Sales force automation system and method for real-time traveling salesperson location tracking and account visit selection

• US 9,886,695 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2013
• Issued: 02/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Kotak, Jigar
• Primary Examiner(s): Marcus, Leland
• Application Number:
  US13/924,833
• Publication Number:
  US 20140032261A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,688 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/047 Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0202 Market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities

Abstract

The technology disclosed relates to identifying accounts and prospects nearby a salesman'"'"'s location based on his real-time goal statuses and pre-assigned preferences. In particular, it relates to locating those accounts and prospects in the salesman'"'"'s geographic vicinity that most likely require his attention or visit.

The technology disclosed further relates to identifying centers of influence for closing sales effort events based on one or more employee attributes. In particular, it relates to recruiting personnel that are best candidates for servicing an account or prospect considering their work profiles. It also relates to ensuring accountability in sales efforts by tracking a salesman'"'"'s customer relationship management via location records.

Claims

1. A method for providing real-time location based account information to a traveling salesperson, the method including:

automatically implementing a continuous tracking, by a location object server, of a plurality of reference locations of a plurality of traveling salespersons including a first traveling salesperson and a second traveling salesperson using a global position system (GPS) in communication with a plurality of devices including a device equipped with GPS sensor of the first traveling salesperson and a device equipped with GPS sensor of the second traveling salesperson;

identifying, using the location object server, location aware records relevant to the first traveling salesperson, proximate to a tracked reference location of the first traveling salesperson, wherein the location aware records specify at least account information of the traveling salespersons;

selecting by the location object server a traveling salesperson to direct to visit an account based upon which traveling salesperson visited the account in connection with accomplishing a sales cycle milestone in a sales cycle relating to the account based on a specified distance from the tracked reference location of the first traveling salesperson in combination with pre-assigned heuristics stored in a selection and priority rules database that take into account stages at which one or more accounts are in a traveling salesperson'"'"'s sale cycle applied to the tracked reference location of the first traveling salesperson and a tracked reference location of the second traveling salesperson, the pre-assigned heuristics including businesses that are accounts of the first and second traveling salespersons; and

receiving by the location object server over a network an interactive map provided by a location aware application hosted by a first database server and causing display, in a same page within a traveling salesperson'"'"'s customer relationship management (CRM) application hosted by a second database server distinct from the first database server, of the interactive map overlaid with active symbols that present at least near real time information related to a particular account based on a previous sales effort made by the traveling salesperson automatically generated by the location object server that represent at least some of the identified location aware records based on the combination of the specified distance and the pre-assigned heuristics, thereby preventing the traveling salesperson from;

using the device equipped with GPS receiver to access the interactive map outside the CRM application;

using the device equipped with GPS receiver to access the account information via the CRM application; and

based upon salesperson selection of an account, the selection received from the device of a salesperson, presenting information related to the selected account, including at least a selected account'"'"'s contact directory, selected account'"'"'s order history, interests expressed in products and services by the selected account, and time elapsed from a previous visit to the selected account.

2. The method of claim 1, further including presenting wherein the information related to a particular account based on a previous sales efforts made by the traveling salesperson, further includes at least

location of the previous sales efforts;

date and time of the previous sales efforts;

names of attendees at the previous sales efforts; and

description of products or services to which the previous sales efforts was directed.

3. The method of claim 1, further including automatically proposing routes to the traveling salesperson for visiting multiple selected accounts based on the specified distance from a reference location and the pre-assigned heuristics.

4. The method of claim 1, further including filtering the interactive map of a traveling salesperson'"'"'s accounts based on sales efforts, check-ins and locations of other members of a traveling salesperson'"'"'s sales team.

5. The method of claim 1, further including using real-time tracking and busy-time analysis for recruiting support from other members of a traveling salesperson'"'"'s sales team.

6. The method of claim 1, further including receiving details of a current sale activity using questionnaires, wherein responses to the questionnaires summarize the current sale activity.

7. The method of claim 1, further including discovering other members of a traveling salesperson'"'"'s sales team that

have successfully worked with a selected prospect based on work history of other members of the traveling salesperson'"'"'s sales team;

have previously worked with the selected prospect based on check-in history of other members of the traveling salesperson'"'"'s sales team;

are available to coordinate a sales effort event based on electronic calendars of other members of the traveling salesperson'"'"'s sales team; and

have skills required for coordinating the sales effort event based on work profiles of other members of the traveling salesperson'"'"'s sales team.

8. The method of claim 1, further including automatically providing location data for a set of nearby accounts or prospects covered by other members of traveling salesperson'"'"'s sales team.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions for providing real-time location based account information to a traveling salesperson, the instructions which when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform operations including:

automatically implementing a continuous tracking, by a location object server, of a plurality of reference locations of a plurality of traveling salespersons including a first traveling salesperson and a second traveling salesperson using a global position system (GPS) in communication with a plurality of devices including a device equipped with GPS sensor of the first traveling salesperson and a device equipped with GPS sensor of the second traveling salesperson;

identifying, using the location object server, location aware records relevant to the first traveling salesperson, proximate to a tracked reference location of the first traveling salesperson, wherein the location aware records specify at least account information of the traveling salespersons;

selecting by the location object server a traveling salesperson to direct to visit an account based upon which traveling salesperson visited the account in connection with accomplishing a sales cycle milestone in a sales cycle relating to the account based on a specified distance from the tracked reference location of the first traveling salesperson in combination with pre-assigned heuristics stored in a selection and priority rules database that take into account stages at which one or more accounts are in a traveling salesperson'"'"'s sale cycle applied to the tracked reference location of the first traveling salesperson and a tracked reference location of the second traveling salesperson, the pre-assigned heuristics including businesses that are accounts of the first and second traveling salespersons; and

