Paula: Thank You. We now have such a great product, that we are all going to have great applications. R:Base is now what we have always wanted. This is not your father's oldsmobile, anymore.
Jim At 12:19 PM 10/18/05 -0400, you wrote: > >Congratulations Jim! What a great story! If we could only get everyone to >look at RBase, imagine how many great applications would be out there! > >-----Original Message----- >From: [email protected] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Jim Schmitt >Sent: Tuesday, October 18, 2005 10:12 AM >To: RBG7-L Mailing List >Subject: [RBG7-L] - AHHHH.....the power of the R:Base demo > > >Good Day to all: > >Thought I would just share this one with the list. Let me preface this by >saying that we have done city and village utility billing software on >various computers, and even have a couple of clients running utility >billing under 4.5++. > >About 10 weeks ago, I received a call from a fellow I know at American >Electric Power (they supply electric power to smaller towns and villages in >Ohio), and he told me of a village in northeastern Ohio that was very >unhappy with their utility billing software. He gave me the name and >number of the person to call. Well, I had no sooner hung up the phone, >and received another call , this from the woman in charge of the village, >calling to see if I could do a demo. > >I gave my best sales pitch, and told her that we have utility billing, but >it is in DOS, and not windows. She said that she wanted it in windows, >Ibut I convinced her that she should take a look at our DOS version, as she >may gain some new ideas. She agreed to look at our DOS version, and we >set an appointment, and I told her that would come to her site (about 120 >miles away). So, the day before the appointment for the demo, my laptop >died. I didn't have time to get a new one, so I lugged a full computer, >with 19 inch monitor up to the village. I met with about eight people, >and demoed the 4.5++ version. They seemed impressed with our DOS version, >but said it had to be in windows. > >Now, we were the first firm to do a demo for them, and I asked who else >they planned on seeing. They indicated that they had contacted two or >three other software firms who specialize in utility billing/government >accounting (these were the 'big boys' of government software in Ohio). I >asked them if, after they reviewed the other firms software, I could come >back and do another demo of utility billing system in windows. They >hesitantly said yes, and that I only had about 6 or 7 weeks before their >final decision. > >Well, I couldn't just stop progress on my current accounts for this >potential client, so I committed my early morning, and late evening hours >to this project. I figured that, even if they did not buy from Ohio >Software, we would have a windows product for future sales. So, before >every working day for the next seven weeks, I started my day at 5:00 AM, >and worked from 5:00 unit 8:30 AM, converting the 4.5++ DOS version of the >system into a 7.1 windows version. I also worked on it in the evening >for a few hours a night. After 7 weeks, they called and said they had >reviewed the others' software, noting who they had preferred of the other >vendors. They said that I could come back and show them what I had, IF I >WAS STILL INTERESTED. I told them yes, and we set a date. > >Did I finish this system in this short period of time and make everything >work ? Absolutely notI But I finished all of the screen layouts, and >many of the report layouts. > >Loaded with a new laptop, and the 7.1 Windows R:base product (not yet >completed), I drove to the village. This time, only two people were there >for the demo, BUT, these two were the main two. I told them that the >system was not yet finished, and only about 70 percent completed. I >demoed the system, and took notes on what they said the others' had, and >that I didn't. > >Well, I sent them my proposal., and the rest is history. They called two >days later, and said that we had the deal. I asked what swung this our >way, and they said that they were so impressed by the software of our 2nd >demo, and said they were blown away with what we had done in that short >period of time. Boy, did I feel good. I was almost ready to do a back >flip.....well, not quite. It's not very often you go up against the >big boys, and win. But, when you do, it feels great. > >We signed the contract, ordered their version of R:Base, and installed it >last week. They absolutely love the software > >AAAAAA.......the power of the R:Base demo. > >Jim >======================================== >Jim Schmitt > Ohio Software Services > 2211 Lake Club Drive > Columbus, Oh 43232 > Phone 1-614-863-1850 > Fax 1-614-863-0325 > E-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] >======================================== > ======================================== Jim Schmitt Ohio Software Services 2211 Lake Club Drive Columbus, Oh 43232 Phone 1-614-863-1850 Fax 1-614-863-0325 E-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] ========================================
