Method and apparatus for facilitating evaluation of business opportunities for supplying goods and/or services to potential customers
First Claim
1. A method of determining business opportunities for supplying goods and/or services to potential customers, comprising the steps of:
- (a) in a first computer having an input element and a storage device, inputting and storing in the storage device a series of questions relating to the level of sophistication of a potential customer'"'"'s predefined business techniques in a plurality of different categories;
(b) collecting responses to the series of questions from step (a) and inputting and storing in the storage device the responses into the first computer;
(c) assigning and storing numerical weights and values to the question responses so as to indicate a level of sophistication for each possible response of each business technique for each separate category;
(d) determining a user'"'"'s score which reflects the user'"'"'s capability of supplying goods and/or services to the potential customer related to the potential customer'"'"'s predefined business techniques;
(e) inputting and storing the data from steps (b), (c) and (d) into a second computer having an input element, a storage device and a processor;
(f) using the processor of the second computer, taking into account the stored weights and values, to determine for each separate category a potential customer'"'"'s score, the user'"'"'s score, and an area of opportunity which is the difference between the potential customer'"'"'s score and the user'"'"'s score; and
(g) using a computer controlled printer, printing out in graphical form on sheet material the determinations from of step (f).
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for evaluating business opportunities for supplying goods and services (such as business forms and services) to potential customers takes a quantative approach that allows a user to evaluate a potential customer'"'"'s needs, and the user'"'"'s ability to supply those needs, to see what the area of opportunity for the user to supply that need is. Calculations can also be made comparing the user'"'"'s ability to fulfill the needs to some absolute standard, to also determine an area of emerging technology. A series of questions relating to the customer'"'"'s level of sophistication for predefined business techniques in a number of different categories are inputted into a computer, as well as the responses, and weights and values are assigned to the question responses to indicate a level of sophistication for each possible response of each business technique for each separate category. The user'"'"'s capability of supplying the potential customer'"'"'s needs are also evaluated and this data is inputted into a second computer which calculates, taking into account the weights and values, for each separate category a potential customer'"'"'s score, the user'"'"'s score, and the area of opportunity (which is the difference between the customer'"'"'s score and the user'"'"'s score). Then using a computer controlled printer, the calculations are printed out in graphical form on a sheet of paper, along with other human readable indicia, from which an evaluation of the opportunity, as well as a tool to close a business deal, are supplied.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method of determining business opportunities for supplying goods and/or services to potential customers, comprising the steps of:
- (a) in a first computer having an input element and a storage device, inputting and storing in the storage device a series of questions relating to the level of sophistication of a potential customer'"'"'s predefined business techniques in a plurality of different categories;
(b) collecting responses to the series of questions from step (a) and inputting and storing in the storage device the responses into the first computer;
(c) assigning and storing numerical weights and values to the question responses so as to indicate a level of sophistication for each possible response of each business technique for each separate category;
(d) determining a user'"'"'s score which reflects the user'"'"'s capability of supplying goods and/or services to the potential customer related to the potential customer'"'"'s predefined business techniques;
(e) inputting and storing the data from steps (b), (c) and (d) into a second computer having an input element, a storage device and a processor;
(f) using the processor of the second computer, taking into account the stored weights and values, to determine for each separate category a potential customer'"'"'s score, the user'"'"'s score, and an area of opportunity which is the difference between the potential customer'"'"'s score and the user'"'"'s score; and
(g) using a computer controlled printer, printing out in graphical form on sheet material the determinations from of step (f). - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
- (a) in a first computer having an input element and a storage device, inputting and storing in the storage device a series of questions relating to the level of sophistication of a potential customer'"'"'s predefined business techniques in a plurality of different categories;
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19. Apparatus for determining business opportunities for supplying goods and/or services to potential customers, comprising:
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a portable first computer means including a keyboard and a disc drive for inputting a series of questions relating to the level of sophistication of a potential customer'"'"'s predefined business techniques in a plurality of different categories, and for inputting responses to said questions; a second computer means including a keyboard and disc drive for inputting in machine readable form data from said first computer means, including said responses to said questions, assigned numerical weights and values, and data regarding the user'"'"'s capability of supplying goods and/or services to the potential customer related to the potential customer'"'"'s predefined business techniques; and
including means for calculating, taking into account said weights and values, for each separate category a potential customer'"'"'s, score, the user'"'"'s score, and an area of opportunity which is the difference between the potential customer'"'"'s score and the user'"'"'s score; anda computer controlled printer controlled by said second computer means for printing out in human readable form on sheet material the calculations performed by said second computer means.
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20. A method of evaluating business opportunities for supplying goods and/or services to potential customers comprising the steps of:
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(a) in a first computer having an input element and a storage device, inputting and storing in the storage device a series of questions relating to the level of sophistication of a potential customer'"'"'s predefined business techniques in a plurality of different categories; (b) collecting responses to the series of questions from step (a) and inputting and storing in the storage device the responses into the first computer; (c) assigning weights and values to the question responses so as to indicate a level of sophistication for each possible response of each business technique for each separate category; (d) inputting and storing the data from steps (b) and (c) into a second computer having an input element, a storage device and a processor; (e) using the processor of the second computer to calculate, taking into account the weights and values for each separate category, a potential customer'"'"'s score; (f) using a computer controlled printer, printing out on sheet material the information from step (e) in human readable form; and (g) using the printed information from step (f), evaluating the potential customer'"'"'s needs. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
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Specification