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Door to door

by alistair
18 replies
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I'm not much of a film buff, don't really go much on sci-fi films, horrors, mainly like dramas and thrillers, but just watched Door to Door on youtube. It's from 2002 so it's not new but I thought it was a really good family type film that's based on a real story.

I'm not going to give an in depth review or anything like that because you can find them on imdb if you want, but thought it was worth mentioning for anybody that hasn't seen it before.

Edited to add that thinking about it it's probably not really a family type film but more like a film that's suitable for all the family. Does that make sense? Think so.

  • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
    I watched it. It was about a wonderful man who had Cerebral Palsy, but made it as a Watkins Products salesman. A very inspirational film, about a singular man.


    With sheer determination, he supported himself until he retired. William H. Macy was great in the role.
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    • Profile picture of the author Zodiax
      Selling vacuum cleaners will cure any physical disability, because you will be cursed out so much you will forget you had one.
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      • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
        Originally Posted by Zodiax View Post

        Selling vacuum cleaners will cure any physical disability, because you will be cursed out so much you will forget you had one.
        Ha! But did you know that my entire life, selling vacuums door to door, I've been asked to leave twice, and have had the door shut in my face maybe 4 or 5 times.

        I can't remember anyone ever cursing at me. That's out of the approximately 70,000 people I talked to.

        If you sell long enough, you start seeing the same people again. And sometimes they will tell you the story of when you were there before, without knowing it's you. I can't count how many guys have said, "I'll tell you what! I threw that guy out on his ear and told him never to come back!"....and they were talking about me, ten years earlier. And I remember that they were very nice, and no such thing happened.

        We are always the hero or the victim, in our own stories.....never the villain.
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        • Profile picture of the author discrat
          Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

          Ha! But did you know that my entire life, selling vacuums door to door, I've been asked to leave twice, and have had the door shut in my face maybe 4 or 5 times.

          Claude,
          I truly commend you. For someone to wake up each morning put their pants on one leg at a time to get prepared to go out and sell vacuum cleaners door to door to strangers is really fascinating.

          Iam not trying to blow smoke up your butt( Ill leave that to Dan) or inflate your already HUGE head (lol), but that is really inspirational for someone to have that type of motivation towards something like that

          Its just foreign to me
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          • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
            Originally Posted by discrat View Post

            Claude,
            I truly commend you. For someone to wake up each morning put their pants on one leg at a time to get prepared to go out and sell vacuum cleaners door to door to strangers is really fascinating.

            Iam not trying to blow smoke up your butt( Ill leave that to Dan) or inflate your already HUGE head (lol), but that is really inspirational for someone to have that type of motivation towards something like that

            Its just foreign to me
            It's foreign to almost everyone. It's one of the few professions that are almost completely counter-intuitive. Knocking on a stranger's door, selling something is repellent to most people. Our culture frowns on it. And asking people to buy something, is almost unheard of. It's very hard to be comfortable with many parts of the job.

            I had a huge advantage. I had no fear of rejection. And what a stranger thought of me, I never took personally. I wasn't really motivated. I just didn't have a fear of rejection, and I just assumed that you should work all day at it.

            Selling small items like brushes and cleaning solutions (like in the movie Door To Door), doesn't take much skill. It does take ambition, and a strong work ethic. And I'm betting that the guy in the movie, really was a likable guy. That's helpful.

            For me, other than learning the skills involved, it was easy. Not being afraid of rejection...is way different than overcoming a fear of rejection. I had nothing to overcome, except a complete ignorance of how to sell. Fortunately, It was always a real study to me. I took it very seriously.

            My sales production is well known in the industry I was in. Every so often, a vacuum cleaner salesman (there aren't many left), will stop in my store, and at some point..their eyes widen, and they say, "Wait! Are you Claude Whitacre?". It's been over ten years since I've been in the field. I think they expect me to look like James Bond, and I look like Butterbean.

            I really appreciate the compliment you gave me.
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            • Profile picture of the author Zodiax
              Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

              It's foreign to almost everyone. It's one of the few professions that are almost completely counter-intuitive. Knocking on a stranger's door, selling something is repellent to most people. Our culture frowns on it. And asking people to buy something, is almost unheard of. It's very hard to be comfortable with many parts of the job.

              I had a huge advantage. I had no fear of rejection. And what a stranger thought of me, I never took personally. I wasn't really motivated. I just didn't have a fear of rejection, and I just assumed that you should work all day at it.

              Selling small items like brushes and cleaning solutions (like in the movie Door To Door), doesn't take much skill. It does take ambition, and a strong work ethic. And I'm betting that the guy in the movie, really was a likable guy. That's helpful.

              For me, other than learning the skills involved, it was easy. Not being afraid of rejection...is way different than overcoming a fear of rejection. I had nothing to overcome, except a complete ignorance of how to sell. Fortunately, It was always a real study to me. I took it very seriously.

              My sales production is well known in the industry I was in. Every so often, a vacuum cleaner salesman (there aren't many left), will stop in my store, and at some point..their eyes widen, and they say, "Wait! Are you Claude Whitacre?". It's been over ten years since I've been in the field. I think they expect me to look like James Bond, and I look like Butterbean.

