Method for phone solicitations

• US 20040225526A1
• Filed: 05/06/2004
• Published: 11/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mark B. Gould
• Original Assignee: Mark B. Gould
• Inventors: Gould, Mark B.
• Application Number:
  US10/841,879
• Publication Number:
  US 20040225526A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/68 Payment of value-added services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/38 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0196 Payment of value-added services, mainly when their charges are added on the telephone bill, e.g. payment of non-telecom services, e-commerce, on-line banking
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42008 Systems for anonymous communication between parties, e.g. by use of disposal contact identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5158 in combination with automated outdialling systems devices for signalling identity of wanted subscriber H04M1/26

Abstract

A solicitation method comprises the steps of: providing a WAN accessible client prospects database, wherein the database includes an encrypted lead telephone number; installing a solicitation software program into a user computer system wherein the computer system has an automatic phone dialup feature and a WAN accessing feature; interconnecting the computer system with the client prospects database through the WAN over a phone network; and, for each of the client telephone numbers, presenting a client identity on a monitor of the computer system; executing automatic dialup of the respective client telephone number without disclosing the client telephone number to the user; communicating a connection result, as good or bad, to the database; and compiling a service billing based on only the good connections.

Claims

1. A solicitation method comprising the steps of:

providing a lead database to a user, the lead database containing a plurality of leads, each of the leads including an associated lead identity and a concealed lead telephone number;

operating a user computer system having an automatic phone dialup feature;

dialing at least one of the leads in the database using the concealed lead telephone number without revealing the lead telephone number to the user;

selecting a result of dialing the lead telephone number;

billing the user for each selected result only when the selected result is beneficial; and

revealing the telephone number to the user only when the result is beneficial.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of selecting a result of dialing is completed using a list of selected results including:

voice contact made, voice mail left, disconnected, wrong-number, and permanently not available.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of selecting the lead database from a pool of leads by choosing lead parameters from at least one of:

industry, geography, time zone, mail zip code, telephone area code, and demographic parameters.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of selecting at least one of the leads using a pseudo-random number generator.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of making the database available to the user via the Internet.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of presenting action choices to the user;

the action choices including at least one of;

finding leads, previously connected leads, call back scheduled leads and preferences.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of selecting the lead database includes presentation of a monitor screen having a map, a list of states, and a list of phone system area codes.

8. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of selecting the lead database includes presentation of a monitor screen having a statement of the number of leads in the database.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of presenting a monitor screen for lead contact information fill-in.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of presenting a monitor screen for scheduling a time for call-back to a lead.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of timing telephone calls between user and lead to determine a telephone call contact duration;

and informing the user thereof.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of billing the user when the contact duration exceeds a selected time duration.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein telephone calls are logged so that time of call initiation and call duration is known for monitoring purposes.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of identifying and logging a lead that should not be contacted by the user.