Patent Application
20090112681
The present invention relates to establishing a connection in general. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and system for establishing a connection between a user and a sales agent.
Today, the Internet is used as a medium for conducting commercial activities such as online transactions and the sale of products and services. Examples of websites on the Internet that are used for the sale of products and services include Yahoo®, Amazon®, and the like. Examples of services offered over the Internet include insurance services, booking of tickets, and the like.
Over the years, websites that handle online sales have become increasingly efficient and easy to use. However, frequently online sales are not completed or are abandoned midway because the user either does not have enough information or is confused by too much information. At such times, it is necessary to add the human touch, wherein a salesperson can talk to users and suggest the product or service that would suit them the best. This approach is especially important for the online sale of services such as insurance plans.
Online sales are primarily dependent on the interaction between users and the website. During an online sale, users may often call a toll-free number or a call center to explain their needs and preferences. Such calls may then be transferred to the appropriate person, where they would be required to repeat their needs and preferences. Further, when a user initiates a call, the person who responds to it first is generally not a salesperson. Consequently, this person is not able to help the user by answering questions and providing the information required. This results in the customer losing interest in the online sale and consequently being dissatisfied.
Similarly, salespersons often receive calls from users, whom they cannot service. Call centers often connect users to salespersons whose service they are not interested in. For example, a call center may connect a user to a health insurance salesperson when the user is interested in auto insurance. A salesperson may also receive calls from users about services, which can easily be serviced through self-help services or the website. Such calls are unproductive and result in loss of time and efficiency. As a result, salespersons' billing may become skewed and they may have to end up paying for calls that have not resulted in any business transaction being concluded.
Hence, there is a need for a method for establishing a connection between a user and a salesperson, wherein the user is connected directly to the salesperson providing a service the user is interested in. There is also the need to add a human touch to online sales, reduce the number of false calls received by a salesperson, and improve the billing system for leads generated. Such a method would improve users' satisfaction and the productivity of salespersons.
An object of the present invention is to provide a method and system for establishing a telephone connection between a sales agent and a user.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and system for directing a sales lead to a selected sales agent, the selected sales agent being selected on the basis of a bid price method.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and system for the billing of the sales agent connected to the user.
To achieve the foregoing objectives, the present invention describes a method and system for establishing a connection between the user and the sales agent by a lead generator comprising a database of one or more sales agents. These one or more sales agents register with the lead generator. The registration comprises providing an exclusive lead price, a shared lead price and a first phone number corresponding to each of the one or more sales agents. When the user enters the second phone number on the one or more websites present on an Internet form, the lead generator selects at least one of the one or more sales agents, based on an exclusive lead value index and a shared lead value index. The exclusive lead value index is based on the exclusive lead price and the shared lead value index on the shared lead price. Thereafter, the at least one selected sales agent is connected to the user and a connection is established between the first and second phone numbers.
The present invention provides a method and system for establishing a connection between the user and the sales agent based on the services-of-interest of the user. This helps in reducing the number of false calls that a sales agent and a user have to go through using the existing systems. Further, as the system connects the user with the sales agent based on the services-of-interest, the chances of successful conversion of a lead also increases. Furthermore, the method is automated and does not require manual intervention to establish the connection. The invention also provides a simplified billing system for sales agents.
The preferred embodiments of the invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings, provided to illustrate and not to limit the invention, wherein like designations denote like elements, and in which:
The present invention illustrates a method and system for connecting a user with a sales agent. Specifically, the invention aims at connecting the user with the sales agent by a lead generator. This lead generator includes a database of one or more sales agents, and the connection is established between a first phone number and a second phone number.
The invention includes registering the one or more sales agents with the lead generator. The registration of the one or more sales agents includes providing the first phone number, an exclusive lead price and a shared lead price. The user enters the second phone number on an Internet form on one or more websites. The Internet form is maintained by the lead generator. On the user entering the second phone number, the lead generator selects at least one of the one or more sales agents, on the basis of an exclusive lead value index and a shared lead value index. The exclusive lead value index is based on the exclusive lead price, and the shared lead value index on the shared lead price. After the selection of the at least one sales agent, a connection is established between the selected at least one sales agent and the user.
