Bill Porter: The Door-to-Door Salesman Who Never Quit

Bill Porter is a door-to-door salesman living in a small village in Portland, Oregon. Unfortunately, he was born with cerebral palsy. His speaking and motor functions are limited. One of his hands is paralyzed so he cannot use it. He is unable to grab things, button his clothing or tie his shoelaces. While growing up, his only family member whom he could rely on was his mother. He said that his mother told him to be confident at all times, even though he always felt lacking. She told him to never give up and have patience in any circumstance he should face. And just like anyone else, he grew up and eventually had to find a job. He was inarticulate in his speech and extremely limited in his movement; and so, no employer would hire him. He was rejected at interviews for every job he had applied for.

There was a company called Watkins, which sells a variety of products from detergents to home appliances. On his way out of the building after having failed the job interview, he saw the face of his mother who was waiting for him outside. Instead of comforting his sorrow filled mind, his mom just smiled at him. He suddenly had a strong sense of motivation to try one more time to win them over, for his mother. He went back into the company to ask for a job in the worst area that no one would even consider working at. As the company had nothing to lose, they reluctantly accepted him as their employee. He took the bus to that area every morning and started to sell products visiting every household. At first, no one allowed him into their homes because of his appearance. He was rejected from every household and many people ignored him because he was inarticulate in his speech.

One day, Bill was eating the sandwiches which his mom had packed for him on the sandwiches the words  patience and  persistence  were written. Bill Porter continued to follow the support of his mother and never gave up and continued his work. Later on in his life, Bill Porter lost his mom, whom he was so dependent on, due to Alzheimer’s disease. However, he continuously tried to become better at his job and his customers could see his persistent effort and sincerity. His customers increased gradually.

Bill re-visited the customers who said “no” to him in the past to let them know of new products. One customer who frequently bought products from him once said that she didn’t need any products at first even though he sincerely and devotedly introduced the products. She added that he never gave up but continuously let her know about merchandise until she found something useful for herself. She ended up buying products from him when Porter visited her. His performance was outstanding and in some years, he was awarded the best salesperson of the month from his company.

Porter’s conditions and circumstances were much poorer than others. He could not freely move or speak properly due to his cerebral palsy. However, he had dedication in his work and he never had given up. For over 30 years, without any days off, he took the same bus every day and knocked on each of the houses’ doors.

Despite countless rejections to get into customers’ houses, Porter did not feel distressed and never gave up. Customers were touched by his dedication and enthusiasm about his job as he did his best in what he did. In the end, he became the best salesperson.

What’s more important is that he did not boast about being the best salesperson and repeat the same routine like a machine over and over. He silently does what he does. Even though it is said that human mind is so fickle and changeable, Bill Porter’s dedication, patience and passion for work never changed.

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Full Video Transcript

Now h downs the day after thanksgiving seems an especially appropriate time to take another walk with Bill Porter whom we first introduced you to last December doors have played a big part in Bill Porter’s life so many have been closed to him that he could have become a bitter man but he has a secret key forged by his steel will.

A spirit that can’t be broken Bob Brown is going to make your night with the simple story of a simply remarkable man so many people over the years noticed this man walking through their neighborhoods in Portland Oregon and never knew who he was or what he did we have horrible long dark winters and you’d see him in these terrible rainy days crossing these busy rose.

Then I actually never knew he who he was I thought what is that man doing he was carrying a briefcase wearing a tie with his shirt cffs neat and his shoes shined and his gaze fixed on the houses ahead of him what he was doing was selling household products door todo for the Watkins company his name is Bill Porter.

Because the sight of a door-to-door salesman is growing rare in this age when people are reluctant to open their doors to strangers a reporter for the Portland oregonian named Tom Hullman thought there might be a story in it so I called him and he was adamant no story.

I remember finally on the day on a Saturday calling him at home saying just let me come over and introduce myself to you and and tell you what I want to do Bill Porter did agree to an introduction here in his house in a middle class Portland neighborhood.

