Monday 11 August 2014

Method of selling product online and computer product  :-
ABSTRACT  :-
Information regarding non-sellable products for each store is stored in a database. The non-sellable product is a product that cannot be sold at that particular store. If a purchaser selects a non-sellable product from a catalog of a store, then the purchaser is introduced to another store in which the same product is a sellable product.

CLAIMs  :-
What is claimed is:
1. A method of selling products online by a plurality of stores based on a product catalog that comprises information on a plurality of products, the method comprising:
managing information regarding non-sellable products for each store, the non-sellable product being a product that cannot be sold at that particular store; and
when a purchaser selects a non-sellable product from the catalog of one store, introducing the purchaser to another store in which the product selected by the purchaser is a sellable product.
2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising updating the information regarding the non-sellable products for each store using selection of a product from the catalog by the purchaser as a trigger.
3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising managing information regarding stock shortage products for each store, the stock shortage product being a product that is out of stock in one particular store but that is available in another store,
wherein the purchaser is introducing to the another store based on the information regarding the stock shortage products.
4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising updating the information regarding the stock shortage products for each store using selection of a product from the catalog by the purchaser as a trigger.
5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising payment of fee by the another store to which the purchaser has been introduced to the store from whose catalog the purchaser has selected the non-sellable product.
6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:
placing an order for the non-sellable product that has been selected by the purchaser to a manufacturer; and
selecting one step out of the step of placing the order to the manufacturer and the step of introducing the purchaser to another store.
7. A method of selling products online by a plurality of stores based on a product catalog that comprises information on a plurality of products, the method comprising:
managing information regarding non-sellable products for each store, the non-sellable product being a product that cannot be sold at that particular store; and
when a purchaser selects a non-sellable product from the catalog of one store, performing a shipment processing of shipping the product selected by the purchaser from another store in which the product selected by the purchaser is a sellable product.
8. The method according to claim 7, comprising managing information regarding stock shortage products for each store, the stock shortage product being a product that is out of stock in one particular store but that is available in another store,
wherein the product is shipped from the another store based on the information regarding the stock shortage products.
9. A computer program containing instruction for executing a method of selling products online by a plurality of stores based on a product catalog that comprises information on a plurality of products, the computer program enabling a computer to function as:
a management unit which manages information regarding non-sellable products for each store, the non-sellable product being a product that cannot be sold at that particular store; and
an introduction unit which, when a purchaser selects a non-sellable product from the catalog of one store, introduces the purchaser to another store in which the product selected by the purchaser is a sellable product.
10. A computer program containing instruction for executing a method of selling products online by a plurality of stores based on a product catalog that comprises information on a plurality of products, the computer program enabling a computer to function as:
a management unit which manages information regarding non-sellable products for each store, the non-sellable product being a product that cannot be sold at that particular store; and
a shipment unit which, when a purchaser selects a non-sellable product from the catalog of one store, performs a shipment processing of shipping the product selected by the purchaser from another store in which the product selected by the purchaser is a sellable product.

