Group offers for direct sales system employing networked mobile computing devices

Abstract

A method on a server for managing sales activities and group buying offers for a plurality of users over a communications network is disclosed. The method includes receiving sales transaction data from the users, receiving recruit enrollment data from the users, processing the sales transaction data and the recruit enrollment data to generate aggregate data pertaining to sales, transmitting the aggregate data to the users, receiving a group buying offer, transmitting the group buying offer to the users, receiving acceptances of the group buying offer, calculating a number of acceptances of the group buying offer, effectuating a sale of the product or service of the group buying offer to each of the users who accepted the offer, if the number of acceptances of the group buying offer is greater than a minimum number, and attributing a particular sale to a recruiter, so as to award a commission.

1 . A method on a server for managing sales activities and group buying offers for a plurality of users over a communications network, comprising:
 receiving sales transaction data from mobile computers of the plurality of users via the communications network;   receiving recruit enrollment data from the mobile computers via the communications network;   generating aggregate data pertaining to sales effectuated by each of the plurality of users and pertaining to sales effectuated by recruits of each of the plurality of users;   transmitting the aggregate data to the mobile computers of the plurality of users via the communications network;   receiving a group buying offer from an administrative user, wherein a group buying offer comprises at least a product or service description, a discount price, a minimum number of acceptances of the offer that are required to trigger the discount price and a defined geographical location;   determining which of the plurality of users are located in the defined geographical location, based on stored location data for each of the plurality of users;   transmitting the group buying offer to the mobile computers of the plurality of users that are located in the defined geographical location;   receiving acceptances of the group buying offer from the mobile computers of the plurality of users in the defined geographical location;   calculating a number of acceptances of the group buying offer;   effectuating a sale of the product or service of the group buying offer to each of the users who accepted the offer, if the number of acceptances of the group buying offer is greater than or equal to the minimum number of acceptances of the offer; and   attributing a particular sale of the product or service to a first user who recruited a buyer of the particular sale, so as to award a commission to the first user.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein sales transaction data includes at least one or more product identifiers, buyer contact information and electronic payment information. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein recruit enrollment data includes at least recruit contact information and electronic payment information. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein aggregate data pertaining to sales effectuated by a first user of the plurality of users comprises cumulative sales effectuated by the first user. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein aggregate data pertaining to sales effectuated by recruits of the first user comprises cumulative sales effectuated by recruits of the first user. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a group buying offer further comprises a time at which the group buying offer expires and a current number of acceptances of the group buying offer. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the step of transmitting the group buying offer further comprises:
 transmitting computer program code to the mobile computers of the plurality of users together with the group buying offer, wherein the computer program code comprises a countdown timer that counts down to the time at which the group buying offer expires.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of transmitting the group buying offer further comprises:
 transmitting the group buying offer to the mobile computers of a plurality of users having an age within a defined age range.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of transmitting the group buying offer further comprises:
 transmitting the group buying offer to the mobile computers of a plurality of users having attributes that match a given description for one or more of the following attributes: account status, age, sex, income range, marital status, previous buying behavior.   
     
     
         10 . A method performed by a mobile application executing on a mobile computer of a first user, the method for managing sales activities and group buying offers for the first user over a communications network, comprising:
 accepting sales transaction data entered by the first user via a graphical user interface of the mobile application on the mobile computer, responsive to a second user providing the sales transaction data to the first user, wherein the sales transaction data comprise at least one product identifier, an amount of product and electronic payment information for the second user, and wherein the mobile computer transmits the sales transaction data to a central server via the communications network;   accepting recruit enrollment data entered by the first user via the graphical user interface of the mobile application, responsive to the second user providing the recruit enrollment data to the first user, wherein the recruit enrollment data includes at least contact information for the second user, and wherein the mobile computer transmits the recruit enrollment data to the central server via the communications network;   receiving by the mobile computer from the central server, via the communications network, aggregate data representing cumulative sales effectuated by the first user and representing cumulative sales effectuated by the second user;   displaying the aggregate data for the first user on the graphical user interface of the mobile application of the mobile computer for the first user;   receiving by the mobile computer from the central server, via the communications network, a group buying offer, wherein a group buying offer comprises at least a product or service description, a discount price and a minimum number of acceptances of the offer that are required to trigger the discount price;   accepting an acceptance of the offer by the first user via the graphical user interface of the mobile application on the mobile computer;   transmitting an acceptance of the offer by the first user to the central server over the communications network; and   receiving by the mobile computer from the central server, via the communications network, a receipt for a sale of the product or service of the group buying offer, if the number of acceptances of the group buying offer is greater than or equal to the minimum number of acceptances of the offer.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein sales transaction data includes at least one or more product identifiers, buyer contact information and electronic payment information. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein recruit enrollment data includes at least recruit contact information and electronic payment information. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein aggregate data pertaining to sales effectuated by the first user comprises cumulative sales effectuated by the first user. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein aggregate data representing cumulative sales effectuated by recruits of the first user also comprises cumulative commissions of the first user. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein a group buying offer further comprises a time at which the group buying offer expires and a current number of acceptances of the group buying offer. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the step of receiving the group buying offer further comprises:
 receiving computer program code together with the group buying offer, wherein the computer program code comprises a countdown timer that counts down to the time at which the group buying offer expires.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising an additional step before the step of receiving the group buying offer, wherein the additional step comprises:
 transmitting a current location of the mobile computer of the first user to the central server over the communications network.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the step of receiving the group buying offer further comprises:
 receiving the group buying offer from the central server, wherein the group buying offer is received based on the current location of the mobile computer of the first user, wherein the current location is located within a predefined geographical area.   
     
     
         19 . A server for managing sales activities and group buying offers for a plurality of users utilizing mobile computers over a communications network, comprising:
 a memory storage;   a network connection device; and   a processing unit coupled to the memory storage, wherein the processing unit is configured for:
 receiving sales transaction data and recruit enrollment data from the plurality of mobile computers of the plurality of users via the communications network; 
 receiving social media update data from mobile computers of the plurality of users via the communications network; 
 generating aggregate data pertaining to sales effectuated by each of the plurality of users and pertaining to sales effectuated by recruits of each of the plurality of users; 
 transmitting the aggregate data and the social media update data to the mobile computers of the plurality of users via the communications network; 
 receiving a group buying offer from an administrative user, wherein a group buying offer comprises at least a product or service description, a discount price, a time at which the group buying offer expires and a minimum number of acceptances of the offer that are required to trigger the discount price; 
 transmitting the group buying offer to the mobile computers of the plurality of users; 
 receiving acceptances of the group buying offer from the mobile computers of the plurality of users; 
 calculating a number of acceptances of the group buying offer, which were received before the time at which the group buying offer expires; 
 effectuating a sale of the product or service of the group buying offer to each of the users who accepted the offer, if the number of acceptances of the group buying offer is greater than or equal to the minimum number of acceptances of the offer; and 
 attributing a particular sale of the product or service to a first user who recruited a buyer of the particular sale, so as to award a commission to the first user. 
   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the processing unit is further configured for:
 issuing a commission to the first user based on the at least one sale of the product or service.