receiving by the location object server over a network an interactive map provided by a location aware application hosted by a first database server and causing display, in a same page within a traveling salesperson'"'"'s customer relationship management (CRM) application hosted by a second database server distinct from the first database server, of the interactive map overlaid with active symbols that present at least near real time information related to a particular account based on a previous sales effort made by the traveling salesperson automatically generated by the location object server that represent at least some of the identified location aware records based on the combination of the specified distance and the pre-assigned heuristics, thereby preventing the traveling salesperson from;

using the device equipped with GPS receiver to access the interactive map outside the CRM application;

using the device equipped with GPS receiver to access the account information via the CRM application; and

based upon salesperson selection of an account, the selection received from the device of a salesperson, presenting information related to the selected account, including at least a selected account'"'"'s contact directory, selected account'"'"'s order history, interests expressed in products and services by the selected account, and time elapsed from a previous visit to the selected account.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, further including instructions that cause the processor to perform:

providing information related to a particular account based on a previous sales efforts made by the traveling salesperson, including at least;

location of the previous sales efforts;

date and time of the previous sales efforts;

names of attendees at the previous sales efforts; and

description of products or services to which the previous sales efforts was directed.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, further including instructions that cause the processor to perform:

automatically determining routes to propose to the traveling salesperson for visiting multiple selected accounts based on the specified distance from a reference location and the pre-assigned heuristics.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, further including instructions that cause the processor to perform:

filtering data provided for presenting the interactive map of a traveling salesperson'"'"'s accounts based on sales efforts, check-ins and locations of other members of a traveling salesperson'"'"'s sales team.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, further including instructions that cause the processor to perform:

using real-time tracking and busy-time analysis for recruiting support from other members of a traveling salesperson'"'"'s sales team.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, further including instructions that cause the processor to perform:

receiving details of a current sale activity using questionnaires, wherein responses to the questionnaires summarize the current sale activity.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, further including instructions that cause the processor to discover other members of a traveling salesperson'"'"'s sales team that:

have successfully worked with a selected prospect based on work history of other members of the traveling salesperson'"'"'s sales team;

have previously worked with the selected prospect based on check-in history of other members of the traveling salesperson'"'"'s sales team;

are available to coordinate a sales effort event based on electronic calendars of other members of the traveling salesperson'"'"'s sales team; and

have skills required for coordinating the sales effort event based on work profiles of other members of the traveling salesperson'"'"'s sales team.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, further including instructions that cause the processor to automatically provide location data for a set of nearby accounts or prospects covered by other members of traveling salesperson'"'"'s sales team.

17. A system for providing real-time location based account information to a traveling salesperson comprising:

a processor coupled to and a memory storing instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations including;

automatically implementing a continuous tracking, by a location object server, of a plurality of reference locations of a plurality of traveling salespersons including a first traveling salesperson and a second traveling salesperson using a global position system (GPS) in communication with a plurality of devices including a device equipped with GPS sensor of the first traveling salesperson and a device equipped with GPS sensor of the second traveling salesperson;

identifying, using the location object server, location aware records relevant to the first traveling salesperson, proximate to a tracked reference location of the first traveling salesperson, wherein the location aware records specify at least account information of the traveling salespersons;

selecting a traveling salesperson to direct to visit an account based upon which traveling salesperson visited the account in connection with accomplishing a sales cycle milestone in a sales cycle relating to the account based on a specified distance from the tracked reference location of the first traveling salesperson in combination with pre-assigned heuristics stored in a selection and priority rules database that take into account stages at which one or more accounts are in a traveling salesperson'"'"'s sale cycle applied to the tracked reference location of the first traveling salesperson and a tracked reference location of the second traveling salesperson, the pre-assigned heuristics including businesses that are accounts of the first and second traveling salespersons; and

receiving by the location object server over a network an interactive map provided by a location aware application hosted by a first database server and causing display, in a same page within a traveling salesperson'"'"'s customer relationship management (CRM) application hosted by a second database server distinct from the first database server, of the interactive map overlaid with active symbols that present at least near real time information related to a particular account based on a previous sales effort made by the traveling salesperson automatically generated by the location object server that represent at least some of the identified location aware records based on the combination of the specified distance and the pre-assigned heuristics, thereby preventing the traveling salesperson from;

using the device equipped with GPS receiver to access the interactive map outside the CRM application;

using the device equipped with GPS receiver to access the account information via the CRM application; and

based upon salesperson selection of an account, the selection received from the device of a salesperson, presenting information related to the selected account, including at least a selected account'"'"'s contact directory, selected account'"'"'s order history, interests expressed in products and services by the selected account, and time elapsed from a previous visit to the selected account.

18. The system of claim 17, further including instructions that cause the processor to discover other members of a traveling salesperson'"'"'s sales team that:

have successfully worked with a selected prospect based on work history of other members of the traveling salesperson'"'"'s sales team;

have previously worked with the selected prospect based on check-in history of other members of the traveling salesperson'"'"'s sales team;

are available to coordinate a sales effort event based on electronic calendars of other members of the traveling salesperson'"'"'s sales team; and

have skills required for coordinating the sales effort event based on work profiles of other members of the traveling salesperson'"'"'s sales team.

19. The system of claim 17, further including instructions that cause the processor to automatically determine routes to propose to the traveling salesperson for visiting multiple selected accounts based on the specified distance from a reference location and the pre-assigned heuristics.

20. The system of claim 17, further including instructions that cause the processor to filter data provided for presenting the interactive map of a traveling salesperson'"'"'s accounts based on sales efforts, check-ins and locations of other members of a traveling salesperson'"'"'s sales team.