Mobile Sales Tracking System

• US 20130262528A1
• Filed: 11/14/2012
• Published: 10/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apex Energy Solutions of Indiana, LLC (Great Day Improvements LLC), Great Day Improvements LLC
• Original Assignee: Touchstone Media Group, LLC
• Inventors: Foit, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 9,015,207 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/805
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/947 Human resources
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/951 Calendar or scheduling

Abstract

Systems and methods for managing sales and marketing information. A mobile device is configured to display a screen that includes a plurality of icons. In response to activating the icons, the mobile device retrieves and transmits data associated with sales and marketing data obtained by canvassing a neighborhood and displays this data to the mobile device user. The data is maintained in system database so that all system users have access to updated data on sales associate availability for appointments, job status, and sales leads obtained from canvassing. The mobile device is further configured to display a map with symbols that indicate the location of addresses associated with sales and marketing data in the database. The mobile device user may retrieve data associated with an address by selecting one of the symbols. The symbols displayed are adjusted based on the map scale and mobile device location.

Claims

1. A method of managing sales and marketing information comprising:

displaying a first screen on a user interface of a first mobile device, the first screen including a first icon;

in response to activation of the first icon, displaying a second screen that includes an address field and a notes field;

receiving address data in the address field;

receiving notes data in the notes field; and

creating a database file in a system database accessible by a second mobile device, the database file being associated with the address in the address field and containing the address data and the notes data.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving address data in the notes field includes:

obtaining location data from a geo-location feature in the first mobile device; and

populating the address field with the address data based on the location data.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

displaying a second icon;

in response to activation of the second icon, displaying a map including one or more symbols indicating locations on the map of addresses associated with one or more database files in the system database; and

in response to activation of one of the one or more symbols displayed on the map, displaying at least a portion of the data in the database file associated with the address represented by the activated symbol.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

obtaining location data from a geo-location feature in the first mobile device;

determining a location of the first mobile device based on the location data;

centering the map on the location of the first mobile device;

determining a search radius centered on the location of the first device, the search radius corresponding to a scale of the map;

generating symbols indicating locations for any database files associated with an address located within the search radius; and

displaying the generated symbols on the map.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

rescaling the map; and

in response to rescaling the map, changing the search radius.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

displaying a third icon; and

in response to activation of the third icon, displaying a screen that includes one or more job data fields.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

determining a status of a user;

displaying a first screen that includes one or more job data fields from a first set of data fields if the user has a first status level; and

displaying a second screen that includes one or more job data fields from a second set of data fields if the user has a second status level.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

in response to selecting one of the one or more job data fields, displaying a job information window that includes information about the job associated with the selected job data field.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

displaying a map view button in the job information window; and

in response to activation of the map view button, displaying a map that includes one or more symbols, each symbol indicating a location on the map of an address of a job.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

displaying a data entry field in the job information window, the data entry field being configured to receive job data from the system user; and

in response to receiving job data in the data entry field, storing the job data in the system database.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the job information window further includes an e-mail button and further comprising:

in response to activating the e-mail button, displaying an e-mail generation window that includes a plurality of buttons, each button being associated with a type of e-mail.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the types of e-mails include a thank-you e-mail, a reconsider e-mail, and a custom e-mail.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

in response to activating one of the plurality of e-mail buttons, automatically generating an e-mail populated with data from the system database.

14. A method of managing sales and marketing information comprising:

displaying a first screen on a user interface of a first mobile device, the first screen including a first icon;

in response to activation of the first icon, creating an appointment between a sales associate and a customer; and

creating a database file in a system database accessible by a second mobile device, the database file containing data regarding the appointment.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein creating the appointment includes:

displaying a calendar field including a plurality of date buttons;

retrieving data from the system database indicating the availability of the sales associate;

in response to activating one of the date buttons, displaying an available sales associate window that provides an indication of an availability of the sales associate on a date represented by the date button;

in response to selecting the sales associate and a time, creating the appointment with the selected sales associate at the selected time; and

updating the system database to indicate the sales associate has an appointment at the selected time.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

in response to creating the appointment, automatically sending an e-mail message to the customer, the e-mail message including an image of the sales associate.

17. A mobile sales tracking system comprising:

a first mobile device configured to create an appointment in response to input from a system user; and

a database configured to receive data regarding the appointment from the first mobile device, and to make the data available to a second mobile device different from the first mobile device.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the appointment is between a sales associate and a customer, and the data includes an identity of the sales associate and a time for the appointment.

19. The system of claim 18 further comprising:

a server in communication with the database and configured to send an e-mail including an image of the sales associate to the customer in response to creation of the appointment.

20. A mobile sales tracking system comprising:

a database; and

a first mobile device in communication with the database and configured to display a first screen that includes an address field and a notes field,

the first mobile device further configured to receive address data in the address field and notes data in the notes field, and to transmit the address data and notes data to the database,

the database being configured to receive the transmitted data and generate a database file associated with the address in the address field and containing the address data and the notes data, the database file being accessible by a second mobile device different from the first mobile device.

21. The mobile sales tracking system of claim 20, wherein the first mobile device is further configured to:

display a map including one or more symbols indicating locations on the map of addresses associated with the database files in the system database; and

in response to activation of one of the one or more symbols, displaying at least a portion of the data in the database file associated with the address represented by the activated symbol.

22. The system of claim 20 wherein the first mobile device is further configured to:

display a second screen that includes a jobs window that displays one or more job data fields, and

in response to selecting one of the one or more job data fields in the second screen, display a job information window that includes information about the job associated with the selected job data field.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the first mobile device is further configured to:

display a data entry field in the job information window, the data entry field being configured to receive job data from the system user; and

in response to receiving job data in the data entry field, store the job data in the system database.