Systems and methods of distributing centrally received leads

• US 20050044036A1
• Filed: 06/21/2004
• Published: 02/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Center, Steve, Nair, Suresh, Daniels, Greg, Keranen, Michael, Wada, Eugene, Fredeluces, Melveen, Harrington, Gerard, Nakahira, Roy, Fulcher, John, Mateer, Dave, Dudley, Jim
• Granted Patent: US 7,539,621 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/38
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0234 Rebates after completed purchase
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof

Abstract

Methods and systems for managing and distributing centrally-received leads to a plurality of remote dealers are disclosed. The management and distribution of leads may be handled by the centralized methods and systems regardless of the type of lead management software each supported dealer may employ. Also disclosed are systems and methods for collecting and processing information relating to the effectiveness of a dealer'"'"'s follow-through on leads that it receives, independent of how that dealer processes leads or what type of lead management software the dealer uses. Additional disclosures include systems and methods for transmitting leads and lead follow-up and effectiveness information between a central system that receives leads from a plurality of sources and a dealer via an intermediary.

Claims

1. A method of distributing a plurality of incoming leads to a plurality of automotive dealers, each dealer utilizing one of several different types of lead management software, the method comprising:

receiving the leads; and

for each lead;

identifying a dealer, from the plurality of dealers, to which the lead should be forwarded;

identifying a type of lead management software used by the identified dealer;

identifying an intermediary that is associated with the identified lead management software type; and

delivering the lead, together with information indicating the identified dealer, to the intermediary.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the identified intermediary forwarding the lead to the identified dealer.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the intermediary converts the lead from a first data format that is incompatible with the identified type of lead management software to a second data format that is compatible with the identified type of lead management software before forwarding the lead to the identified dealer.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the received lead comes from one of a plurality of lead sources.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the intermediary comprises a vendor.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the intermediary comprises a service provider.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the leads comprise sales leads.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the method is performed by an automobile distributor.

9. A method of tracking leads delivered to a plurality of automotive dealers from a central system that receives leads from a plurality of sources, comprising:

delivering the leads to the dealers from the central system;

receiving information from each of the dealers regarding follow-up efforts that the dealer has made in connection with the leads delivered to the dealer from the central system;

storing the received information in memory; and

analyzing the stored information.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the received information is stored in a database.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the central system is managed by an automobile distributor.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the leads are delivered through an intermediary and where the information is received through the intermediary.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the intermediary comprises a vendor of lead management software being used by some but not all of the dealers.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the intermediary converts the data format of the lead before delivering the lead to the dealer, and converts the data format of the information before delivering the information to the central system.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein the received information includes data indicating whether the delivered lead resulted in a sale to a customer to whom the lead referred.

16. A method of transmitting an incoming lead between a central system that receives leads from a plurality of sources and an automotive dealer, the dealer utilizing lead management software, the method comprising:

receiving the lead from a central system, wherein the lead comprises data in a first format that is incompatible with the lead management software;

converting the lead to a second data format that is compatible with the lead management software; and

delivering the converted lead to the dealer.

17. A method of transmitting to a central system that receives leads from a plurality of sources information about follow-up efforts that a dealer has made in connection with a lead, the method comprising:

receiving the information from the dealer, wherein the information comprises data in a first format that is incompatible with software utilized by the central system;

converting the information to a second data format that is compatible with the central system software; and

delivering the converted information to the central system.

18. Computer-readable media embodying a program of instructions executable by a computer to perform a method of distributing a plurality of incoming leads to a plurality of automotive dealers, each dealer utilizing one of several different types of lead management software, wherein the method comprises:

receiving the leads; and

for each lead;

identifying a dealer, from the plurality of dealers, to which the lead should be forwarded;

identifying a type of lead management software used by the identified dealer;

identifying an intermediary that is associated with the identified lead management software type; and

delivering the lead, together with information indicating the identified dealer, to the intermediary.

19. The computer-readable media of clam 18, wherein the method further comprises the identified intermediary forwarding the lead to the identified dealer.

20. The computer-readable media of clam 18, wherein the method further comprises the intermediary converting the lead from a first data format that is incompatible with the identified type of lead management software to a second data format that is compatible with the identified type of lead management software, before forwarding the lead to the identified dealer.

21. The computer-readable media of clam 18, wherein the received lead comes from one of a plurality of lead sources.

22. The computer-readable media of clam 18, wherein the intermediary comprises a vendor.

23. The computer-readable media of clam 18, wherein the intermediary comprises a service provider.

24. The computer-readable media of clam 18, wherein the leads comprise sales leads.

25. The computer-readable media of clam 18, wherein the method is performed by an automobile distributor.

26. Computer-readable media embodying a program of instructions executable by a computer to perform a method of tracking leads delivered to a plurality of automotive dealers from a central system that receives leads from a plurality of sources, the method comprising:

delivering the leads to the dealers from the central system;

receiving information from each of the dealers regarding follow-up efforts that the dealer has made in connection with the leads delivered to the dealer from the central system;

storing the received information in memory; and

analyzing the stored information.

