Have you heard of Bill Porter? I hadn’t, until I watched the made-for-TV movie, Door to Door.

Despite having cerebral palsy, which affected both his mobility and his communication skills, Bill refused to go on disability and convinced the Watkins Company to hire him as a door-to-door salesman in 1955. They tried to let him go after a few days on the job because his sales weren’t high enough, but he persuaded them to give him a month to prove himself. He far exceeded their expectations, going on to become one of their top salespeople. In fact, he continues to serve his customers at the age of 75 through his online store.

Bill achieved this level of success due to his determination and perseverance to overcome the seemingly insurmountable barriers with which life presented him. But there’s more to it than that – what about those of us who don’t face such obstacles?

The other reason for Bill’s success was his sincere commitment to helping people. He always went out of his way to find a solution to others’ problems, whether or not that solution involved purchasing one of his products. And that is something any of us can do. Here are just a few ways we can go that extra mile:

• Accept others for who they are and don’t be judgemental
• Share information that might benefit or interest our clients and other contacts
• Remember and acknowledge birthdays, anniversaries and other special occasions

For inspiration, I highly recommend that you watch Door to Door, which has won many awards, including the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie for William H. Macy’s superb performance as Bill Porter. The DVD is available from Amazon.com and Amazon.ca.