Is "Selling to VITO" still relevant? In this day in age, how is sales getting meetings with executives?

I just co-authored a book called Selling to the C-Suite with a Foreword written by Neil Rackham. In that book, we discuss the techniques that CXO-level executives said was the best way to gain initial access to them and perhaps, more importantly, secure return access to them. These executives told us that the most effective way to gain initial access to them was through a recommendation from a credible source within the executive's company. 84% of the executives surveyed said that they would usually or always grant a meeting with a salesperson who was recommended internally.

This highlights the importance of building companywide relationships that open doors to senior levels in the client 's company. Today - more than ever - senior executives in client organizations are looking for professional salespeople to not only listen before proposing a solution but to continually deliver value to their organizations with their solutions.

In the book, we also discuss the need to access the relevant executive for the sales opportunity. We define the relevant executive as the executive who stands to gain the most or lose the most as a result of the application or project associated with the sales opportunity. You'll find that the relevant executive may be a C-Level executive - but in any case the relevant executive can often wield significant power and influence as it relates to the buying decision associated with the sales opportunity - so you need to identify and align with that executive!

I don't know why, but I never was a fan of the VITO Letter. That said, I think the concepts of VITO are solid and that good sales people implement them daily.

Some basics (in addition to Steve's comments):

- Speak to VITO with the same authority and confidence that their peers do
- Never pitch VITO, have conversations with VITO
- Don't waste VITOs time, bring value to the conversation
- Accept when VITO asks you to start with a delegate below, make your goal getting back up
- Make your goal with VITO introductory meetings to be securing the second meeting
- Don't take one NO as the only NO. VITOs are busy, stay persistent
- VITOs don't necessarily have to have a face to face meetings, they are happy with con calls nowadays

I would also ask marketing and sales executives a different question. How can your sales teams reach VITO? Do you provide them with the training, services and assets to be sitting across from VITO every week? Only VITO can sign the big purchase orders.

I may just be falling victim to the "sell high at all costs" persona that is my knee jerk reaction to Tony Parinello, but I think there are two phenomena happening today in sales that date Selling to VITO.

1- The buying power in organizations of all sizes is rapidly trending away from being held by one individual.
2- All the underlying "buying influences" people that are critical to today's buying process are much more accessible with Sales 2.0 data sources and communication methods.

Today's salesperson could be armed with the cure for baldness and the fountain of youth, but it wouldn't matter if he had to sell it in a one shot, winner take all conversation with VITO. Only after meaningful exchanges with several subordinates (within the company) or peers (in a common network, maybe provided by Linked In or through current customers) can a salesperson form the message and proposition that will be truly relelvant to today's VITO- and that is just to gain maybe 33% of the decision to buy.

Not that all the points that Mike points out above aren't relevant and correct- I just think that the power of VITO is on the wane.

I have to agree with Steve L. -- Parinello is very relevant.

If you've read Jay Abraham or Richard Hershaw's book "Monopolize Your Marketplace and understand the concept of the unique selling proposition you'll see that one of the main things Parinello does is create such propositions -- and that's what gets you to the decision maker.

Selling to VITO is more relevant than ever. With so many competitors glutting the market, and a poor economy making it harder to get anyone to spend, we sales people need to get all the way to the Top and get a decision from those who CAN make the decision. While everyone is selling on price at mid-level, a call to C-Level offering a 'solution' is incredibly valuable. I still swear by Selling to VITO

sales formulas get us into trouble. that is why "acronym selling" (any sales formula that uses an acronym or catchy name to explain itself) is recognized as "phony" by the client.
"Poof " your credibility is gone in a flash. 2 things make a great sales Pro.One is learning to ask great questions, questions that "get to the heart of the matter". The other is the ability to learn the "art" of conversation, both free flowing and honest. The Vito's of the world already know this secret. That is usually why they are on top of the food chain. If you want to be successful with CEO's, CFO's, and Vito's you need to exhibit the same level of communication skills that they possess. Learning these 2 areas will have a profound effect on your W-2. Really folks...anything less is a disservice to them, your employer, and most of all your family. Jim Frank, Assertive Selling!