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. SPECIFALLY, 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"

This is an unusually good book, combining two strong selling methodologies.

It gives an outline and techniques that are required in the marketplace.
It is excellent at the outline and detail for reaching VITO and then understanding how to sell them.

I like this book's approach to sales. It's got hard, tactical information that I'm using to build a better sales strategy for my business, and also has some good recommendations on how to overcome problems like Gatekeepers and prospects who back out of the sale. The part about equal business stature - where you learn how to sound like the person you're trying to talk to - landed me a couple of great appointments. After reading it myself, I bought a book for each member of my salesforce.

I'm using the 'Million Dollar Sales Game - Sandler Edition' for a team building exercise.

This book is a must for any sales person who needs to get to the executives of his prospects. I have managed sales forces for over 25 years and have found that all sales people struggle with both getting to and differentiating themselves at the "C: level. This book will walk any level of experience salesperson through the steps of 1) how to get to the CEO,COO, CFO,CIO ("C" level) how to differentiate yourself when you get to the meeting. My teams have started to use the principles contained within this book with great results!

"Five Minutes with VITO" is for those sales professionals who have the desire and commitment to WIN new business. The book outlines specific processes and techniques to get in touch with and in front of "The Very Important Top Officer", the ultimate decision-maker, and what to do and how to do it once you get there.
It is challenging! If you tough it out the results are incredible. The processes of "VITO Selling" coupled with the Sandler Selling System will make you effective and efficient in the brutal game of "Cold Calling".
The Broadcast Center referenced on page 201 of the book is a real bonus!

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.

Like many salespeople, I've been taught: sell to the top. But they never seem to be accessible - they don't attend the networking events, they don't call in response to advertising, and they don't answer their phone for cold calls.

The authors have written the answer to my problems. Their book lays out a detailed, step-by-step process to get in front of the C-level executive without a lot of agonizing on my part.

The book lays out a process that I found easy to customize. I was skeptical at first, but I gave it a shot anyway. And now I'm talking with executives of companies I NEVER would have been in front of otherwise. If you want to get in front of execs, you could do worse than to buy this book and try out what it says.

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!

This is the answer to many of us who think we have a process, but fail to stick with it. Parinello's marketing process combined with Sandler's Selling System will get you past gatekeepers and keep you engaged with the top decision-makers. A must for any sales rep who needs to get his/her pipeline full again.

pab from stl

I have read and used "Selling to VITO" which I found valuable. However, combining the best of Tony Parinello with the Sandler System in "5 Minutes with VITO" is brilliant. If you want to sell high and need to be more productive you should read and follow this book.

This book really helped me get in contact with more CEOs more easily, and aminly because it taught me how to deal with the executive assistant ("Tommie"), who controls access to the CEO in the target company. Excellent tools.

If you are a professional sales executive and you are tired of cold calling, this is the book you have to read! Combining the best of the Sandler Selling System and Tony Parinello's powerful VITO system will make a dramatic difference to your results. Follow the behaviors in this book and become better at:

* Landing appointments, bonding and building rapport with VITO (the very important top officer who makes or breaks every decision to buy)
* Establishing up-front contracts with VITO
* Creating allies in VITO's rank and file, including their Gatekeepers
* Leaving voice mail message that get call-backs...from VITO!
* Making powerful presentations to VITO
* Controling your sales process...and influencing VITO's buying process
* Compressing your sales cycle...and increasing your average deal size

Sound too good to be true? What do you have to lose? Millions know the system and swear by it.