Automated software tools for improving sales

• US 9,665,875 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2013
• Issued: 05/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP SE
• Inventors: Subramanian, Venkitesh, Makanawala, Prerna, Kudumula, Niyanth, Kulavil, Preeta, Kalla, Praveen, Gauthier, Jean-Francois Desjeans, Shiroor, Kedar, Sood, Karan, Potdar, Sushant, Mitra, Abhijit, Yip, Brian, Sun, Ke, Augustine, Sebastine, Nayyar, Nayaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Chuang, Jung-Mu
• Application Number:
  US14/058,087
• Publication Number:
  US 20150112756A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,320 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data

Abstract

A sales application is described that includes multiple automated sales tools that can be combined to help improve sales within a sales team. A deal finder sales tool is described to help identify sales opportunities. A deal playbook sales tool is also described to help structure the sales opportunity into a sales play by recommending products to sale in conjunction and also constructing a sales team. An influencer sales tool is also described to help identify business relationships that can be utilized to influence members of the sales team.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

providing, by at least one processor, a graphical user interface in a form of a spiral that includes a center icon and a plurality of icons that revolve around the center icon, wherein the center icon represents a root object representing a person of interest to be influenced and each of the plurality of icons represents an object from an ordered list of objects representing acquaintances of the person of interest, the ordered list being associated with the root object and the objects being ordered by ranking relative to at least one property, wherein the plurality of icons are positioned in the spiral according to the ordered list, and wherein the property comprises a composite score automatically generated by a rule engine to reflect an influence of the acquaintance with the person of interest, the composite score comprising,

a weighted advocacy score considering how many deals the acquaintance has been involved in, and success of closing the deals involving the acquaintance;

a weighted sentiment score considering posts by the acquaintance with regard to a product, company or brand of interest; and

a weighted engagement score reflecting a frequency of visiting by the acquaintance to a website of the company or downloading information;

receiving, by the at least one processor, an input representative of dragging a selected icon from the plurality of icons to a new location; and

updating, by the at least one processor, a first property of a selected object that is represented by the selected icon according to the input.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a visual appearance of the selected icon is proportional to a second property of the selected object.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first property of the selected object is updated according to the first property of a first object and the first property of a second object when the new location of the selected icon is in between a first icon representing the first object and a second icon representing the second object.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first property of the selected object is updated according to the first property of a last object in the ordered list when the new location is outside the spiral.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein a new icon representing another object from the ordered list is appended to the spiral when the selected icon is dragged outside the spiral.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the spiral further includes an additional icon appended to the end of the spiral, the additional icon being configured to identify a number of objects in the ordered list of objects that are not represented by the plurality of icons.

7. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions for:

providing a graphical user interface in a form of a spiral that includes a center icon and a plurality of icons that revolve around the center icon, wherein the center icon represents a root object representing a person of interest to be influenced and each of the plurality of icons represents an object from an ordered list of objects representing acquaintances of the person of interest, the ordered list being associated with the root object and the objects being ordered by ranking relative to at least one property, wherein the plurality of icons are positioned in the spiral according to the ordered list, and wherein the property comprises a composite score automatically generated by a rule engine to reflect an influence of the acquaintance with the person of interest, the composite score comprising,

a weighted advocacy score considering how many deals the acquaintance has been involved in, and success of closing the deals involving the acquaintance;

a weighted sentiment score considering posts by the acquaintance with regard to a product, company, or brand of interest; and

a weighted engagement score reflecting a frequency of visiting by the acquaintance to a website of the company or downloading information;

receiving an input representative of dragging a selected icon from the plurality of icons to a new location; and

updating a first property of a selected object that is represented by the selected icon according to the input.

8. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein a visual appearance of the selected icon is proportional to a second property of the selected object.

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the first property of the selected object is updated according to the first property of a first object and the first property of a second object when the new location of the selected icon is in between a first icon representing the first object and a second icon representing the second object.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the first property of the selected object is updated according to the first property of a last object in the ordered list when the new location is outside the spiral.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein a new icon representing another object from the ordered list is appended to the spiral when the selected icon is dragged outside the spiral.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the spiral further includes an additional icon appended to the end of the spiral, the additional icon being configured to identify a number of objects in the ordered list of objects that are not represented by the plurality of icons.

13. A computer system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon one or more programs, which when executed by the one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to singly or in combination;

provide a graphical user interface in a form of a spiral that includes a center icon and a plurality of icons that revolve around the center icon, wherein the center icon represents a root object representing a person of interest to be influenced and each of the plurality of icons represents an object from an ordered list of objects representing acquaintances of the person of interest, the ordered list being associated with the root object and the objects being ordered by ranking relative to at least one property, wherein the plurality of icons are positioned in the spiral according to the ordered list, and wherein the property comprises a composite score automatically generated by a rule engine to reflect an influence of the acquaintance with the person of interest, the composite score comprising,

a weighted advocacy score considering how many deals the acquaintance has been involved in, and success of closing the deals involving the acquaintance;

a weighted sentiment score considering posts by the acquaintance with regard to a product, company, or brand of interest; and

a weighted engagement score reflecting a frequency of visiting by the acquaintance to a website of the company or downloading information;

receive an input representative of dragging a selected icon from the plurality of icons to a new location; and

update a first property of a selected object that is represented by the selected icon according to the input.