SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONDUCTING SALES

• US 20090018906A1
• Filed: 07/11/2007
• Published: 01/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Netstartups LLC
• Original Assignee: Joseph Bous
• Inventors: BOUS, Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 8,185,434 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.390
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• 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

Disclosed are systems, methods, and computer readable-media for conducting sales. The method embodiment comprises receiving an inquiry with at least one parameter from a user associated with a sale of an item, identifying one or more discount items that satisfy the inquiry, identifying comparable items for each discount item at nondiscount rates dynamically using real-time data, presenting one or more comparable groups to the user, each comparable group comprising one discount item and the respective comparable items, and furthering the sales process based on user input responding to the presented one or more comparable groups. Also disclosed is a method further comprising receiving a request from the user for multiple sub-items associated with the item, and engaging in a dialog with the user to enable payment for each of the multiple sub-items with one of a multiple payment types.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of conducting sales, the method comprising:

receiving an inquiry with at least one parameter from a user associated with a sale of an item;

identifying one or more discount items that satisfy the inquiry;

identifying comparable items for each discount item at nondiscount rates dynamically using real-time data;

presenting one or more comparable groups to the user, each comparable group comprising one discount item and the respective comparable items; and

furthering the sales process based on received user input responding to the presented one or more comparable groups.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the comparable groups are presented via at least one of computer terminal, web interface, phone interface, interactive voice response (IVR) system, portable computing device, or call center.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein furthering the sales process further comprises disclosing to the user that the user has committed to purchase the discount item.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user input is a commitment to purchase based on acceptance by the user of any item in the presented comparable group.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the discount item and respective comparable items comprise at least one of a product, a service, or a combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

allowing the user to select a number of items in the comparable group; and

quoting a nondiscount price for the user for each of the number of items in the comparable group.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each items in the comparable group is quoted at a nondiscount price.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein items in the comparable group are not identified to the user as the discount item or one of the respective comparable items until after the sale.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein items in the comparable group are not identified to the user as the discount item or one of the respective comparable items until a predetermined time after the sale.

10. The method of claim 8, the method further comprising:

determining a number of items, if any, that may be removed from the comparable group that ensures that at least one discount item remains; and

presenting the user with the option to remove any number up to the determined number of items from the comparable group.

11. The method of claim 8, the method further comprising:

before receiving user input, offering the user an option for free or in exchange for a fee to terminate the sales process at a later point.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more comparable groups are generated by steps comprising:

creating an array of all discount items and an array of all comparable items;

identifying each discount item in the array of all discount items which satisfies the at least one parameter of the inquiry from the user;

creating a subset of comparable items for each identified discount item, each subset based on at least one attribute of each respective discount item; and

combining each discount item with its respective comparable items into the comparable group.

13. The method of claim 12, the method further comprising:

filtering each subsets of comparable items using at least one filter parameter to include or exclude specific attributes.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one filter parameter may be expanded if insufficient comparable items are returned after the subsets are filtered.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein at least one subset is sorted based on at least one attribute value associated with the subset contents.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request from the user for multiple sub-items associated with the item; and

engaging in a dialog with the user to enable payment for each of the multiple sub-items with one of a multiple payment types.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the item is a hotel and the sub-items are hotel rooms.

18. A computer-implemented system for conducting sales, the system comprising:

a module configured to receive an inquiry with at least one parameter from a user associated with a sale of an item;

a module configured to identify one or more discount items that satisfy the inquiry;

a module configured to identify comparable items for each discount item at nondiscount rates dynamically using real-time data;

a module configured to present one or more comparable groups to the user, each comparable group comprising one discount item and the respective comparable items; and

a module configured to further the sales process based on received user input responding to the presented one or more comparable groups.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the user input is associated with a commitment to purchase based on one of the presented comparable groups, and wherein the module configured to further the sales process further comprises a module configured to disclose to the user that the user has committed to purchase the discount item.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein items in the comparable group are not identified to the user as the discount item or one of the respective comparable items until after the sale.

21. The system of claim 20, the system further comprising:

a module configured to determine a number of items, if any, that may be removed from the comparable group that ensures that at least one discount item remains; and

a module configured to present the user with the option to remove any number up to the determined number of items from the comparable group.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the one or more comparable groups are generated by steps comprising:

creating an array of all discount items and an array of all comparable items;

identifying each discount item in the array of all discount items which satisfies the at least one parameter of the inquiry from the user;

creating a subset of comparable items for each identified discount item, each subset based on at least one attribute of each respective discount item; and

combining each discount item with its respective comparable items into the comparable group.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the user input is a commitment to purchase based on acceptance by the user of any item in the presented comparable group.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein items in the comparable group are not identified to the user as the discount item or one of the respective comparable items until after the sale.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the one or more comparable groups are generated by steps comprising:

creating an array of all discount items and an array of all comparable items;

identifying each discount item in the array of all discount items which satisfies the at least one parameter of the inquiry from the user;

creating a subset of comparable items for each identified discount item, each subset based on at least one attribute of each respective discount item; and

combining each discount item with its respective comparable items into the comparable group.

23. A computer-readable medium storing a computer program having instructions for conducting sales, the instructions comprising:

receiving an inquiry with at least one parameter from a user associated with a sale of an item;

identifying one or more discount items that satisfy the inquiry;

identifying comparable items for each discount item at nondiscount rates dynamically using real-time data;

presenting one or more comparable groups to the user, each comparable group comprising one discount item and the respective comparable items; and

furthering the sales process based on received user input responding to the presented one or more comparable groups.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, the instructions further comprising:

determining a number of items, if any, that may be removed from the comparable group that ensures that at least one discount item remains; and

presenting the user with the option to remove any number up to the determined number of items from the comparable group.