When tom hman arrived his planned portrait of a door-to door salesman soon began to develop into a story unlike anything he had imagined mr porter has cble paly his mother irene told him that a doctor’s instrument had damaged a section of his brain at birth.

The condition affects his walk his hands his speech all the natural tools of the work he chose he was born in 1932 when cbal paly was barely understood as a child he was teased sometimes unmercifully his father died when he was still young.

When others sought to discourage him as he grew old enough to work his one unwavering source of encouragement was Irene Porter tell me a bit about your mom what would she say to you she inspire me to go ahead her inspiration kept him going when voice after voice told him there was no work he could handle you’d go to the employment agency day after day yeah day.

After day but nobody you hire me when bill was growing up people looked at kids like that as that there was no future for them and the state told bill he was unemployable and he should collect uh disability payments and his mother believed in this kid my mother told me I could do what I said I have to do.

If his ambition was to sell products door todo so be it one of the places where he applied for work was the Watkins company which sells household products ranging from detergents to spices bill had already been rejected by the fuller brush company and Watkins didn’t want to hire him at first either.

He finally convinced them to give him the worst territory they had in Portland the one that nobody else wanted they had nothing to lose by it and it began a string of connections that involved hundreds of lives and changed a few of them before he ever attempts his first sale in a day gil porter has a system that begins when he leaves his house at 7:45 a.m.

To wait for the bus to downtown Portland he can’t drive and because he has limited use of one hand he can’t tie his shoes or button his collar and shirt cffs how are you but he will manage in ways that arise both from his sheer determination never to miss a day of work.

A network of acquaintances who contribute to his efforts over the miles he goes people who might remain anonymous to others take a moment to be themselves with bill at 8:05 he gets off the bus in downtown Portland and walks to the fifth avenue suites hotel here the young bellhops it’s Joseph Sunberg on this day telling the latest stories about their children.

Fam I got that baby at home so I got to make the bellhops are the ones who carefully button bill’s shirt cffs for him and take care of his collar and clip on his ti and it’s such a rooll reversal a young man buttoning a man who’s old enough to his father’s shirt there’s something very tender about it something so pure.

Innocent about both of them his next stop is a block from the hotel the greeling brother’s shoe parlor this is where the shine comes from this is where his shoes finally are tied for him by Jeff McAlpine then his painstaking daily work begins then he takes another bus to the route and starts hooking it up and downhill up and down steps.

Walking is difficult for bill the physical act of what he does really speaks to the internal bill don’t give up there’s no obstacle that you can’t overcome he walked 7 miles and more each day with a chronic back ailment to stand and listen to people say yes or no to his overtures door by door but this man who faced so.

Much discouragement early in his life never complains and has never been been put off by the rejections in his 35 years of selling it goes with the territory you just realize it’s business when people say job it doesn’t bother is that your mom yeah one person Bill Porter has let in on some of his secrets of selling is Shelly Brady who started working for bill when she.

Was in high school because he needs someone who can drive to deliver the products that his customers order he says I will um knock on a door and they’ll tell me no and they’ll tell me to never ever ever come back I don’t think there’s anything we need this time he doesn’t hear that he doesn’t hear the word no he never gives up.

They are some of his best customers this stop is at Janet Brown’s house bill doesn’t carry a display case but he does carry pictures of his products that he has mounted carefully in plastic pages is that where it comes in two packages no buy him individually he doesn’t leave without me buying something like haven’t tried too much creo he’s got it figured out he just keeps showing.

Me things until I find just the right thing we’re going camping so I think I better get his customers fill out their own order forms for him before he’s off again bye people don’t buy from bill because they feel sorry for him if they did I think they would buy once and that would be the end of it.

He’s selling to second generation Portland people why don’t you give me two of those this one here’s the new one I’ve been buying from Bill Porter for 27 years 27 years two previous addresses and now this one won’t take no for answer and he’s always able to uh sell products if you had your case uh here.

