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Bill Porter, Portland's famed door-to-door salesman, has died at age 81
http://www.oregonlive.com ^ | December 05, 2013 | Tom Hallman Jr

Posted on 12/06/2013 4:47:22 PM PST by lowbridge

When I met him he was 63. He had cerebral palsy and spoke and walked with great difficulty. When he was a young man, the state considered him unemployable and suggested he collect disability payments. He refused.

For more than 40 years he earned a living selling Watkins products on routes that took him through Portland's westside neighborhoods. At night, he would return to his small house. Hunched over an old typewriter and with a twisted hand, he slowly banged out orders for everything he'd sold that day.

For several years he was Watkins' top retail salesman in all of Oregon, Idaho, Washington and California. When I wrote about him, he was the only one of the company's nearly 50,000 salespeople who sold door-to-door.

Until I wrote about him, hardly anyone really knew Bill. If anything, Portlanders recalled him only as the odd man who shuffled along the downtown transit mall, the strange man they spotted trudging through neighborhoods.

But the story about his life and his journey touched something in readers.

(Excerpt) Read more at oregonlive.com ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Society; TV/Movies
KEYWORDS: billporter; doortodoor
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To: Eric in the Ozarks
When I started in sales, they *gave* me a territory with NO billing accounts. I was just happy to have a territory! It became a Major Accounts territory within a few years. Our area manager was almost as proud of that, as I was.

If you're willing to shake the bushes, you'll flush the orders out.

21 posted on 12/06/2013 5:54:23 PM PST by Jane Long (While Marxists continue the fundamental transformation of the USA, progressive RINOs assist!)
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To: Black Agnes

Thanks for the ping. So much for the know it all bureaucrats who passed judgement on him. The bigotry of low expectations is the bain of our existence and impacts more people than we can imagine.

Especially the stidemts of those teachers who think they know which student is worth their effort and which are not. All students are worth 120% effort. JMHO


22 posted on 12/06/2013 6:56:15 PM PST by greeneyes (Moderation in defense of your country is NO virtue. Let Freedom Ring.)
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To: greeneyes

stidemts = students

fingers ran away from me there out of position


23 posted on 12/06/2013 6:57:48 PM PST by greeneyes (Moderation in defense of your country is NO virtue. Let Freedom Ring.)
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To: lowbridge

Rest in Peace Bill Porter. Job well done.


24 posted on 12/06/2013 7:17:28 PM PST by WildWeasel
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To: lowbridge

RIP.


25 posted on 12/06/2013 7:26:08 PM PST by fieldmarshaldj (Resist We Much)
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To: lowbridge

What is Watkins?? Never heard of them. 50,000 PEOPLE work for them??


26 posted on 12/07/2013 2:05:58 AM PST by Ann Archy (Abortion......the Human Sacrifice to the god of Convenience.)
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To: Ann Archy

I worked for them (never sold a single thing though). If bill porter was their best, i was their worst. I still have my sales kit somewhere around the house.

http://www.jrwatkins.com/

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watkins_Incorporated


27 posted on 12/07/2013 4:03:01 AM PST by lowbridge
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To: Ann Archy

Watkins vanilla is wonderful. I don’t use anything else.

If you make lemon squares or lemon meringue pie you must use their pure lemon extract.


28 posted on 12/07/2013 7:08:57 AM PST by Black Agnes
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To: Black Agnes

Thanks.


29 posted on 12/07/2013 11:42:58 AM PST by Ann Archy (Abortion......the Human Sacrifice to the god of Convenience.)
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To: lowbridge

That’s wonderful. Thanks!


30 posted on 12/07/2013 11:46:51 AM PST by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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