DESCRIPTION :-
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a method of selling products online at a plurality of stores based on a product catalog formed from information on a plurality of products. More particularly, this invention relates to increasing the convenience for a purchaser and increase sales of products.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002]FIG. 28 is a block diagram which shows the structure of a conventional product sales system. As shown in FIG. 28, a product catalog server 10 is connected to a network 20. The product catalog server 10 provides a plurality of consumers on the network 20 with a product catalog, which is a collection of product release information from the respective manufacturers about a plurality of products, via a product catalog site 11.
[0003] A product catalog information database 12 stores product catalog information consisting of the product identification number, product name, manufacturer name, manufacturer code, price, date of sale, and the like for the plurality of products making up the product catalog.
[0004] Each one of store servers 30 1 to 30 n is operated by stores A to N. Products advertised in the product catalog are sold to consumers via store sites31 1 to 31 n. The stores A to N are independent stores that do not belong to the same management organization and are partner stores in the product catalog site11.
[0005] A point that needs to be noted is that not all the products advertised in the product catalog are always kept in stock in all of the stores A to N. Namely, the product catalog is created based on product release information provided by a plurality of manufacturers regardless of whether or not a particular store has dealings with a particular manufacturer.
[0006] Therefore, a state in which a store has no stock of the product of a manufacturer with which the store has no dealings frequently arises. Because of this, a state arises in which a particular product can be sold by one store (because the product is held in stock), while the same product cannot be sold by another store (because the product is not held in stock).
[0007] Each of the consumer clients 40 1 to 40 m is connected to the network 200and is located on the side of the m number of consumers. Each of the consumer clients 40 1 to 40 m is used to purchase products online from any one of the stores A to N, via any one of the store sites 31 1 to 31 n and the product catalog site 11.
[0008] In the above described structure, if the consumer client 40 1 accesses the store server 30 1 (i.e., the store site 31 1), the store server 30 1 displays on the consumer client 40 1 the search menu screen 50 shown in FIG. 29. Here, if “product search” is clicked on the search menu screen 50, the store server 30 1causes the link destination of the consumer client 40 1 to jump to the product catalog site 11.
[0009] As a result, the product catalog server 10 displays the search screen 51 (a specific example of this is the search screen 59 shown in FIG. 30) on the consumer client 40 1. This search screen 51 is used to search a product catalog information database 12 (i.e., a product catalog) using the product name or the like as a search key. When a search button 52 is pressed after a search key has been input, the product catalog server 10 searches the product catalog information database 12 on the basis of the search key, and displays a search result screen 53 (a specific example of this is the search result screen 60 shown in FIG. 30) on the consumer client 40 1.
[0010] A list of products (product A, product B, and product C) is displayed as a result of the search on the search result screen 53. If a product being ordered is selected by the consumer from among the list of products, the product catalog server 10 displays an order screen 54 (a specific example of which is the order screen 61 shown in FIG. 30) on the consumer client 40 1. This order screen 54 is used to order selected products.
[0011] When the order button 55 is pressed, the product catalog server 10 makes an enquiry to the store server 30 1 as to whether or not the relevant product is kept in stock by the store A. If the product is kept in stock, a purchase screen 56(a specific example of which is the purchase screen 62 shown in FIG. 30) is displayed on the consumer client 40 1. The purchase screen 56 is used for the actual online purchase of the product.
[0012] If the purchase button 57 is pressed, the product catalog server 10 notifies the store site 31 1 of the consumer information and information on the product being purchased. As a result, processing to receive payment of the purchase fee and processing to deliver the product are performed in the store A.
[0013] If, however, the product ordered on the order screen 54 is not kept in stock by the store A, the product catalog server displays a not in stock screen 58 (a specific example of which is the not in stock screen 63 shown in FIG. 30) that includes an apology for the fact that the product is not kept in stock on the consumer client 40 1. Consequently, after confirming that the product cannot be obtained from the store A, the consumer begins the search again so as to make the purchase by another route by accessing another store server.
[0014] As has been described above, in a conventional product sales system, not all of the products corresponding to product catalog information database 12 shown in FIG. 28 can be sold by all of the stores A to N.
[0015] Therefore, when a product is not held in stock at a particular store, even if the consumer goes ahead and makes an order on the order screen 54 shown in FIG. 29, the purchase cannot be made and the not in stock screen 58 is displayed. Therefore, the problems arise of many claims being made by purchasers and of this purchasing system not being convenient for purchasers.
[0016] Because the store is also losing out on an excellent sales opportunity, this system is extremely disadvantageous from the viewpoint of a plurality of stores as it does nothing to promote increased product sales.
[0017] It is an object of this invention to provide a method of selling product and a computer product that increase the convenience for a purchaser and increase sales of products.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0018] According to one aspect of the present invention, products are sold online by a plurality of stores based on a product catalog that comprises information on a plurality of products. Information regarding non-sellable products for each store is managed. The non-sellable product is a product that cannot be sold (for example, because it is sold out) at that particular store. If a purchaser selects a product that is non-sellable in one store then the purchaser is introduced to another store in which that product is a sellable product.
[0019] According to another aspect of the present invention, products are sold online by a plurality of stores based on a product catalog that comprises information on a plurality of products. Information regarding non-sellable products for each store is managed. The non-sellable product is a product that cannot be sold (for example, because it is sold out) at that particular store. If a purchaser selects a product that is non-sellable in one store then that product is shipped from another store in which that product is a sellable product.
[0020] Other objects and features of this invention will become apparent from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings.

