Method of and apparatus for acquiring new customers, and computer product

• US 20020049646A1
• Filed: 10/16/2001
• Published: 04/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Osuga, Motoyasu, Yokoyama, Michiaki
• Application Number:
  US09/977,404
• Publication Number:
  US 20020049646A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

The company acquires new customer through a homepage. The company sends a request mail to an existing customer to introduce a new customer. The existing customer sends information, which contains name, email address etc. of his friend or acquaintance to the company. The company sends information about the company and good, and services to this friend of the existing customer. The company accepts orders, if any, from this friend. If an order is received from this friend he is registered as existing customer.

Claims

1. A method of acquiring new customers, the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting an introduction request mail related to a new customer introduction to a terminal of an existing customer of a company to acquire a customer through a Web site;

accepting an introduction source entry from the existing customer;

transmitting, to the terminal of the existing customer, an introduction mail which includes a message for introduction goods and a service of the company from the terminal of the existing customer to a terminal of an introduced person and is to be transferred from the terminal of the existing customer to the terminal of the introduced person;

accepting an order and purchase of the goods and the service from the introduced person induced to the Web site through the introduction mail; and

transmitting the introduction request mail to the terminal of the introduced person by setting the introduced person to be an existing customer only when carrying out the order and purchase.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of giving an incentive to the existing customer when the introduced person orders and purchases the order and service.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the introduction mail is transferred to an e-mail address selected from an e-mail address book of the terminal of the existing customer.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the introduced person is made to input information about the existing customer at the order and purchase accepting step.

5. A computer readable medium for storing instructions, which when executed on a computer, causes the computer to perform the steps of:

transmitting an introduction request mail related to a new customer introduction to a terminal of an existing customer of a company to acquire a customer through a Web site;

accepting an introduction source entry from the existing customer;

transmitting, to the terminal of the existing customer, an introduction mail which includes a message for introduction goods and a service of the company from the terminal of the existing customer to a terminal of an introduced person and is to be transferred from the terminal of the existing customer to the terminal of the introduced person;

accepting an order and purchase of the goods and the service from the introduced person induced to the Web site through the introduction mail; and

transmitting the introduction request mail to the terminal of the introduced person by setting the introduced person to be an existing customer only when carrying out the order and purchase.

6. An apparatus for acquiring new customers, said apparatus comprising:

a first transmitting unit which transmits an introduction request mail related to a new customer introduction to a terminal of an existing customer of a company to acquire a customer through a Web site;

an entry accepting unit which accepts an introduction source entry from the existing customer;

a second transmitting unit which transmits, to the terminal of the existing customer, an introduction mail which includes a message for introducing goods and a service of the company from the terminal of the existing customer to a terminal of an introduced person and is to be transferred from the terminal of the existing customer to the terminal of the introduced person;

an order and purchase accepting unit which accepts an order and purchase of the goods and the service from the introduced person induced to the Web site through the introduction mail; and

a third transmitting unit which transmits the introduction request mail to the terminal of the introduced person by setting the introduced person to be an existing customer only when carrying out the order and purchase.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising an incentive giving unit which gives an incentive to the existing customer when the introduced person orders and purchases the order and service.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the introduction mail is transferred to an e-mail address selected from an e-mail address book of the terminal of the existing customer.

9. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said order and purchase accepting unit makes the introduced person to input information about the existing customer.