Enhancing sales leads with business specific customized statistical propensity models

• US 8,626,563 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2012
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Experian Marketing Solutions, LLC (Experian plc)
• Original Assignee: Experian Marketing Solutions Incorporated (Experian plc)
• Inventors: Williams, Richard, Kong, Jacob, Hughes, Lawrence J., Panigrahi, Damodar, Kirgan, Maria Luisa, Hajikhani, Rasoul
• Primary Examiner(s): Jarrett, Scott L
• Application Number:
  US13/608,733
• Publication Number:
  US 20130066676A1
• Time in Patent Office: 484 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7.11, 705/7.29
• US Class Current: 705/7.29
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0202 Market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities

Abstract

A client transmits one or more lead records to a lead enhancement module that is configured to enhance the received lead records and return enhanced lead records to the client. The lead enhancement module may return a contactability score for each lead record, indicating a likelihood that the individual identified in the lead may be contacted using the contact information provided in the lead record and/or additional contract information located by the lead enhancement module. The lead enhancement module may also receive additional data items associated with leads from one or more data sources. Additionally, statistical models that may be customized for each client may be applied to information associated with lead records in order to determine one or more propensity scores for each of the lead records, where a propensity score indicates a likelihood that an individual will take a particular action, such as purchasing particular goods or services.

Claims

1. A method of enhancing an electronic sales lead record, the method comprising:

receiving, by a computer system comprising one or more hardware processors, from a requesting entity, a list of electronic sales lead records including at least a first electronic sales lead record and a second electronic sales lead record, wherein each of the electronic sales lead records comprises at least an individual identifier and a name field;

selecting, by the computer system, business rules associated with the requesting entity, the business rules indicating criteria for matching individual sales lead records with respective statistical models, some of the statistical models being customized based on criterion provided by the requesting entity and a scoring output preference provided by the requesting entity;

selecting, by the computer system, a first statistical model associated with the requesting entity in response to one or more data items of the first electronic sales lead record matching criteria associated with the first statistical model, as indicated in the selected business rules;

applying, by the computer system, the first customized statistical model to the first electronic sales lead record in the list to generate a first propensity score associated with the first electronic sales lead record;

selecting, by the computer system, a second customized statistical model associated with the requesting entity in response to one or more data items of the second electronic sales lead record[ matching criteria associated with the second customized statistical model as indicated in the selected business rules, wherein the second customized statistical model is distinct from the first customized statistical model;

applying, by the computer system, the second customized statistical model to the second electronic sales lead record in the list to generate a second propensity score associated with the second electronic sales lead record;

generating, by the computer system, enhanced sales lead records which include at least the propensity scores associated with respective electronic sales lead records, wherein the propensity scores indicate respective propensities to purchase one or more products or services; and

transmitting, by the computer system, the enhanced sales lead records to the requesting entity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the scoring output preference provided by the requesting entity includes one or more of a score format and a distribution preference.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the respective electronic sales lead records are associated with one or more of:

an individual, one or more individuals, a business, and a family group.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the requesting entity is a client of an enhancement provider that performs one or more steps of the method.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the computer system, additional data item indicators to include on a lead enhancement list, the determining based on one or more of;

an identification of the requesting entity, content of one or more data fields of the electronic sales lead record, and information included in a header of the electronic sales lead record; and

accessing, by the computer system, from one or more data sources, one or more additional data items corresponding to the additional data item indicators on the lead enhancement list;

wherein generating, by the computer system, the enhanced sales lead records further comprises generating the enhanced sales lead records to include at least the accessed additional data items.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the additional data item indicators are determined based on a vertical business market of the requesting entity such that the additional data items included on the lead enhancement list are relevant to entities in the vertical business market.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the score format comprises a numeric score or a letter score.

