We've been doing a lot of telemarketing every month-- we outsource that. We've produced newsletters and we do mail shots. So we've bought a database and I talk to that database twice a year. We also outsource the database management I can't do everything. I have to balance my time between HR and marketing. I outsource copyrighting and design also. I coordinate and pull all together. The newsletter goes 4 times a year and mail shots every month.

I write the telemarketing script. Telemarketing does work but you have to get the script right. We've rewritten the script about 4 times. We started off using support. Have you got a problem with your software support? Can we help you? Perhaps you need some fixing. Can we send in a consultant? Have you heard of XYZ Product? Have you heard of us? Time Technology? Is there anything we can do to help. That worked quite well. Then we moved on to specific pains inside a company. We might choose to call the sales director rather than the IT director and we might say, "Have you got a problem keeping your customers up to date with information? Have you got a problem getting things to market quick enough? What really hurts?" We might say to the production director, "Are these your problems?"

Think about the pains then translate them into something about which you can have a meaningful conversation. So it is important to catch their interest. You need to write the script to encourage whoever you are calling to talk to you about their specific problems. Then you can pick up on an idea. Then you can say, "do you want a sales person to call on you?"

HATTIE: So how does it work? Do you mail to the same people you call?

ROSIE: Yes. We mail-call-mail-call. Touch the customer. Put time technology in front of the customer as much as we can.