The idea of the VITO letter comes from a mid-nineties book by Tony Parinello called Selling to VITO. VITO stands for Very Important Top Officer. Basically, the VITO letter is supposed to get you in front of that hard to reach executive. Whether or not you believe in the effectiveness of Parinello’s version of the executive letter, there is no doubt that it makes sense to use a number of different mediums to reach decision makers. One of those is the standard letter. A well crafted message followed by a phone call is always be a good practice. It is a great way to turn what would have been a difficult cold call into an easier, warm(ish) follow up call.
Below is a letter for you to start with. Please note that it is bulky and I would never send it out as is, there is way to much going on. I only include it as a guideline. If you really want to catch VITO’s attention consider adding a bold quote at the top of the letter, something very relevant to their business. Talk their language and do your research before sending. And most of all make sure you follow up with a call or you’re wasting your time!
———————————————————————————————————————-{Insert your mailing address}
{Insert your city, state and zip code}
{Insert your telephone number with area code first}
{Insert your e-mail address}
February 1, 2007{Insert recipient’s mailing address}{Insert recipient’s city, state and zip code}
Dear {Insert appropriate title (Mr., Ms., or Dr.) and the recipient’s last name}:I am writing to introduce you to Your Company business management services and the benefits we can deliver to you and your business through Your Companies Network of over 5000 connected locations across the world. We offer a full menu of services that are part of most every company’s daily business needs.
Our Companies network reaches across nine countries with more than 5000 digitally connected locations, offering 24-hour access to leading-edge technology for product 1, product 2, product 3, product 4 and product 5. Our Company network employs over 100,000 associates and 10,000 technicians to ensure that you have the products you need, when you need them, and with the unsurpassed level of quality and service businesses have come to expect from us.
As the world’s leading provider of product 1 and business services, Our Company is able to extend our efficiencies and knowledge into your organization to help your company increase productivity and, subsequently, reduce costs. Your employees will spend less time with product 1 and more time with customers. You will spend less money on product 1 and maintenance contracts.
At Our Company we customize our solutions to fit the specific needs of your business, and we have the flexibility and scalability to act as a supplemental resource or to manage all of your needs as a committed outsourcing partner. We will conduct a free evaluation of your business management needs and develop a solution that is right for you. We will also dedicate an expert Account Manager to your company who will work with you to continually find ways to support your business.
I plan to call you {insert day and date} to discuss scheduling a needs analysis for your business. In the meantime, I have enclosed here a brochure that outlines our services and the benefits of putting Our Companies Network to work for you. If you would like to contact me before this date, please feel free to call me at {insert your telephone number}. Otherwise, I will look forward to speaking with you {insert day or date}.
Sincerely,