7. A computerized system for generating enhances sales lead records, the system comprising:

one or more computer processors;

a non-transitory computer readable medium storing software instructions configured for execution by the one or more computer processors in order to cause the computing system to;

receive from a requesting entity, a list of electronic sales lead records including at least a first electronic sales lead record and a second electronic sales lead record, wherein each of the electronic sales lead records comprises at least an individual identifier and a name field;

select business rules associated with the requesting entity, the business rules indicating criteria for matching individual sales lead records with respective statistical models, some of the statistical models being customized based on criterion provided by the requesting entity and a scoring output preference provided by the requesting entity;

select a first statistical model associated with the requesting entity in response to one or more data items of the first electronic sales lead record matching criteria associated with the first statistical model, as indicated in the selected business rules;

apply the first customized statistical model to the first electronic sales lead record in the list to generate a first propensity score associated with the first electronic sales lead record;

select a second statistical model associated with the requesting entity in response to one or more data items of the second electronic sales lead record matching criteria associated with the second customized statistical model as indicated in the selected business rules, wherein the second customized statistical model is distinct from the first customized statistical model;

apply the second customized statistical model to the second electronic sales lead record in the list to generate a second propensity score associated with the second electronic sales lead record;

generate enhanced sales lead records which include at least the propensity scores associated with respective electronic sales lead records, wherein the propensity scores indicate respective propensities to purchase one or more products or services; and

transmit the enhanced sales lead records to the requesting entity.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the scoring output preference provided by the requesting entity includes one or more of a score format and a distribution preference.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the respective electronic sales lead records are associated with one or more of:

an individual, one or more individuals, a business, and a family group.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the software instructions are further configured for execution by the one or more computer processors in order to cause the computing system to:

determine additional data item indicators to include on a lead enhancement list, the determining based on one or more of;

an identification of the requesting entity, content of one or more data fields of the electronic sales lead record, and information included in a header of the electronic sales lead record; and

access, from one or more data sources, one or more additional data items corresponding to the additional data item indicators on the lead enhancement list;

wherein generating the enhanced sales lead records further comprises generating the enhanced sales lead records to include at least the accessed additional data items.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the additional data item indicators are determined based on a vertical business market of the requesting entity such that the additional data items included on the lead enhancement list are relevant to entities in the vertical business market.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the score format comprises a numeric score or a letter score.

14. A tangible computer readable medium storing software instructions configured for execution by the one or more computer processors in order to cause the computing system to:

receive from a requesting entity, a list of electronic sales lead records including at least a first electronic sales lead record and a second electronic sales lead record, wherein each of the electronic sales lead records comprises at least an individual identifier and a name field;

select business rules associated with the requesting entity, the business rules indicating criteria for matching individual sales lead records with respective statistical models, some of the statistical models being customized based on criterion provided by the requesting entity and a scoring output preference provided by the requesting entity;

select a first statistical model associated with the requesting entity in response to one or more data items of the first electronic sales lead record matching criteria associated with the first customized statistical model as indicated in the selected business rules;

apply the first customized statistical model to the first electronic sales lead record in the list to generate a first propensity score associated with the first electronic sales lead record;

select a second statistical model associated with the requesting entity in response to, one or more data items of the second electronic sales lead record matching criteria associated with the second customized statistical model as indicated in the selected business rules, wherein the second customized statistical model is distinct from the first customized statistical model;

apply the second customized statistical model to the second electronic sales lead record in the list to generate a second propensity score associated with the second electronic sales lead record;

generate enhanced sales lead records which include at least the propensity scores associated with respective electronic sales lead records, wherein the propensity scores indicate respective propensities to purchase one or more products or services; and

transmit the enhanced sales lead records to the requesting entity.

15. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the scoring output preference provided by the requesting entity includes one or more of a score format and a distribution preference.

16. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the respective electronic sales lead records are associated with one or more of:

an individual, one or more individuals, a business, and a family group.

17. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the software instructions are further configured for execution by the one or more computer processors in order to cause the computing system to perform operations comprising:

determining additional data item indicators to include on a lead enhancement list, the determining based on one or more of;

an identification of the requesting entity, content of one or more data fields of the electronic sales lead record, and information included in a header of the electronic sales lead record; and

accessing, from one or more data sources, one or more additional data items corresponding to the additional data item indicators on the lead enhancement list;

wherein generating the enhanced sales lead records further comprises generating the enhanced sales lead records to include at least the accessed additional data items.

18. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the additional data item indicators are determined based on a vertical business market of the requesting entity such that the additional data items included on the lead enhancement list are relevant to entities in the vertical business market.

19. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the score format comprises a numeric score or a letter score.