Door-to-door is a sales technique in which a salesman walks from one door to another trying to sell a product or service to the general public. A variant of this involves cold calling first, when another sales representative attempts to gain agreement that a salesperson should visit. Door-to-door selling is usually conducted in the afternoon hours, when the majority of people are at home.
In the United States, door-to-door sales are illegal in communities that have passed a Green River Ordinance.
Typically, products sold door to door will be of the same variety that can be purchased at large discount stores. The products accounting for the largest share of direct-sales revenue includes cleaning supplies, cleaning equipment, magazines, and home improvement products. The largest of these would be the home improvement products where item could be new or repaired roofs, siding, new replacement windows, and decorative stone.
In many countries, encyclopedias, including the Encyclopædia Britannica, were frequently sold by door-to-door salesmen, although the practice is now less common.
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 was nominated for six Emmy Awards, winning four. 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.
ey Wallace: I guess this is where I'm supposed to plant my foot, try to keep you from closing the door on me. ll Porter: No, don't do that, that never works. I have to go. ill shuts the door on Joey]
ll Porter: God created us all, Shelly. He doesn't make mistakes.
