System and method for generating, capturing, and managing customer lead information over a computer network

Abstract

A customer lead management system that relates to a system and method for collecting and organizing customer-marketing data, which is then made available to business representatives to assess. Specifically, using a computer network and, data on a potential customer's Budget, Authority, Needs, Timeline, and other related customer lead data is collected. After this data is collected the customer lead management system stores the customer lead data and ranks the viability of the customer based on the interest level of the customer lead and other variable criteria. The resulting customer lead profile is then stored in a database. The customer lead data is then capable of being accessed via a computer network by various companies that have goods/services that satisfy the needs and requirements of the customer lead. A company representative can be automatically notified when a customer lead profile has been updated.

Having described the invention, what is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A system for managing customer lead information comprising: 
 a customer lead information database having a plurality of customer lead profile records;    a means for acquiring customer lead information from a customer lead;    a means for inputting the acquired customer lead information into the customer lead information database via at least one of an intranet and an internet;    a means for creating or updating a customer lead profile record based on the inputted customer lead information;    a means for determining a customer lead priority based on information in the customer lead profile record;    a means for adding the customer lead priority to the customer lead profile record;    a means for storing the customer lead profile record in the customer lead information data base; and    a means for distributing, via at least one of an intranet and an internet, an updated customer lead profile record.    
     
     
         2 . The system according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a means for automatically notifying at least one designated person when selected portions of a selected customer lead profile record changes.    
     
     
         3 . The system according to  claim 2 , wherein the means for automatically notifying at least one designated person when selected portions of a selected customer lead profile record changes comprises a means for e-mailing the at least one designated person.  
     
     
         4 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the means for acquiring customer lead information is selected from the group consisting of a customer needs feedback form to be completed by a customer lead and a lead management form to be completed by a company representative.  
     
     
         5 . The system according to  claim 4 , wherein the customer needs feedback form to be completed by a customer lead comprises at least one web page.  
     
     
         6 . The system according to  claim 4 , wherein the lead management form to be completed by a company representative comprises at least one web page.  
     
     
         7 . The system according to  claim 6 , wherein the means for inputting the acquired customer lead information comprises a means for entering information into the lead management form.  
     
     
         8 . The system according to  claim 7 , wherein the means for entering information into the lead management form comprises at least one of: a microcassette recorder; a portable computer with voice recognition software; a digital portable dictation system with voice recognition software, a hand-held electronic input device; a portable computer with network access; a business card scanner; a magnetic card reader; a bar code scanner; an identification card scanner; and a trade show badge scanner.  
     
     
         9 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the means for determining a customer lead priority comprises a means for analyzing the information in the customer lead profile record for information related to at least one of budget, authority, needs and time.  
     
     
         10 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the means for inputting the acquired customer lead information comprises at least one of: a microcassette recorder; a portable computer with voice recognition software; a digital portable dictation system with voice recognition software, a hand-held electronic input device; a portable computer with network access; a business card scanner; a magnetic card reader; a bar code scanner; an identification card scanner; and a trade show badge scanner.  
     
     
         11 . The system according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a means for responding to information requests from the customer lead.    
     
     
         12 . A system for managing customer lead information comprising: 
 a customer lead information database having a plurality of customer lead profile records;    a means for acquiring customer lead information from a customer lead, the means for acquiring customer lead information being selected from the group consisting of a customer needs feedback form to be completed by a customer lead and a lead management form to be completed by a company representative, the customer needs feedback form comprising at least one web page, the lead management form comprising at least one web page;    a means for inputting the acquired customer lead information into the customer lead information database via at least one of an intranet and an internet;    a means for creating or updating a customer lead profile record based on the inputted customer lead information;    a means for determining a customer lead priority based on information in the customer lead profile record;    a means for adding the customer lead priority to the customer lead profile record;    a means for storing the customer lead profile record in the customer lead information database;    a means for distributing, via at least one of an intranet and an internet, an updated customer lead profile record; and    a means for automatically notifying at least one designated person when selected portions of a selected customer lead profile record changes.    
     
     
         13 . The system according to  claim 12 , wherein the means for inputting the acquired customer lead information comprises at least one of: a microcassette recorder; a portable computer with voice recognition software; a digital portable dictation system with voice recognition software, a hand-held electronic input device; a portable computer with network access; a business card scanner; a magnetic card reader; a bar code scanner; an identification card scanner; and a trade show badge scanner.  
     
     
         14 . The system according to  claim 12 , wherein the means for automatically notifying at least one designated person when selected portions of a selected customer lead profile record changes comprises a means for e-mailing the at least one designated person.  
     
     
         15 . The system according to  claim 12 , wherein the means for determining a customer lead priority comprises a means for analyzing the information in the customer lead profile record for information related to at least one of budget, authority, needs and time.  
     
     
         16 . A method for managing customer lead information comprising the steps of: 
 providing a customer lead information database having a plurality of customer lead profile records;    acquiring customer lead information from a customer lead;    inputting the acquired customer lead information into the customer lead information database via at least one of an intranet and an internet;    creating or updating a customer lead profile record based on the inputted customer lead information;    determining a customer lead priority based on information in the customer lead profile record;    adding the customer lead priority to the customer lead profile record;    storing the customer lead profile record in the customer lead information database; and    distributing, via at least one of an intranet or an internet, an updated customer lead profile record.    
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16 , further comprising: 
 notifying at least one designated person when selected portions of a selected customer lead profile record changes.    
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the step of acquiring customer lead information comprises at least one of: 
 a customer entering information into a customer needs feedback form, the customer needs feedback form comprising at least one web page; and    a company representative entering information into a lead management form, the lead management form comprising at least one web page.    
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 18 , wherein the step of entering information into a lead management form comprises at least one of: 
 recording customer lead information with a microcassette recorder;    recording customer lead information with a portable computer having voice recognition software;    recording customer lead information with a digital portable dictation system having voice recognition software;    entering customer lead information on a hand-held electronic input device;    entering customer lead information on a portable computer with network access;    scanning customer lead information with a business card scanner;    scanning customer lead information with a magnetic card reader;    scanning customer lead information with a bar code scanner;    scanning customer lead information with an identification card scanner; and    scanning customer lead information with a trade show badge scanner.    
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the step of determining the lead priority comprises: 
 selecting at least one of budget related, authority related, needs related and timing related information from the customer lead information; and    analyzing the selected information.