DESC:LEAD MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD THEREFOR

Field of the invention:

The present invention relates generally to a customer management technology and more particularly, to a system and a method for a lead management.

Background of the invention:

A potential customer or a lead is an indispensable source of revenue and future growth for any business entity. A business owner receives many calls on his mobile phone including those of potential customers for his business.

Currently, the lead management depends on involvement of the business owner’s organizing capacity usually through a manual means. There are tools available that provide pre-defined templates for organizing the leads. However, current methods and the tools are not capable of auto-detecting and auto-organizing the leads on the mobile phone or on a web portal.

Accordingly, there is a need to provide a system and a method for a lead management that overcomes the above mentioned drawbacks of the prior art.

Object of the invention:

An object of the present invention is to identify potential leads and aggregate all conversation with the potential leads in one place.

Summary of the invention:

Accordingly, in one aspect, the present invention providesa lead management system. The lead management system comprises a mobile communication device, a server and a database. The mobile communication device is configured with a lead management module. The lead management module stores a list of sources. The lead management module is designed to inspect all incoming call numbers on the mobile communication device, auto-detect and auto-organize potential leads for a business. The server processes the instructions received from the mobile communication device. The database stores information about the sources and lead data.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a method for a lead management. At first step, the method for the lead management involves inspecting an incoming call number on the mobile communication device, by the lead management module, for determining whether the call number belongs to any one of a saved source, a third party source and an unknown source. Further, the method involves automatically creating a source name and a source number for the call belonging to the third party source and the unknown source by the lead management module. At next step, the method involves automatically sending a message by the server to an original number stored in the database. The message includes the lead name and the lead number for any one of including the saved source, the third party source and the unknown source. Furthermore, the method involves automatically saving the lead name and the lead number by the lead management module in the database.

Brief description of the drawings:

The objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent when the disclosure is read in conjunction with the following figures, wherein

Figure 1 shows a flowchart of a method for a lead management, in accordance with the present invention.

Detailed description of the embodiments:
The foregoing objects of the present invention are accomplished and the problems and shortcomings associated with the prior art, techniques and approaches are overcome by the present invention as described below in the preferred embodiments.

The present invention provides a system and a method for a lead management. The system and the method facilitate identification of potential leads and aggregate all conversation with the identified leads in one place thereby organizing / simplifying businesses that depend on the lead management.

The present invention is illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings, throughout which reference numbers indicate corresponding parts in the variousfigures. These reference numbers are shown in bracket in the following description.

In one aspect, the present invention provides a lead management system. The lead management system comprises a mobile communication device, a server and a database. The mobile communication device is configured with a lead management module. The lead management module stores a list of sources. The lead management module is designed to inspect all incoming call numbers on the mobile communication device, auto-detect and auto-organize potential leads for a business. The server processes the instructions received from the mobile communication device. The database stores information about the sources and lead data. In an embodiment, the mobile communication device is any physical mobile and more particularly, a smart phone.

Referring to figure 1, in another aspect, a method for a lead management in accordance with the present invention is illustrated. Specifically, the method is described in conjunction with the system of the present invention.

The method starts at the end of a call. In next step, the method involves checking a source of the call received. If the source of the call is not present in the list stored in the module then the system determines whether the call belongs to a personal number.

If the source of the call belongs to a number present in the list stored in the module then the server sends a message to an original number stored in the database. In case the number is present in the list stored in the module but does not belong to the source stored in the database then the number is designated as a third party source. The third party source is a source that allows the lead to make calls through a virtual number (source) without conveying his/her original number in the call. The source conventionally sends the message after the call ends informing the original number of the lead a user of the system. In an embodiment, the message can be in various formats including SMS (Simple Message Service), MMS, programmatic push notification through an API and like, but not limited thereto. When the message is received from the third party source stating the original number of the caller then the system determines whether that number is known to the user of the system. If the number is known to the user of the system and is in pre-configured list of “personal cluster”, then that number is designated as the personal number. In case of the personal number, the system does not take any action and the method comes to an end.

If number of the third party source is not known to the user of the system then the system performs a check of a contact book of the portable electronic device of the user. The check is performed using a set of keywords to determine whether the number is a saved personal contact or a saved source contact. The number when identified as the saved source contact then that number is automatically saved in the list stored in the module. If the number is not identified as the saved source contact then check is performed to determine whether the number belongs to an unknown source. In case of the unknown source, the system first determines whether the number belongs to the lead or to the source and waits for a message to be received from a server of the unknown source. If the message with a set of keywords and a phone number is received from the unknown source, then that information is automatically saved in the list stored in the module.

