what was the name of the story about a salesman who could not spell but could out sell everyone in the company

Question

This was a one page story and it told about how a guy with poor spelling was hired to sell. The gave him the worse accounts. He wrote weekly reports in the worst grammer about all the product he was sellling and new business he was getting. It's point was to show that even with poor spelling a person can succeed and be valuable in the workplace. I had a boss 30 years ago that kept it on the wall. I was a poor speller but the #1 sales guy in the parts store so it ment a lot to me. I would like to give a copy to my son with Dyslexia. He ws berated for his spelling by his drivers ed teacher today and is bummed

Answer 1

Huh, that sounds a lot like the movie, "Door to Door" about a man with cerebrial palsy. It's way good you might like it too.

Answer 2

The Travelling Salesperson

Sales A newly-hired travelling salesperson sent his first sales report to the home office. It stunned the management in the sales department because it was obvious that the new salesperson was ignorant and uneducated. This is what he wrote:

"I seen this outfit which they ain't never bot a dim's worth of nothin from us and I sole them some goods. I'm now goin to Chicawgo."

Before this man could be given the heave-ho by the sales manager, along came another report from Chicago:

"I *** hear and sole them haff a millyon."

Fearful if he did, and afraid if he didn't, fire the ignorant and uneducated salesperson, the sales manager dumped the problem in the lap of the president. The following morning, the ivory-towered sales department members were amazed to read a company-wide message from the president:

"We ben spendin two much time trying to spel instead off trying to sel. Let's watch those sails. I want everyone should read these reports from Gooch who is on the rode doin a grate job for us and you should go out and do like he done."

Obviously, any sales manager would prefer a salesperson who can both sell and spell - however, there's no substitute for getting results.

[Story from John Maxwell's book Developing the Leader Within You, p.26-27]

Answer 3

Door to Door was a 2002 TV movie about Bill Porter (played by William H. Macy), a door-to-door salesman afflicted with cerebral palsy. The film was produced for the TNT cable network and won six Emmy Awards. Other actors in the film included Helen Mirren, Kyra Sedgwick, and Kathy Baker.

Porter had been told for many years that he was not employable, but he threw all of his effort into working as a salesman for Watkins. Despite the pain of his medical condition, he would walk eight to ten miles a day to meet his customers. Porter has been able to support himself, and continued to work as a salesman at the age of 69 at the time of the film's showing.

Answer 4

This is probably not it, but it's probably even better. It is a nonfiction book entitled, Ten Things I Learned From Bill Porter. The author's name is Shelly Brady. It is available in hardcover. The salesman (true story) sold door-to-door in Portland, Oregon for many years, for a company by the name of Watkins Products, despite a birth defect called cerebral palsy which not only affected his ability to spell but also his physical appearance, posture, ability to speak, think, reason, coordinate muscles for simple tasks like getting dressed and typing at a keyboard, and dozens of other things that you and I take for granted. He out-sold every other salesman in the Portland area in order to go from the worst neighborhood to earn the prime territory of West Portland, and kept it for his entire career and made a very prosperous living, employed assistants to deliver what he sold, help him around the house, cook and clean for him, drive him to places, etc. He was featured on ABC's 20/20 and the episode had the highest viewership of any episode shown. He got honoraria to speak for companies like Amway, and generous financial gifts from fans all over the country for his future retirement and medical expenses, etc., etc. For your son with dyslexia, that book is going to be a little bit better than a one-page story you saw on the wall of a parts store. I know this hardcover book is still available in print, because my mentor in the Quixtar business gave me a copy of it last week. Ten Things I Learned From Bill Porter.

Answer 5

The message from the boss was that, here was a guy out doing his job and being good at it, and that too much of the employees were concentrating on spelling instead of selling. I don't think it actually had a name. I had a copy of it too. I just went through my files but didn't see it. If I can find it for you I'll send it.

Answer 6

I don't know that one. My old preacher use to tell a story about a man who could not read, but ended up selling the most oranges in this certain place and became a millionaire and he said he wondered what he could have done with his life if he could read.

If I were you, And you should do this in my opinion, with or without your son knowing, ---Call this horrid teacher and tell them that your child is really upset and that he is dyslexic and that his/her comments were not appreciated. Tell them that you want them to apologize to your son. That is fair, in the least possible way. Maybe the teacher did not know--driver's ed. So you should fill them in. Be polite and then give them the chance to apologize to your son.

Answer 7

It is just unbelievable to me, A TEACHER would do this to your son....he needs to be reported, its hard for this children to even learn today, yet be teased by an authority figure...not son also has Dyslexia, it was so hard for him in school and still is, he's 36
now, it's been a very tuff road for him, but he has a very good job as a drug enforcement officer...please report this teacher...
he has some punishment coming...God bless you an your son....

Answer 8

I am looking for a copy of the story for a sales presentation and training seminar. Thank you

Answer 9

There was an article in 1995 in The Oregonian about him.
http://www.oregonlive.com/special/billporter/index.ssf?/special/oregonian/billporter/billporter_story1.frame