27. The computer-readable media of clam 26, wherein the memory comprises a database.

28. The computer-readable media of clam 26, wherein the central system is managed by an automobile distributor.

29. The computer-readable media of clam 26, wherein the leads are delivered through an intermediary, and where the information is received through the intermediary.

30. The computer-readable media of clam 26, wherein the intermediary comprises a vendor of lead management software being used by some but not all of the dealers.

31. The computer-readable media of clam 30 wherein the intermediary converts the data format of the lead before delivering the lead to the dealer, and converts the data format of the information before delivering the information to the central system.

32. The computer-readable media of clam 26, wherein the received information comprises data indicating whether the delivered lead resulted in a sale to a customer to whom the lead referred.

33. Computer-readable media embodying a program of instructions executable by a computer to perform a method of transmitting an incoming lead to an automotive dealer, wherein the automotive dealer uses lead management software, the method comprising:

receiving the lead from a central system that receives leads from a plurality of sources, wherein the lead comprises data in a first format that is incompatible with the lead management software;

converting the lead to a second data format that is compatible with the lead management software; and

delivering the converted lead to the dealer.

34. Computer-readable media embodying a program of instructions executable by a computer to perform a method of transmitting to a central system that receives leads from a plurality of sources information about follow-up efforts that a dealer has made in connection with a lead, the method comprising:

receiving the information from the dealer, wherein the information comprises data in a first format that is incompatible with software utilized by the central system;

converting the information to a second data format that is compatible with the central system software; and

delivering the converted information to the central system.

35. A system for distributing a plurality of incoming leads to a plurality of automotive dealers, each dealer utilizing one of several different types of lead management software, the system comprising:

a data interface configured to receive the leads; and

a processor configured to, for each lead;

identify a dealer, from the plurality of dealers, to which the lead should be forwarded;

identify a type of lead management software used by the identified dealer;

identify an intermediary that is associated with the identified lead management software type; and

cause the lead, together with information indicating the identified dealer, to be delivered to the intermediary.

36. The system of claim 35 further comprising a second processor operated by the intermediary and configured to forward the lead to the identified dealer.

37. The system of claim 35 wherein the second processor is configured to convert the lead from a first data format that is incompatible with the identified type of lead management software to a second data format that is compatible with the identified type of lead management software before forwarding the lead to the identified dealer.

38. The system of claim 35 wherein the received lead comes from one of a plurality of lead sources.

39. The system of claim 35 wherein the intermediary comprises a vendor.

40. The system of claim 35 wherein the intermediary comprises a service provider.

41. The system of claim 35 wherein the leads comprise sales leads.

42. The system of claim 35 wherein the data interface and the processor are operated by an automobile distributor.

43. A system for tracking leads delivered to a plurality of automotive dealers from a central system that receives leads from a plurality of sources, comprising:

a processor configured to cause the leads to be transmitted from the central system to the dealers;

a data interface configured to receive information from each of the dealers regarding follow-up efforts that the dealer has made in connection with the leads delivered to the dealer from the central system;

memory configured to store the received information; and

the processor further configured to analyze the stored information.

44. The system of claim 43 wherein the memory comprises a database.

45. The system of claim 43 wherein the central system is managed by an automobile distributor.

46. The system of claim 43 further comprising a second processor operated by an intermediary and configured to forward the leads from the central system to the dealer, and forward the information is from the dealer to the central system.

47. The system of claim 46 wherein the intermediary comprises a vendor of lead management software being used by some but not all of the dealers.

48. The system of claim 46 wherein the second processor is further configured to convert the data format of the lead before the lead is delivered to the dealer, and to convert the data format of the information before the information is delivered to the central system.

49. The system of claim 43 wherein the received information comprises data indicating whether the delivered lead resulted in a sale to a customer to whom the lead referred.

50. A system for transmitting an incoming lead to an automotive dealer, the dealer utilizing lead management software, the system comprising:

a data interface configured to receive the lead from a central system that receives leads from a plurality of sources, wherein the lead comprises data in a first format that is incompatible with the lead management software;

a processor configured to convert the lead to a second data format that is compatible with the lead management software; and

the processor further configured to cause the converted lead to be delivered to the dealer.

51. A system for transmitting to a central system that receives leads from a plurality of sources information about follow-up efforts that a dealer has made in connection with a lead, the system comprising:

a data interface configured to receive the information from the dealer, wherein the information comprises data in a first format that is incompatible with software utilized by the central system;

a processor configured to convert the information to a second data format that is compatible with the central system software; and

the processor further configured to deliver the converted information to the central system.