The user then decides whether the number is the personal number or the number of the lead. If the user identifies the number as personal number, the system tags that number as the personal number and does not take any actions upon receiving calls from this number in future. When the user identifies that the number belongs to the lead, the system asks the lead for rating thereof. If the user asks to ignore the number then the system does not take any action and don’t save that number anywhere. In case an ignored number calls again, the entire process is repeated.

When the lead numbers are identified, the system checks if the number is present in the contact book of the portable electronic device. If the number is present in the contact book of the portable electronic device, the system asks the user to like/dislike the lead. If the user likes the lead, then few more information about the lead is collected. If the user dislikes the lead, the system asks the user to choose a reason for dislike.

In an embodiment, many third party lead generating sources also provide shared leads. The third party lead generating source receives an inquiry from an inquirer and the information from the inquirer is then relayed to “n” number of businesses. The information from the inquirer is sent to the business owners through the message. In a preferred embodiment, the message can be in various formats including SMS (Simple Message Service), MMS, programmatic push notification through an API and like, but not limited thereto. The lead management system automatically sends the message to the inquirer whose details are mentioned in the message and provided with quotation from the business owner. The message also includes the details of the SME so that the inquirer can call the business owner if needed.

In another embodiment, a sales network can also be formed by using the lead management system. The sales network includes multiple sales agents that installthe lead management system and become part of the business network. By forming the sales network, the lead management system performs following functions:
a. The lead management system automatically assigns leads to the sales agent by bandwidth, proximity of inquirer
b. The lead management system automatically configures the route so that the sales agent meets maximum inquires in a day.
c. Automated quotation mechanism is configured so that all the lead management systems installed in the sales network of the business ownerscommunicate the same message to the inquirer.
d. The performance of the sales agents in the sales network is relayed over to the businessowner automatically.

Advantages of the invention:

1. The system and the method identify potential leads and aggregate all conversation with the potential leads in one place.
2. The system and the method save time and effort of a business owner required for managing the leads.
3. The system also intelligently routes the call to the most suitable sales agent so that the sales agent could get an organized view and convert the sale faster.

The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the present invention and its practical application, and to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the present invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is understood that various omissions and substitutions of equivalents are contemplated as circumstances may suggest or render expedient, but such omissions and substitutions are intended to cover the application or implementation without departing from the spirit or scope of the claims of the present invention.

,CLAIMS:We Claim:
1. A lead management system comprising:
a mobile communication device being configured with a lead management module, the lead management module being capable of storing a list of sources, inspecting all incoming call numbers on the mobile communication device, auto-detecting and auto-organizing potential leads for a business;
a serverbeing capable of processing the instructions received from the mobile communication device; and
a database being capable of storing information about sources and lead data.

2. The lead managementsystem as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mobile communication device is any physical mobile and more particularly, a smart phone.

3. A method for a lead management, the method comprising steps of:
inspectingan incoming call number on a mobile communication device, by a lead management module,for determining whether the call number belongs to any one of a saved source, a third party source andan unknown source;
automatically creating a source name and a source number for the call belonging to the third party source and the unknown source by the lead management module;
automatically sending a message by a serverto an original number stored in a database, the message including the lead name and the lead number for any one of including the saved source, the third party source and the unknown source; and
automatically saving the lead name and the lead number by the lead management modulein the database.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3 further involves checking whether the call belongs to a personal numberand ending the method if the source of the call is designated as the personal number.

5. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the third party source is a source that allows the lead to make calls through a virtual number (source) without conveying his/her original number in the call and sends a message after the call ends informing the original number of the lead.

6. The method as claimed in claim 3 further involves checking the number of the third party source in a contact book of the mobile communication device by using a set of keywords to determine whether the number is any one of a saved personal contact and a saved source contact.

7. The method as claimed in claim 3 furtherinvolves checking whether the number belongs to any one of the lead, the source and the unknown source and waiting for the message to be received from the server of the unknown source.

8. The method as claimed in claim 3 further involves asking the user to decide whether the number of the unknown source received from the server is any one of the personal number and the number of the lead.

9. The method as claimed in claim 3 further involves asking the user to rate the lead for collecting few more information about the lead if the user likes the lead and if the user dislikes the lead, then asking the user to choose a reason for dislike.

10. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the message can be in various formats including SMS (Simple Message Service), MMS, programmatic push notification through an API and like, but not limited thereto.