User 102 enters a second phone number on one or more websites on Internet form 104. The second phone number corresponds to user 102. Internet form 104 is maintained by lead generator 106, which includes a record and a first phone number corresponding to each of the one or more sales agents. When the user enters the second phone number on the one or more websites on Internet form 104, lead generator 106 selects at least one of the one or more sales agents. Thereafter, connecting module 108 establishes a connection between user 102 and sales agent 114 from the selected at least one sales agent. Subsequently, in various embodiments of the present invention, message generating module 110 sends an introductory message to sales agent 114 which includes information pertaining to user 102.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the introductory message may be a voice message, which may be voice-transcription information, based on one or more services-of-interest to user 102. The voice message may include information on the demographic profile of user 102, a sponsored message from a product provider, and the like. The product provider provides the voice message, based on the one or more services of interest to user 102.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the introductory message may be transmitted through an electronic channel. Examples of electronic channels include and are not limited to Short Messaging Service (SMS), email, and the like.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, the introductory message may be transmitted in parallel when the connection between user 102 and sales agent 114 is established.
Subsequently, billing module 112 bills sales agent 114 when a connection is established between user 104 and sales agent 114. The billing of sales agent 114 is based on various factors. Examples of these factors, which affect billing, include the length of the call, the demographic profile of user 102, the geographic location of user 102, the one or more services of interest of user 102, and the frequency and volume of usage of lead generator 106 by sales agent 114.
The exclusive lead price is a bid price provided by the one or more sales agents for an exclusive assignment of a lead. The shared lead price is a bid price provided by the one or more sales agents for the shared assignment of the lead. Further, database 202 includes records of a first shared lead price index, a manual rating, a lead return rate, and a lead price weight corresponding to each of the one or more sales agents. The first shared lead price index is described in detail in conjunction with
The lead return rate is the ratio between the lead flow that has been returned, or has been unsuccessful, to the total number of lead flow received, corresponding to each of the one or more sales agents. The lead return rate can be defined by equation 1:
Lead return rate=(number of unsuccessful leads)/(total number of lead flow) (1)
Furthermore, database 202 includes records of a minimum shared price, a maximum shared price and a total shared price corresponding to the one or more sales agents. The minimum shared price is the minimum value of the shared lead prices corresponding to the one or more sales agents. The maximum shared price is the maximum value of the shared lead prices corresponding to the one or more sales agents. The total shared lead price is the sum of all the shared lead prices corresponding to the one or more sales agents.
Selecting module 204 selects at least one of the one or more sales agents. To make the selection, selecting module 204 calculates a second shared lead price index, an exclusive lead price index, a broker rating index, a shared lead value index, and an exclusive lead value index. The second shared lead price index is based on the first shared lead price index and the lead price weight is defined by equation 2:
Second shared lead price index=(first shared lead price index)*(lead price weight) (2)
The exclusive lead price index is based on the exclusive lead price and the lead price weight and is defined by equation 3:
Exclusive lead price index=(exclusive lead price)*(lead price weight) (3)
The broker rating index is based on the manual rating and the lead return rate is defined by equation 4:
Broker rating index=(manual rating)*(10)*(1*(1−(lead return rate)/100)) (4)
The shared lead value index is based on the second shared lead price index and the broker rating index is defined by equation 5:
Shared lead value index=(second shared lead price index)+(broker rating index) (5)
The exclusive lead value index is based on the exclusive lead price and the broker rating index is defined by equation 6:
Exclusive lead value index=(exclusive lead price index)+(broker rating index) (6)
Subsequently, selecting module 204 selects at least one of the one or more sales agents, based on the shared lead value index and the exclusive lead value index. Thereafter, the selected sales agent, such as sales agent 114 in
Subsequently, calculating module 304 calculates the shared lead value index, the exclusive lead value index, the second shared lead price index, the exclusive lead price index and the broker rating index of the first set of sales agents. Subsequently, second selecting module 306 selects the highest exclusive lead value index and the highest shared lead value index that correspond to the first set of sales agents. Thereafter, comparator 308 compares the highest exclusive lead value index and the highest shared lead value index of each of the first set of sales agents. In an embodiment of the present invention, if the highest exclusive lead value index is greater than the highest shared lead value index, third selecting module 310 selects one sales agent with the highest exclusive lead value index from the one or more sales agents. In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, if there is more than one sales agent with the same highest exclusive lead value index, the lead is directed randomly to one of these sales agents.
In an embodiment of the present invention, third selecting module 310 selects a second set of one or more sales agents from the first set of sales agents if the highest exclusive lead value index is less than the highest shared lead value index. The sales agent from the second set of sales agents, who responds to the call first is connected to user 102.
In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, the second set of sales agents includes the sales agents from the first set of sales agents, who have been selected on the basis of their pre-defined threshold lead return rate. The pre-defined threshold lead return rate, which corresponds to the lowest and highest lead return rates, is entered in database 202.
In accordance with yet another embodiment of the invention, the second set of sales agents is equal to the first set of sales agents when each of the sales agents of the first set of sales agents has a lead return rate that is below the pre-defined threshold lead return rate.
