Systems and methods to facilitate selling of products and services

• US 7,657,465 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2004
• Issued: 02/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: LivePerson Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Proficiency Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Rijsinghani, Vikas, Freishtat, Gregg, Wilson, Jackson, Hufford, Steve, Hyman, Tanya, McFall, Dodge, Kaib, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Pond; Robert M.
• Application Number:
  US10/945,303
• Publication Number:
  US 20050044008A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,961 Days
• Field of Search: 705/27, 705/26
• US Class Current: 705/26.41
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/01 Customer relationship services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0617 Representative agent
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for selling goods and services in conjunction with the Internet. The system can receive session information on a customer'"'"'s website session (e.g., goods and services the customer is searching and metadata about such search and the relevant products) and customer information on the customer. The system can determine from the received information whether the customer is a candidate for sales assistance from a sales associate. The system can create and index information on available sales associates, match the customer with at least one sales associate based on the customer, session, and sales profile associate information, and facilitate communication between the sales associate and the customer (e.g., via chat, VoIP, email, PSTN, etc.). Additionally, the system can provide information on the customer, products or services in which he/she is interested, and collateral sales materials and selling techniques to the sales associate based on the sales opportunity.

Claims

1. A method of registering sales associates to assist customers in online sales transactions, the method comprising:

receiving, by a computer in a network of computers, sales associate information from a plurality of sales associates;

receiving, by the computer, session information from a website about a customer'"'"'s session on the website, the session information comprising the products the customer is viewing on the website;

analyzing, by the computer, the session information received;

identifying, by the computer, the customer as a potential target for permissive assistance, based at least in part on the analysis of the session information received;

matching, by the computer, the customer with at least one of the plurality of sales associates based on weighted parameters comprising the session information and information about the plurality of sales associates, wherein matching comprises;

determining a rule set to apply in order to match the customer with at least one of the plurality of sales associates, said rule set comprising two or more rules, respective rules having a relative weight associated therewith; and

generating a matching score for each of the plurality of sales associates based at least in part on a relative ranking of the sales associate with respect to each rule of the determined rule set multiplied by the relative weight associated with the corresponding rule;

dynamically changing the determined rule set based at least in part on a combination of sales successes and market conditions; and

notifying, by the computer, at least the sales associate with the highest matching score that the sales associate is an acceptable candidate.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

requesting credit and background information on the sales associate from a third party; and

receiving credit and background information on the sales associate from a third party.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a schedule of availability from the sales associate.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving method of contact preferences from the sales associate.

5. A method of registering sales associates to assist customers in online sales transactions, the method comprising:

receiving, by a computer in a network of computers, a registration request from respective sales associates of a plurality of sales associates;

receiving, by the computer, sales associate information from the plurality of sales associates;

receiving, by the computer, enterprise sales associate information comprising product accreditations from one or more enterprises employing the plurality of sales associates;

analyzing, by the computer, sales associate information, enterprise sales associate information, and testing results to determine if each of the plurality of sales associates is an acceptable candidate to assist a customer;

notifying, by the computer, respective sales associates of the plurality of sales associates that the sales associate is an acceptable candidate;

receiving, by the computer, session information from a website about a customer'"'"'s session on the website, the session information comprising the products the customer is viewing on the website;

analyzing, by the computer, the session information received;

identifying, by the computer, the customer as a potential target for permissive assistance, based at least in part on the analysis of the session information received; and

matching, by the computer, the customer with at least one of the plurality of sales associates based on weighted parameters comprising the session information and the corresponding sales associate'"'"'s accreditation information, wherein matching comprises;

determining a rule set to apply in order to match the customer with at least one of the plurality of sales associates, said rule set comprising two or more rules, respective rules having a relative weight associated therewith; and

generating a matching score for each of the plurality of sales associates based at least in part on a relative ranking of the sales associate with respect to each rule of the determined rule set multiplied by the relative weight associated with the corresponding rule; and

dynamically changing the determined rule set based at least in part on a combination of sales successes and market conditions.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

ranking the sales associate based on sales associate information and enterprise sales associate information; and

matching the sales associate with the customer browsing on the enterprise'"'"'s website.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising;

testing the sales associate to determine product accreditations.

