Once there was the hard sell, with its mirror image the soft sell. Now there's the hard/soft sell, and it is being pioneered by insurance sales staff from Abbey Life. Equipped with an Epson HX-20 in a briefcase and software called Lamp, developed by Cheltenham's The Business House, the man on your doorstep will be able to give you a quote or show you what happens to your money, year-in year-out. Lamp (Life Assurance Marketing Program) plus the briefcase costs £620; the Business House is on 0242 517955. It developed the software in consultation with Abbey Life, which is offering a support service to users. It emphasises (perhaps to re-assure its salesmen) that the system will not replace the rate book.