At step.404, user 102 enters the second phone number on one or more websites. The second phone number is a number that corresponds to user 102. The one or more websites are present on Internet form 104, which is maintained by lead generator 106. Thereafter, at step 406, at least one of the sales agents, such as sales agent 114, is selected by lead generator 106, based on the bid price method. The bid price method is discussed in detail in
The lead return rate is the ratio between the lead flow that has been returned, or has been unsuccessful, and the total number of lead flows received that corresponds to each of the sales agents. Mathematically, it can be defined by the equation 1:
Lead return rate=(number of unsuccessful leads)/(total number of lead flow) (1)
At step 508, the minimum, maximum and total shared price is determined for each of the sales agents. The minimum shared price is the minimum value of the shared lead price corresponding to the sales agents. The maximum shared price is the maximum value of the shared lead price corresponding to the one or more sales agents. The total shared lead price is the sum of all the shared lead prices corresponding to the sales agents. Thereafter, at step 510, at least one of the one or more sales agents is selected, based on the bid price method. At step 512, the selected sales agent is connected to user 102.
Thereafter, at step 604, lead generator 106 calculates the second shared lead price index, the exclusive lead price index and the broker rating index corresponding to each of the first set of sales agents. The second shared lead price index is based on the first shared lead price index and the lead price weight and is defined by the equation 2:
Second shared lead price index=(first shared lead price index)*(lead price weight) (2)
The exclusive lead price index is based on the exclusive lead price and the lead price weight and is defined by the equation 3:
Exclusive lead price index=(exclusive lead price)*(lead price weight) (3)
The broker rating index is based on the manual rating and the lead return rate and is defined by the equation 4:
Broker rating index=(manual rating)*(10)*(1−(lead return rate)/100) (4)
At step 606, the shared lead value index and the exclusive lead value index corresponding to each of the first set of sales agents are calculated. The shared lead value index (SLVI) is based on the second shared lead price index and the broker rating index and is defined by the equation 5:
Shared lead value index=(second shared lead price index)+(broker rating index) (5)
The exclusive lead value index (ELVI) is based on the exclusive lead price and the broker rating index and is defined by the equation 6:
Exclusive lead value index=(exclusive lead price index)+(broker rating index) (6)
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the second shared lead price index, the exclusive lead price index, the broker rating index, the SLVI, and the ELVI corresponding to all the sales agents are calculated by lead generator 106.
Subsequently, at step 608, the highest ELVI and the highest value of SLVI are selected from the first set of sales agents. The highest ELVI and highest SLVI selected are compared at step 610. In an embodiment of the present invention, if the highest ELVI is higher than the highest SLVI, one sales agent from the first set of sales agents with the highest ELVI is selected at step 612.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, if there is a single sales agent with the highest exclusive lead value index, the lead is directed to that sales agent.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, if there is a plurality of sales agents with the highest exclusive lead value index, the lead is directed randomly to one of the plurality of sales agents with the highest exclusive lead value index.
However, in another embodiment of the present invention, if the highest exclusive lead value index is less than the highest shared lead value index, the lead is directed to the second set of sales agents, who are selected from the first set of the sales agents, as shown at step 614. The sales agent among the second set of sales agents who responds to the call first is connected to user 102.
In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the second set of sales agents includes a set of sales agents from the first set of sales agents who have been selected on the basis of a pre-defined threshold lead return rate. The pre-defined threshold lead return rate, which corresponds to the lowest and highest lead return rate, is entered in database 202.
In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the second set of sales agents is equal to the first set of sales agents when each of the sales agents of the first set of sales agents has a lead return rate that is below the pre-defined threshold lead return rate.
In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, lead generator 106 includes the records of three sales agents with the sales agent ID of 732, 738 and 731. Table 1 shows the shared lead price, the exclusive lead price, the manual rating, the lead return and the lead price weight that corresponds to each of the three sales agents. The first shared lead price that corresponds to each of the three sales agents is determined. Similarly, the minimum, maximum and total shared price is determined corresponds to the three sales agents.
As shown in Table 2, the second shared lead price index, the exclusive lead price index, the broker rating index, the shared lead value index and the exclusive lead value index are calculated correspond to each of the three sales agents. The highest exclusive lead value index is more than the highest shared lead value index. Therefore, the lead is directed to the sales agent with the ID 732, who has the highest exclusive lead value index.
In accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, lead generator 106 includes the records of two sales agents with sales agent IDs of 790 and 798, respectively. Table 3 shows the shared lead price, the exclusive lead price, the manual rating, the lead return and the lead price weight which correspond to each of the two sales agents. The first shared lead price is determined and corresponds to each of the two sales agents. The minimum shared price, the maximum shared price and the total shared price is determined corresponding to the two sales agents.
