System and method for conducting sales

• US 8,185,434 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2007
• Issued: 05/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Netstartups LLC
• Original Assignee: Joseph Bous
• Inventors: Bous, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Boveja, Namrata
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hamilton, M
• Application Number:
  US11/776,019
• Publication Number:
  US 20090018906A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,777 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14, 705/26
• US Class Current: 705/14.1
• 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 method comprising:

identifying, via a processor of a computing device, a first item that satisfies a purchase inquiry from a user, wherein the first item has a discount price;

identifying a second item that is comparable to the first item and that satisfies at least part of the purchase inquiry, wherein the second item is not available for sale at the discount price;

presenting to the user an offer comprising the discount price, the first item, and the second item, wherein the offer does not identify which of the first item and the second item is available at the discount price;

receiving from the user a commitment to purchase an item at the discount price in response to the offer; and

disclosing the first item to the user after receiving the commitment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the offer is displayed via at least one of computer terminal, web interface, phone interface, interactive voice response system, portable computing device, and call center.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first item and the second item comprises at least one of a product and a service.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the offer further comprises a quote of a nondiscount price for at least one of the first item and the second item.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the offer quotes the first item and the second item at respective nondiscount prices.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising disclosing the first item to the user at a predetermined time after receiving the commitment.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a third item that is comparable to the first item and that satisfies at least part of the purchase inquiry, wherein the third item is not available for sale at the discount price in response to the purchase inquiry, and wherein the offer further comprises the third item; and

presenting the user with an option to remove one item in the offer.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

before receiving the commitment, offering the user an option to terminate a transaction associated with the offer.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the offer is generated by steps comprising:

creating a subset of items for the first item, wherein the subset of items is based on at least one attribute of the first item, wherein the offer further comprises a combination of the first item with at least one item from the subset of items.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the offer is generated by filtering the subset of items by applying a filter parameter to specific item attributes.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the filter parameter is expanded upon detecting that an insufficient number of items from the subset of items are returned after applying the filter parameter.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the first item and the second item are sorted based on the at least one attribute.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after disclosing the first item to the user:

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

engaging in a dialog with the user to enable payment for the sub-item.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first item is a hotel and the sub-item is a hotel room.

15. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions for controlling the processor to perform a method comprising;

identifying a first item that satisfies a purchase inquiry from a user, wherein the first item has a discount price;

identifying a second item that is comparable to the first item and that satisfies at least part of the purchase inquiry, wherein the second item is not available for sale at the discount price;

presenting to the user an offer comprising the discount price, the first item, and the second item, wherein the offer does not identify which of the first item and the second item is available at the discount price;

receiving from the user a commitment to purchase an item at the discount price in response to the offer; and

disclosing the first item to the user after receiving the commitment.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the instructions further control the processor to perform steps comprising:

identifying a third item that is comparable to the first item and that satisfies at least part of the purchase inquiry, wherein the third item is not available for sale at the discount price in response to the purchase inquiry, and wherein the offer further comprises the third item; and

presenting the user with an option to remove one item in the offer.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the offer is generated by steps comprising:

creating a subset of items for the first item, wherein the subset of items is based on at least one attribute of the first item, wherein the offer further comprises a combination of the first item with at least one item from the subset of items.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer program having instructions for controlling a computing device to perform steps comprising:

identifying a first item that satisfies a purchase inquiry from a user, wherein the first item has a discount price;

identifying a second item that is comparable to the first item and that satisfies at least part of the purchase inquiry, wherein the second item is not available for sale at the discount price;

displaying to the user an offer, wherein the offer comprises the discount price and at least the first item and the second item, and wherein the offer does not identify which of the first item and the second item is available at the discount price;

receiving from the user a commitment to purchase an item at the discount price in response to the offer; and

disclosing the first item to the user after receiving the commitment.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, the instructions further comprising:

identifying a third item that is comparable to the first item and that satisfies at least part of the purchase inquiry, wherein the third item is not available for sale at the discount price in response to the purchase inquiry, and wherein the offer further comprises the third item; and

presenting the user with an option to remove one item in the offer, wherein the one item is selected from the second item and the third item.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the offer is generated by steps comprising:

creating a subset of items for the first item, wherein the subset of items is based on at least one attribute of the first item, wherein the offer comprises a combination of the first item with at least one item from the subset of items.