Method and apparatus for network-based sales force automation

Abstract

A method and apparatus for network-based sales force automation are provided that meet objectives of increasing sales and marketing efficiency and efficiency of technical and customer support by providing multi-dimensional displays of transactional information to users. Transactional information of deals, contacts, accounts, and leads is provided over the Internet using a Web browser. The information of related transactions is electronically linked, and the transactional information is electronically searchable using custom profiles. The transactional information is accessed and shared among host organization members according to a hierarchy and predefined territories. A Radar Screen Opportunity Display (RSOD) may be selected on which deal objects are displayed that represent the stages in a sales pipeline of corresponding deals. New business information may be selected, wherein automatic notification is provided of new information and changed information relating to transactions, wherein the new business information comprises information on at least one monitored customer Web site. A communication capability is provided that comprises electronic mail, facsimile, telephones, and paging devices, wherein communication is automatically established using transactional information.

1 . A method comprising:
 providing, over a network, shared information regarding a transaction,
 wherein 
 the transaction comprises one or more deals, one or more contacts, and one or more accounts; 
   electronically linking information of first and second related transactions;   monitoring one or more network sites for new business information comprising at least one of new information and changed information; and   providing the new business information.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more monitored network sites comprise one or more of a prespecified web site and a web page associated with the transaction. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 polling the network to search for changes to prespecified web pages,
 wherein 
 said polling is conducted at a prespecified time. 
   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the new business information further comprises one or more of:
 an overview of changed information regarding a lead and the transaction;   new appointments and action items and corresponding electronic links; and   information regarding a new lead and a new transaction and corresponding electronic links.   
     
     
         5 . A method for managing at least one transaction comprising the steps of:
 providing shared information regarding the at least one transaction, wherein the at least one transaction comprises at least one deal, at least one contact, and at least one account, wherein the information of related transactions is electronically linked; and   providing new business information, wherein the new business information comprises changed information regarding the at least one deal, the at least one contact, and the at least one account, wherein the new business information comprises new information and changed information on at least one monitored network site, wherein the information regarding the at least one transaction and the new business information is provided over an internet using a protocol comprising Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP).   
     
     
         6 . A system comprising:
 a display device;   a processor, coupled to a network and the display device, and configured to
 provide shared information regarding a transaction, wherein
 the transaction comprises one or more deals, one or more contacts, and one or more accounts, 
 
 link information of a first and second related transaction, 
 provide new business information comprising new information and changed information on one or more monitored network sites, wherein the monitored network sites comprise at least one of a prespecified web site and a web page associated with the transaction. 
   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the processor is further configured to poll the network at a prespecified time to search for changes to prespecified web pages. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the new business information further comprises one or more of:
 an overview of changed information regarding a lead and the transaction;   new appointments and action items and corresponding electronic links; and   information regarding a new lead and a new transaction and corresponding electronic links.   
     
     
         9 . A system comprising:
 shared information regarding a transaction, wherein
 the shared information regarding the transaction comprises information regarding one or more deals, one or more contacts, and one or more accounts, 
 the shared information is shared according to a hierarchy and predefined territories, and 
   one or more links among related transactions;   a network coupled to the system, wherein
 the shared information is transmitted over the network, and 
 new business information comprising at least one of new information and changed information on one or more monitored network sites coupled to the network is provided, and 
 the one or more monitored network sites comprise one or more of a prespecified web site and a web page associated with the transaction. 
   
     
     
         10 . A computer readable medium comprising: a first set of instructions, executable in a processing system, configured to provide, over a network, shared information regarding a transaction, wherein
 the shared information regarding the transaction comprises information regarding one or more deals, one or more contacts, and one or more accounts;   a second set of instructions, executable in the processing system, configured to electronically link shared information regarding related transactions;   a third set of instructions, executable in the processing system, configured to monitor one or more network sites for new business information comprising at least one of new information and changed information; and   a fourth set of instructions, executable in the processing system, configured to provide the new business information.   
     
     
         11 . The computer readable medium of  claim 10  further comprising:
 a fifth set of instructions, executable in the processing system, configured to poll the network to search for changes to prespecified web pages,
 wherein 
 the polling is automatically conducted at a prespecified time. 
   
     
     
         12 . The computer readable medium of  claim 10 , wherein the new business information further comprises one or more of:
 an overview of changed information regarding a lead and the transaction;   new appointments and action items and corresponding electronic links; and   information regarding a new lead and a new transaction and corresponding electronic links.