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          Rich media personal selling system
ABSTRACT :-

The present invention provides a system and method for providing a sales professional with the ability to create and tailor web-sites comprising rich media content for a potential customer. In this manner a potential customer is presented with a personalised sales message thereby possibly increasing the potential for a sale. The present invention provides an end-to-end integrated system enabling this procedure. Initially, the system enables the obtaining of information relating to potential customers (end users) who may be directed to a personalised sales web-site. Using this collected information and previously collected customer information from other sources or previous interactions, the system creates and directs a potential customer to a personalized web-site for the particular sales campaign. During a customer's interaction with the personalized sales web-site, information relating to this customer is additionally collected and stored within the system enabling the system to personalize future sales campaigns directed to this particular customer. Optionally, the system may also be used in a web-conference, simplifying the experience of rich media and posting progress on the personalised sales web-site, thereby potentially enabling other members of the sales team to be aware of client interactions through the access of this personalised sales web-site.

CLAIMS(18)
1. A method for generating a personalised sales web-site for an end user, said method comprising the steps of:
a) generating a custom web-site for a particular sales campaign, said custom web-site enabling electronic access by the end user;
b) collecting and storing one or more first events, said first events defining the end user's interaction with the custom web-site;
c) generating a personalised sales web-site, said personalised sales web-site being a web-site created according to parameters based on the collected first events and the particular sales campaign;
d) sending a message including an identifier to the end user, said identifier enabling the end user to locate the personalised sales web-site, the end user subsequently being able to electronically access the personalised sales web-site; and
e) collecting and storing one or more second events, said second events defining the end user's interaction with the personalised sales web-site;
wherein the collected and stored first and second events can be used to generate a second personalised sales web-site.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the custom web-site or the personalised sales web-site or both, comprise rich media content.
3. The method according to claim 1, wherein end user interaction with the custom web-site and the personalised sales web-site occurs via a global communication network.
4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the global communication network is the Internet.
5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the identifier is a hyperlink.
6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the end user is identified by an email address or other personal identifier.
7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said first events further comprise personal end user information.
8. A system for generating a personalised sales web-site for an end user, said system comprising:
a) means for generating a custom web-site for a particular sales campaign, said custom web-site enabling electronic access by the end user;
b) means for collecting and storing one or more first events, said first events defining the end user's interaction with the custom web-site;
c) means for generating a personalised sales web-site, said personalised sales web-site being a web-site created according to parameters based on the collected first events and the particular sales campaign;
d) means for sending a message including an identifier to the end user, said identifier enabling the end user to locate the personalised sales web-site, the end user subsequently being able to electronically access the personalised sales web-site; and
e) means for collecting and storing one or more second events, said second events defining the end user's interaction with the personalised sales web-site;
wherein the collected and stored first and second events can be used to generate a second personalised sales web-site.
9. The system according to claim 8, wherein a central relationship system provides a means for storing said first and second events.
10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the central relationship system provides means for identifying an appropriate end user for the particular sales campaign.
11.The system according to claim 8, wherein the means for sending is a streaming system that provide for the transmission of information to the end user via a global communication network.
12. The system according to claim 11 wherein the global communication network is the Internet.
13. The system according to claim 8, further comprising a web conferencing system thereby enabling a personal remote interaction between a sales professional and the end user.
14. The system according to claim 8, wherein the end user is identified by a personal identifier.
15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the personal identifier is an email address.
16. The system according to claim 8, wherein the identifier is a hyperlink.
17. The system according to claim 8, wherein the custom web-site or the personalised web-site or both comprise interactive components, said interactive components enabling integration of personalised information into the web-site prior to viewing by the end user.
18. A computer readable medium containing program instructions for execution on a computer system, which when executed by the computer system causes the computer system to perform method steps for delivering, via a global communication network, a personalised sales web-site to an end user, said method comprising the steps of:
a) generating a custom web-site for a particular sales campaign, said custom web-site enabling electronic access by the end user;
b) collecting and storing one or more first events, said first events defining the end user's interaction with the custom web-site;
c) generating a personalised sales web-site, said personalised sales web-site being a web-site created according to parameters based on the collected first events and the particular sales campaign;
d) sending a message including an identifier to the end user, said identifier enabling the end user to locate the personalised sales web-site, the end user subsequently being able to electronically access the personalised sales web-site; and
e) collecting and storing one or more second events, said second events defining the end user's interaction with the personalised sales web-site;
wherein the collected and stored first and second events can be used to generate a second personalised sales web-site.




DESCRIPTION :-
FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention pertains to the field of selling systems, in particular to selling systems incorporating rich media.

