office. Yet the ones who did ended up getting the lion's share of our business, whether it was raw materials, computer systems, or office furniture. This book offers excellent advice on how to get past gatekeepers and middle-level buyers afraid to leave their comfort zones. With that said, don't expect this book to get you in to see every VITO you contact. Yet spending 5 minutes with even one VITO will invariably lead to significantly better results than spending weeks, months, and years calling on buyers who have little interest in switching from existing suppliers.

I've been selling for over 30 years and, had I been exposed to the Sandler Selling System earlier in my career and applied it at the VITO level, I'd have retired long ago. This is great stuff - pure common sense! Here's a great take-away: most VITO's are former salespeople and they've done what we're doing - prospecting for new business, getting through gatekeepers, handling rejection, etc. They've "been there, done that" and they have an appreciation for good selling.

Apply just one or two lessons or techniques from the book, and you'll make money!