              I really appreciate the compliment you gave me.
              How did you overcome the resistance that comes with High Pressure selling.

              I mean it takes a certain person to keep asking even after a person says no 5-10 times.

              You have to deduce whether they really mean NO or just NO but I might be interested.

              Tough call. Some people play hard to get, and some are serious.
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              • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
                Originally Posted by Zodiax View Post

                How did you overcome the resistance that comes with High Pressure selling.

                I mean it takes a certain person to keep asking even after a person says no 5-10 times.

                You have to deduce whether they really mean NO or just NO but I might be interested.

                Tough call. Some people play hard to get, and some are serious.
                It isn't like that at all. I always welcomed a "No", because I could go home. Selling high ticket items, to people who have already decided they will not buy from you....is a highly complex, intellectual process....that took me over a decade to get good at.

                If the prospect feels like you are using pressure, that means you are inept. Think of the last really nice thing you bought. Did the salesperson pressure you until you gave in? I suspect not.

                The greatest salesmen I ever bought from, sold us a whole house full of premium grade furniture (when we went in for a cheap end table). We went in expecting to pay $200...and we walked out spending $30,000.

                I enjoyed every minute of it. Buying from an expert salesperson is like getting a massage.
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                • Profile picture of the author lanfear63
                  Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

                  It isn't like that at all. I always welcomed a "No", because I could go home. Selling high ticket items, to people who have already decided they will not buy from you....is a highly complex, intellectual process....that took me over a decade to get good at.

                  If the prospect feels like you are using pressure, that means you are inept. Think of the last really nice thing you bought. Did the salesperson pressure you until you gave in? I suspect not.

                  The greatest salesmen I ever bought from, sold us a whole house full of premium grade furniture (when we went in for a cheap end table). We went in expecting to pay $200...and we walked out spending $30,000.

                  I enjoyed every minute of it. Buying from an expert salesperson is like getting a massage.
                  The only thing that got massaged that day was your wallet. Ben Franklin must have been blinded by the daylight though, not being used to it.
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                  • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
                    Originally Posted by lanfear63 View Post

                    The only thing that got massaged that day was your wallet. Ben Franklin must have been blinded by the daylight though, not being used to it.
                    Mark; Ha!

                    One of the rare treats I have is watching a truly expert salesperson, work their craft. The chances are, that the only two people that will ever know what is actually happening, is him and me.

                    So far, I've never had an expert salesperson as a customer, appreciate what I was doing.

                    the three truly great salespeople I've seen (all while I was a customer) was the furniture salesman (probably the best), a Men's Warehouse salesperson, and a waiter.

                    The suit salesman took me from a $250 suit (in an ad) to over $4,000 in one trip, and then got me back for another $2,400. Believe me, what I learned from that guy more than paid for the suits. Same with the furniture salesman.

                    The furniture salesman was one of ten salespeople in the store. He was the only one talking to a customer, and there were people waiting, in the waiting room, to see him. In the middle of a recession, when nobody was buying furniture...he was getting rich.
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                    • Profile picture of the author lanfear63
                      Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

                      Mark; Ha!

                      One of the rare treats I have is watching a truly expert salesperson, work their craft. The chances are, that the only two people that will ever know what is actually happening, is him and me.

                      So far, I've never had an expert salesperson as a customer, appreciate what I was doing.

                      the three truly great salespeople I've seen (all while I was a customer) was the furniture salesman (probably the best), a Men's Warehouse salesperson, and a waiter.

                      The suit salesman took me from a $250 suit (in an ad) to over $4,000 in one trip, and then got me back for another $2,400. Believe me, what I learned from that guy more than paid for the suits. Same with the furniture salesman.

                      The furniture salesman was one of ten salespeople in the store. He was the only one talking to a customer, and there were people waiting, in the waiting room, to see him. In the middle of a recession, when nobody was buying furniture...he was getting rich.
                      I'm waiting to hear about the waiter though I suspect recomending good food to you could never be called pressure selling!

                      In Conroe, we went to a steak resturant and was served by a waiter called Gary. His attention to detail, phrasing, suggestions and demeanor was that of a high class butler. We went back a few times and always asked for him to serve us.

                      We were even considering offering him money to dress up and serve drinks at a Halloween Party we were going to have.
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                      • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
                        Originally Posted by lanfear63 View Post

                        I'm waiting to hear about the waiter though I suspect recomending good food to you could never be called pressure selling!

                        In Conroe, we went to a steak resturant and was served by a waiter called Gary. His attention to detail, phrasing, suggestions and demeanor was that of a high class butler. We went back a few times and always asked for him to serve us.

                        We were even considering offering him money to dress up and serve drinks at a Halloween Party we were going to have.
                        Here's an article I wrote about it;


                        Could The World's Greatest Salesman Be A Waiter?

                        Years ago, My wife, in-laws, and I went into an expensive restaurant. The waiter asked us for our order. I don't remember what we ordered, but I do remember this: The waiter gave a funny look & said " The Cod isn't very fresh today, may I recommend the Scrod?" or words to that effect.