BACKGROUND :- 

Communication systems for interacting with clients personally have dramatically changed time-intensive aspects of a sales professional's job. Email allows a sales person to interact personally with a client, without travel. Digital video systems allow a sales person to create simple video messages for clients. Sales automation and customer-relationship management software integrate documents and information into the sales process. Web demonstrations allow a sales professional to point customers to an experience of the product they are selling. As well, online advertising has matured to where it can be used as part of a personal selling strategy.
Sales people need to filter information for their clients. Similarly, in advertising, it is considered highly desirable to target advertisements to the appropriate potential customer base, rather than to broadcast advertisements in general. It has long been known that, for example, advertisements for computers should generally not appear in magazines on gardening and, conversely, advertisements for gardening tools should not appear in magazines on computers. Similarly, advertisers have generally targeted their advertisements on television to programs appropriate for the desired customer base. Personal selling systems have evolved to help sales professionals target messages to clients.
It has also long been known that an advertisement that is repeated too often will eventually become ignored by consumers. Therefore, an advertiser typically wishes to eliminate duplication and reach as many individuals in the advertiser's target group as possible.
The development of on-line networks, such as America On-Line™, Compuserve™, and the Internet, has led to “on-line” advertising. For example, on the Internet, such on-line advertisements can appear on a web page as a banner on the top or the bottom thereof, for example. When a user views a web page using a browser such as Internet Explorer™ or Netscape™, the banner appears at the appropriate location and the user may then try to find out more information regarding the advertisement by selecting the advertisement (clicking through on that banner) through the use of the mouse or other pointing device. This action typically causes a HTTP message to be generated by the browser using the information encapsulated in association with the banner to send a request for an object with a given URL address to a different appropriate web site to access, for example, the advertiser's home page. As such the user is directed to this new web page, for example.
Nonetheless, such advertising has had, so far, a poor rate of response because it is typically untargeted advertising. Thus, someone who is totally uninterested in computers other than the fact that they happen to be on the Internet, may continually see advertisements for computers. On the other hand, someone who is interested in computers may continually see advertisements for gardening tools when browsing through a particular web site. If a user of such computer networks is continuously exposed to the same advertisement, the response rate to the advertisement will generally decline. In addition, it is also important for the advertisers to track responses to the advertisements and to acquire as much information about those people responding to the advertisements for targeting those same people at later dates regarding similar or the same products, for example. Making matters worse, there is a wide variety of digital media employed in corporations for use in marketing—web based training, web demonstrations, multimedia brochures, interactive web-tools and web services, digital video, streaming audio and video, for example. But the availability of corporate rich-media marketing messages has not necessarily helped people whose job it is to interact personally with clients, since the lack of targeted sales messages makes it difficult for a sales professional to do their job.
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Sunday 3 August 2014

                          PATIENTS OF SELLING

FeatureChristmas 2009: Professional Matters

Selling patients

BMJ 2009; 339  (Published 14 December 2009)




  1. Peter Nugus, research fellow1, 
  2. Jackie Bridges, senior research fellow2, 
  3. Jeffrey Braithwaite, professor and director1
    Author affiliations

    The way hospital departments “sell” patients to each other has been parodied but seldom studied. Peter Nugus, Jackie Bridges, and Jeffrey Braithwaite explore the rules of the game
    “Since…gomers [Get Out of My Emergency Room] don’t die…the tern [intern] had to find other ways to turf them…The problem with the turf was that the patient might bounce, i.e. get turfed back…The secret of the professional turf that did not bounce, said the Fatman [a supervising Resident], was the buff…‘Because you gotta always remember: you’re not the only one trying to turf. Every tern and resident in the House of God is lying awake at night thinking how to buff and turf these gomers somewhere else.”
    “‘[That doctor’s] so scared of missing something by sending the patient back home that he admits them all. He’s a sieve…he lets everyone through…Be a wall. Don’t let anyone in.’…A mind-boggling thought: the delivery of medical care consisted of buffing and turfing the seeker of care to somewhere else. The revolving door with that eternally revolving door always waiting in the end.”1

    Introduction

    Everyone’s got something to sell. Retailers sell products. Workers sell their labour and skills. Everyone sells their status and knowledge; academics and clinicians are prone to this.
    Emergency clinicians sell patients. Why? Emergency departments the world over are under pressure to diagnose and treat patients efficiently, and move them on as quickly as possible.2 There are always new patients arriving in the queue. Who’s the buyer? The rest of the hospital. In the UK, in particular, GPs package patients for the hospital, too.
    The novel House of God by Samuel Shem1 satirises the games and strategies that characterise the transfer of patients. With similar irony, Innes3 wrote about “Successful hospitalisation of patients with no discernible pathology.” Innes prescribed 11 …
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