8. A method of accrediting sales associates to assist customers in online sales transactions, the method comprising:

receiving, by a computer in a network of computers, an accreditation request from each of a plurality of sales associates;

delivering, by the computer, appropriate testing materials to respective sales associates of the plurality of sales associates;

receiving, by the computer, the completed testing materials from respective sales associates of the plurality of sales associates;

analyzing, by the computer, the completed testing materials from respective sales associates;

updating, by the computer, a record for respective sales associates to indicate a new level of accreditation;

receiving, by the computer, session information from a website about a customer'"'"'s session on the website, the session information comprising the products the customer is viewing on the website;

analyzing, by the computer, the session information received;

identifying, by the computer, the customer as a potential target for permissive assistance, based at least in part on the analysis of the session information received; and

matching, by the computer, the customer with at least one of the plurality of sales associates based on weighted parameters comprising the session information and the corresponding sales associate'"'"'s accreditation information, said matching comprising;

determining a rule set to apply in order to match the customer with at least one of the plurality of sales associates, said rule set comprising two or more rules, respective rules having a relative weight associated therewith; and

generating a matching score for each of the plurality of sales associates based at least in part on a relative ranking of the sales associate with respect to each rule of the determined rule set multiplied by the relative weight associated with the corresponding rule; and

dynamically changing the determined rule set based at least in part on a combination of sales successes and market conditions.

9. A method of registering sales associates to assist customers in online sales transactions, the method comprising:

receiving, by a computer in a network of computers, sales associate information from a plurality of sales associates;

receiving, by the computer, session information from a website about a customer'"'"'s session on the website, the session information comprising the products the customer is viewing on the website;

analyzing, by the computer, the session information received;

identifying, by the computer, the customer as a potential target for permissive assistance, based at least in part on the analysis of the session information received;

requesting and receiving, by the computer, credit and background information on respective sales associates of the plurality of sales associates from a third party; and

matching, by the computer, the customer with at least one of the plurality of sales associates based on weighted parameters comprising the session information and the corresponding sales associate'"'"'s credit and background information, said matching comprising;

determining a rule set to apply in order to match the customer with at least one of the plurality of sales associates, said rule set comprising two or more rules, respective rules having a relative weight associated therewith; and

generating a matching score for each of the plurality of sales associates based at least in part on a relative ranking of the sales associate with respect to each rule of the determined rule set multiplied by the relative weight associated with the corresponding rule; and

dynamically changing the determined rule set based at least in part on a combination of sales successes and market conditions.

10. A method of registering sales associates to assist customers in online sales transactions, the method comprising:

receiving, by a computer in a network of computers, a registration request from respective sales associates of a plurality of sales associates;

receiving, by the computer, sales associate information from the plurality of sales associates;

receiving, by the computer, enterprise sales associate information comprising product accreditations from one or more enterprises employing the plurality of sales associates;

receiving, by the computer, session information from a website about a customer'"'"'s session on the website, the session information comprising the products the customer is viewing on the website;

analyzing, by the computer, the session information received;

identifying, by the computer, the customer as a potential target for permissive assistance, based at least in part on the analysis of the session information received;

ranking, by the computer, the plurality of sales associates based on sales associate information and enterprise sales associate information; and

matching, by the computer, the customer with at least one of the plurality of sales associates based on weighted parameters comprising the sales associate information, enterprise sales associate information, and session information, said matching comprising;

determining a rule set to apply in order to match the customer with at least one of the plurality of sales associates, said rule set comprising two or more rules, respective rules having a relative weight associated therewith; and

generating a matching score for each of the plurality of sales associates based at least in part on a relative ranking of the sales associate with respect to each rule of the determined rule set multiplied by the relative weight associated with the corresponding rule; and

dynamically changing the determined rule set based at least in part on a combination of sales successes and market conditions.