Systems and methods to facilitate selling of products and services
First Claim
1. A method for selling goods and services in conjunction with the Internet, comprising:
- receiving session information from an enterprise'"'"'s website about a customer'"'"'s session on the website, the session information comprising the products the customer is searching;
receiving any customer information on the customer from the enterprise;
determining from the session information and any customer information that the customer constitutes a sales opportunity appropriate for assistance from a sales associate;
matching the customer with at least one sales associate;
facilitating communication for a sales transaction between the customer and the matched sales associate via the Internet;
receiving sales information; and
providing the session, customer, and sales information to the matched sales associate based on the particular sales opportunity with the customer.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The system of the present invention provides systems and methods for selling goods and services on, over, through, and in conjunction with the Internet. The system receives session (clickstream) information on a customer'"'"'s website session from the enterprise'"'"'s website and may also receive customer information on the customer from the enterprise'"'"'s CRM or eCRM system. The session information referred to comprises the goods or services the customer is searching and metadata about such search and the relevant products, such as the surfing pattern itself. The system determines from the received information, based on the interaction between matching rules created using the system by the enterprise and the system'"'"'s matching engine, whether the customer is a candidate for assistance from a sales associate. The system creates and indexes information on available sales associates and their performance, selling capabilities and product expertise. The system further matches the customer with at least one sales associate, ideally the most appropriate sales associate, based on the customer, session, and sales profile associate information, and facilitates communication between the sales associate and the customer. Additionally, the system provides information on the customer, products or services the customer is interested in, and the collateral sales materials (both internal and external to the enterprise) and selling techniques to the sales associate based on the particular sales opportunity. The system facilitates communication between the sales associate and the customer on the basis of chat, voice over IP, email and the public switched telephone network, including the concept of bridging a chat session into a PSTN conference call during which call the sales associate and customer maintain a co-browsing session with regard to the opportunity over the Internet.
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Citations
62 Claims
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1. A method for selling goods and services in conjunction with the Internet, comprising:
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receiving session information from an enterprise'"'"'s website about a customer'"'"'s session on the website, the session information comprising the products the customer is searching;
receiving any customer information on the customer from the enterprise;
determining from the session information and any customer information that the customer constitutes a sales opportunity appropriate for assistance from a sales associate;
matching the customer with at least one sales associate;
facilitating communication for a sales transaction between the customer and the matched sales associate via the Internet;
receiving sales information; and
providing the session, customer, and sales information to the matched sales associate based on the particular sales opportunity with the customer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of matching an online customer on a enterprise'"'"'s website with at least one online sales associate, comprising:
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receiving session information on a customer session on the enterprise website;
receiving any customer information on the customer;
receiving sales associate profile information on the sales associates;
determining an appropriate matching rule set to apply;
applying the rule set to the session, customer, and sales associate information;
formulating a matching score for each sales associate; and
ranking the sales associates based on the matching score. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A method of gathering sales information, comprising:
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monitoring online sales transactions between sales associates and customers;
indexing and ranking information and sales techniques used by the sales associate during the transaction to create best practices information; and
storing the best practices information. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. A method of gathering sales information from an online sales transaction between a sales associate and a customer, comprising:
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monitoring online sales transactions between sales associates and customers;
indexing and ranking all information and sales techniques used by the sales associate during the transaction to create best practices information;
storing the best practices information; and
storing the outcome of the sales transaction. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
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52. A method of registering sales associates to assist customers in online sales transactions, the method comprising:
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receiving a registration request from a sales associate;
receiving sales associate information from the sales associate;
analyzing sales associate information to determine if the sales associate is an acceptable candidate to assist customers;
notifying the sales associate that the sales associate is an acceptable candidate upon a determination that the sales associate is an acceptable candidate; and
matching the sales associate with a customer browsing on an enterprise'"'"'s website. - View Dependent Claims (53, 54, 55)
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56. A method of registering sales associates to assist customers in online sales transactions, the method comprising:
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receiving a registration request from a sales associate;
receiving sales associate information from the sales associate;
receiving enterprise sales associate information comprising product accreditations from an enterprise employing the sales associate;
analyzing sales associate information, enterprise sales associate information, and testing results to determine if the sales associate is an acceptable candidate to assist customers; and
notifying the sales associate that the sales associate is an acceptable candidate upon a determination that the sales associate is an acceptable candidate. - View Dependent Claims (57, 58)
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59. A method of accrediting sales associates to assist customers in online sales transactions, the method comprising:
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receiving an accreditation request from a sales associate;
delivering appropriate testing materials to the sales associate;
receiving the completed testing materials from the sales associate;
analyzing the completed testing materials from the sales associate;
updating a record for the sales associate to indicate a new level of accreditation; and
matching the sales associate with a customer browsing on an enterprise'"'"'s website based on the accreditation.
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60. A method for selling goods and services in conjunction with the Internet, comprising:
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receiving session information from a plurality of websites about customers'"'"' sessions on the websites, the session information comprising the products the customers are searching;
receiving any customer information on the customers;
for each customer, determining from the session information and any customer information that the customer constitutes a sales opportunity appropriate for assistance from a sales associate;
matching the customers with at least one sales associate;
facilitating communication for a sales transaction between the customers and the matched sales associates via the Internet;
receiving sales information for each sales opportunity; and
providing the session, customer, and sales information to the matched sales associates based on the particular sales opportunity with the customer. - View Dependent Claims (61, 62)
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Specification