As shown in Table 4, the second shared lead price index, the exclusive lead price index, the broker rating index, the shared lead value index and the exclusive lead value index are calculated for both the sales agents. The highest shared lead value index is greater than the highest exclusive lead value index; therefore, the lead is shared among the sales agents with the IDs 790 and 798.
In accordance with yet another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the lead generator includes the records of five sales agents with the sales agent IDs 792, 794, 788, 796 and 786, respectively. Table 5 shows the shared lead price, the exclusive lead price, the manual rating, the lead return and the lead price weight which correspond to each of the five sales agents that corresponds to the five sales agents. A set of four sales agents with the IDs 792, 794, 788 and 796 is chosen, based on the shared lead price. The minimum, maximum and total shared price is determined and corresponds to the set of four sales agents.
As shown in Table 6, the second shared lead price index, the exclusive lead price index, the broker rating index, the shared lead value index and the exclusive lead value index are calculated corresponding to each of the five sales agents. The highest shared lead value index is greater than the highest exclusive lead value index; therefore, the lead is shared among the set of four sales agents with the IDs 792, 794, 788 and 796.
First shared lead price index=(total shared price)−(minimum shared price)+(shared lead price) (7)
In accordance with various embodiments of the invention, the registration of the one or more sales agents includes maintaining the current status of the one or more sales agents. These one or more sales agents may select their status as ‘active’, ‘suspended’, ‘capped’ or ‘cancelled’. The sales agents of the one or more sales agents with the ‘active’ status are considered for the bid price algorithm, while those with the ‘cancelled’ status are not considered for the bid price algorithm. Further, the one or more sales agents may choose not to be considered for the bid price algorithm temporarily by opting for a ‘suspended’ status. Moreover, the one or more sales agents may have a ‘capped’ status if they choose to be considered for a fixed number of leads. For example, a sales agent who wants to receive a lead during a particular time of the day may choose to have a ‘suspended’ status for the remaining portion of the day. A sales agent who wants to receive a fixed number of leads during the day may choose to have a ‘capped’ status after receiving the fixed number of leads during the day.
In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the lead may be assigned to one or more sales agents through a referral system or an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system.
The present invention described above has a number of advantages. The method and system provide the functionality of establishing a connection between the user and the sales agent based on the services-of-interest of the user. This helps in reducing the number of false calls that a sales agent and a user have to go through using the existing systems. Further, as the system connects the user with the sales agent based on the services-of-interest, the chances of successful conversion of a lead also increases. Furthermore, the method is automated and does not require manual intervention to establish the connection. The invention also provides a simplified billing system for sales agents.
The present invention can be implemented in a variety of computer languages such as Java, C, C++, Perl, Python, LISP, BASIC, assembly, etc. The implementation of the present invention does not require any specific platform. Any platform that can provide means of support for simple arrays and associative arrays may be used. A few examples of such platforms are Windows™, Linux and Unix™.
The computer program product of the invention is executable on a computer system for causing the computer system to perform a method of video encoding including a motion estimation method of the present invention. The computer system includes a microprocessor, an input device, a display unit and an interface to the Internet. The microprocessor is connected to a communication bus. The computer also includes a memory. The memory may include Random Access Memory (RAM) and Read Only Memory (ROM). The computer system further comprises a storage device. The storage device can be a hard disk drive or a removable storage drive such as a floppy disk drive, optical disk drive, etc. The storage device can also be other similar means for loading computer programs or other instructions into the computer system. The computer system also includes a communication unit. The communication unit allows the computer to connect to other databases and the Internet through an I/O interface. The communication unit allows the transfer as well as reception of data from other databases. The communication unit may include a modem, an Ethernet card, or any similar device which enables the computer system to connect to databases and networks such as LAN, MAN, WAN and the Internet. The computer system facilitates inputs from a user through input device, accessible to the system through I/O interface.
The computer system executes a set of instructions that are stored in one or more storage elements, in order to process input data. The set of instructions may be a program instruction means. The storage elements may also hold data or other information as desired. The storage element may be in the form of an information source or a physical memory element present in the processing machine.
The set of instructions may include various commands that instruct the processing machine to perform specific tasks such as the steps that constitute the method of the present invention. The set of instructions may be in the form of a software program. Further, the software may be in the form of a collection of separate programs, a program module with a larger program or a portion of a program module, as in the present invention. The software may also include modular programming in the form of object-oriented programming. The processing of input data by the processing machine may be in response to user commands, results of previous processing or a request made by another processing machine.
While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it will be clear that the invention is not limited to these embodiments only. Numerous modifications, changes, variations, substitutions and equivalents will be apparent to those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as described in the claims.