Were going to show me your product line where would you start with me with the la detergent and why would I need some bright high concentrated highly concentrated I go about three times longer than time you buy st out so it’ll take the gray out of my clothes oh yeah at the end of a series of orders in his home bill types up what his customers have.

Written down for him using one hand one finger if needed he will type intricate directions to each house so shell brady will know exactly where to deliver the products by car how long does it take to type the order 13 hours 13 hours he types with one finger what you and I could do in an hour.

Uh when I would offer to do that he would tell me I you’re busy and and this is the way I do it why don’t you just let shelly type the orders oh had five children and hand full what so you’re going to type the yeah could through all the years of work bill continued to live with his mother until she fell ill in the late 1980s.

And underwent a personality change because of Alzheimer’s disease in its first stages she went through a complete turnabout and this woman who had inspired his career would beg bill not to leave the home to work it was one of the hardest times in his life well I had to go to work you had to go to work I had to go there to pay the bills.

Then you would you would be a you would come back home and then she didn’t speak to me when I came back home for about an hour an hour and a half tell I remember what I did girl bill tended his mother faithfully at the end of each day until she died under nursing care in 1989 he says he thinks of her still just as if she.

Were here in the home we got some strawberry shortcake for you bill Shelley Brady visits him often since first working for bill in high school she has grown up gotten married and become the mother of five children she helps him keep things up and her kids look on him as a kind of grandfather what do you guys say.

Whatever happened to the story tom hman found when Bill Porter finally agreed to meet with him here well in November of 1995 hullman’s story was published in the Portland oregonian and then this man that people had noticed but never known became a name and a face and an inspiration I received hundreds and hundreds of letters faxes and phone calls and not just letter saying nice story.

Uh poignant letters from people who are grown now who remember him and they were children who had teased him on the bus or who had hidden when he came to their door one man called and he said he was one of the the young boys when he was young who made fun of Bill Porter.

He was in tears he said would you buy $250 worth of Watkins products and give it to some needy families and let bill get the commission and tell bill I’m sorry how are you hi how are you bill’s reaction to the letters that came in was to say his mother would have been proud he faces each day just as he did before the people may change.

The system he’s devised works from this first mile on as a man who sometimes gently relies on others he is most of all a source of strength because what he believed he could do he did and all the voices in his life that told him no were silenced by the whisper of his will he hardly ever takes vacations sticks stubbornly to the order he has established.

Rain or shine will walk his seven or more miles a day often painfully for around $300 a week never complaining noticed in passing from the windows of homes and cars neatly dressed moving on he is one of the last of his kind so take a good look at him I think all of us want to think we have a little bit of Bill Porter in us that’s.

One of bill’s great features is he’s a man really unspoiled by the time I know take care this was a man from a different era working in a world that really didn’t need a man like Bill Porter but what the world needs is not what Bill Porter is selling.

Bill Porter himself the world needs more bill porters that’s true some surprising things have happened since we first broadcast the story and we’ll tell you more about the incredible life of this Bob Brown in a year Bill Porter lost and regained his ability to walk but never stopped selling he was struck by a car as he crossed the street in front of his home.

Spent months recovering from his injuries he feels comfortable walking only short distances now so he turned to the telephone to conduct the business that for so many years and so many miles he had taken door too you too bye but in some ways he now.

Has a constituent that goes far beyond the clients whose homes he used to visit tonight you’re going to meet in September at the Kennedy Center in washington senator and astronaut John Glenn introduced taped excerpts from our broadcast of Bill Porter’s story at a ceremony sponsored by the national council on communicative disorders at the end of it he introduced Bill Porter himself mr Bill Porter bill got.

Sustained ovation as he accepted the council’s award bir it was also his 66th birthday and not a bad end to the party to have an American hero leading the house in tribute at the Kennedy Center there’s bill and shell Shelley Brady and her husband and kids are still like a second family to bill and that other family bill knew so well the bell hops.

Shushan vendors who used to help him begin his day he now sees on occasional visits downtown what has remained constant in the years since we saw Bill Porter is that he still has no plans to retire we’ll be right back.

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