                        As he went around the table, he either complimented us on our choice or made a small suggestion on our selection. We were listening to his every word. Watching this" artist" at work was interesting enough to keep me from talking much. I knew the Cod was fresh. Other people were eating it.

                        But this was what our waiter did: 1) He recommended a dish slightly" less" expensive than the one ordered. This proved to the group that he was looking out for our best interests. This also let him" take control" of our groups buying decisions. 2) The next recommendations, & the recommendations for wine & dessert were" not" less expensive. 3) Because he had " Taken Care" of us, the group felt an obligation to leave a" big" tip. 4)Whenever my brother-in-law (the perceived head of the table) ordered, the waiter complimented him on his excellent choice. 5) The waiter gave us a couple small samples of dessert to try for free.

                        There are so many marketing lessons here, I honestly don't know where to begin, but here goes... Make the switch from " Product Pusher" to " Trusted Advisor" . Our waiter seemed more interested in taking care of us than making a profit. I said " seemed" .

                        Once the rapport had been established, the customer will be much more inclined to try to maintain that rapport. (by following your suggestions) The Free dessert samples (at no cost to the waiter, & minimal cost to the owner), " cemented" the idea that this guy was our friend. He kept talking about us & our needs. And kept offering suggestions, sandwiched between compliments. We were sold.


                        While there was mindless chatter at our table about the weather & who just had a baby, I watched as my new teacher went from table to table repeating the same technique. " the first choice is not fresh, may I recommend this?" & so on. My wife & I never went back to that restaurant. This would be a better story if we did, I know. So I don't know what happened to our waiter friend. But I do know what happened to me. I went home & wrote down what happened, because I knew I would forget.

                        I left a $50 tip. Because of the service? No. ..Because of the lesson.
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  • Profile picture of the author Tom Addams
    Terrific film. I forget when I watched it, but it's one of those films that has a habit of coming on TV while you're having a 5 minute break from work, and then all of a sudden an hour and a half has passed and you feel thoroughly enriched by the experience. I love surprise films: you've never heard of them before, and going in you never know what to expect, and you often find yourself having unexpected fun. Always better than watching a planned movie.

    - Tom
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    • Profile picture of the author discrat
      Originally Posted by Tom Addams View Post

      Terrific film. I forget when I watched it, but it's one of those films that has a habit of coming on TV while you're having a 5 minute break from work, and then all of a sudden an hour and a half has passed and you feel thoroughly enriched by the experience. I love surprise films: you've never heard of them before, and going in you never know what to expect, and you often find yourself having unexpected fun. Always better than watching a planned movie.

      - Tom
      Tom,
      its 9;15 pm down here in South Texas. The kids and wife are in bed asleep and I am going to do that
      right now. I'm excited
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      • Profile picture of the author Tom Addams
        Originally Posted by discrat View Post

        Tom,
        its 9;15 pm down here in South Texas. The kids and wife are in bed asleep and I am going to do that
        right now. I'm excited
        The best time for it, buddy. I'm a night owl, which is handy because it means I work on pretty much the same time zone as you folks across the pond, and night time for me is either movies or reading. I'm a bit of a horror fan (understatement) and I always like the accidental arrival of some unexpected horror flick during the night. Something like the original Fright Night. Doesn't matter if I've seen it a million times either. To me, it's a magical way and a magical time to catch a great flick. I hope you enjoyed yours!

        - Tom
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        • Profile picture of the author Zodiax
          People say cold calling is dead, but stats say otherwise.

          Many companies see a drastic ROI when they incorporate direct marketing into their promotional strategy.
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          • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
            Originally Posted by Zodiax View Post

            People say cold calling is dead, but stats say otherwise.

            Many companies see a drastic ROI when they incorporate direct marketing into their promotional strategy.
            Residential door to door selling of expensive products is almost gone completely. A combination of lack of financing, and internet competition, has decimated most organizations.

            I thought about doing it for a year, just to experience it again, but I know that I would lose sales to lower prices online, and to much more selective financing sources.

            Cold calling businesses? I don't see a drop. And cold calling businesses by phone is still very strong.

            The Life Insurance industry isn't affected by these issues, but for some reason, I never get cold calls from insurance agents. Lazy morons.
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            • Profile picture of the author Dan Riffle
              Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

              The Life Insurance industry isn't affected by these issues, but for some reason, I never get cold calls from insurance agents. Lazy morons.
              This is a set up if I've ever seen one. You expect me to take the bait and make a joke here. However, I don't like to mock people's impending doom by reminding them that they're basically on death's doorstep.

              Nice try, Whitacre. Nice. Try.
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              • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
                Originally Posted by Dan Riffle View Post

                This is a set up if I've ever seen one. You expect me to take the bait and make a joke here. However, I don't like to mock people's impending doom by reminding them that they're basically on death's doorstep.

                Nice try, Whitacre. Nice. Try.
                I just realized that one reason this is so funny to me, is that I've met you...and read your posts in your voice, and have an idea of your timing.

                (obligatory insult)

                And to me, your voice sounds like a nine year old boy, sniffing Helium, with Tourette Syndrome.
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