Information providing method and information providing device

Abstract

By utilizing generative AI, we provide an information provision method that makes it easy to generate information to be used in sales approaches. [Solution] The information provision method executed by the information provision device 3 includes a question reception process that receives question information D1 including product information D10 that indicates the characteristics of the product, a prompt generation process that generates prompt information D4 that instructs a generative artificial intelligence model 20 to output answer information D5 related to content to be used in a sales approach for the product based on the question information D1, and an answer provision process that provides answer information D5 output from the generative artificial intelligence model 20 by inputting the prompt information D4 into the generative artificial intelligence model 20.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information providing method and an information providing device. [Background technology]

[0002] Devices have been developed to reduce the burden of sales activities that depend on individual skills. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a sales support device that, when search information is input, refers to a customer preference table and proposes customer preferences and content that satisfies the customer preferences as a sales method tailored to the customer preferences. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-224873 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The sales support device disclosed in Patent Document 1 required complex rule settings, making development difficult, and also had the limitation that it could not be applied to customers with no transaction history.

[0005] On the other hand, in recent years, generative artificial intelligence models, also known as generative AI or generative AI, have been used for a variety of purposes and applications.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide an information provision method and information provision device that utilizes generation AI to easily generate information to be used in sales approaches. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, an information providing method according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: a question reception process for receiving question information including product information indicating the features of the product; a prompt generation process for generating prompt information that instructs a generative artificial intelligence model to output answer information related to content used in the sales approach for the product, based on the question information; An answer providing process is performed in which the prompt information is input to the generative artificial intelligence model, and the answer information output from the generative artificial intelligence model is provided. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to an information providing method according to one aspect of the present invention, by utilizing a generation AI, information to be used in sales approaches can be easily generated.

[0009] Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will become apparent from the detailed description of the invention that follows. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall view showing an example of an information providing system 1 according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of an information providing device 3 according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] 2 is a functional explanatory diagram illustrating an example of an information providing device 3 according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 9 is a hardware configuration diagram showing an example of a computer 900 that constitutes each device. [Figure 5] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the information providing system 1 according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6A] FIG. 10 is a screen configuration diagram showing an example of a display screen 11A for inputting question information D1. [Figure 6B] FIG. 11 is a screen configuration diagram showing an example of a display screen 11B including answer information D5. [Figure 7] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of an information providing device 3 according to a first embodiment. [Figure 8]2 is a functional explanatory diagram illustrating an example of an information providing device 3 according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a functional explanatory diagram showing an example of an information providing device 3 according to a second embodiment. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the information providing system 1 according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The scope necessary for the explanation to achieve the object of the present invention will be schematically shown, and the scope necessary for explaining the relevant part of the present invention will be mainly explained, and the parts that are omitted from the explanation will be based on publicly known techniques.

[0012] (First embodiment) FIG. 1 is an overall view showing an example of an information provision system 1 according to a first embodiment. The information provision system 1 functions as a system for providing information used in sales approaches to a user U, who is the entity executing sales activities. A sales approach refers to specific approaches and methods for contacting potential customers in sales activities, stimulating their interest in a company's products, and leading to business negotiations and contracts. A sales approach is positioned as the initial stage of sales activities and is a process that aims to build a relationship of trust with potential customers and understand their needs through target selection, information collection, and selection of approach methods (visit, telephone, email, social media, etc.). Note that a product broadly refers to anything that can be bought and sold, and is not limited to goods (products, etc.), but also includes, for example, services, rights (securities, etc.), information, content, etc.

[0013] The information provision system 1 comprises, as its main components, a generative AI device 2, an information provision device 3 that operates in cooperation with the generative AI device 2, a user terminal device 4 used by a user, and a database device 5 in which various information is stored. Each of the devices 2 to 5 is configured, for example, as a general-purpose or dedicated computer (see FIG. 4 described below), and is connected to a wired or wireless network 6 so that various data can be transmitted and received between them. Note that the number of the devices 2 to 5 and the connection configuration of the network 6 are not limited to the example in FIG. 1 and may be changed as appropriate.

[0014] The generative AI device 2 is configured, for example, by a server-type computer or a cloud-type computer. The generative AI device 2 includes a generative artificial intelligence model 20, which is called, for example, a generative AI or generative AI. When given instructions by prompt information D4, the generative artificial intelligence model 20 generates answer information D5 in response to the instructions.

[0015] Generative artificial intelligence model 20 is a trained model constructed using a huge training data set and deep learning technology, and may be a base model (for example, a large-scale language model), a multimodal model, etc. Note that generative artificial intelligence model 20 may be provided as a service by an external business operator, in which case generative AI device 2 may be omitted from the components of information provision system 1.

[0016] The information providing device 3 is configured, for example, by a server-type computer or a cloud-type computer. When the information providing device 3 receives question information D1 including product information D10 from the user terminal device 4, it generates prompt information D4 for the generative artificial intelligence model 20 and transmits it to the generative AI device 2. Furthermore, when the information providing device 3 receives answer information D5 by the generative artificial intelligence model 20 from the generative AI device 2, it provides the answer information D5 to the user terminal device 4.

[0017] The question information D1 includes product information D10. The product information D10 indicates the characteristics of the product, and includes, for example, the product name, classification, features, efficacy, usage, related keywords, etc. Note that the question information D1 may include not only the product information D10, but also information about the name and industry of the customer who is the target of sales activities, information about the company to which the user U belongs, etc.

[0018] The question information D1 may include product information D10 as well as text data recording sentences representing information about the product from the user U. The product information D10 is mainly text data expressed in the form of a document, a website, or the like, but may also be a graph, a table, a still image, a moving image, or the like. The product information D10 may be input as a file in which the product information D10 is recorded in any data format, or as a reference file name for referencing the file in which the product information D10 is recorded. In the first embodiment, the description will be centered on the case where the product information D10 is the URL of a product's website.

[0019] The user terminal device 4 is configured, for example, as a desktop computer or a portable computer. The user terminal device 4 is used by various users, including not only sales personnel who are the main actors in sales activities, but also marketing and planning personnel. Programs such as applications and browsers are installed on the user terminal device 4, which accepts various input operations and outputs various information via a display screen or audio. The user terminal device 4 displays a display screen for accepting input operations to input question information D1 and outputting answer information D5, etc., and transmits and receives various data, such as question information D1 and answer information D5, to and from the information providing device 3.

[0020] The database device 5 is configured, for example, by a server-type computer or a cloud-type computer. The database device 5 includes a sales activity auxiliary information management database 50 that manages sales activity auxiliary information D2 related to sales activities. The sales activity auxiliary information management database 50 can be referenced by each of the devices 2 to 4, and is referenced, for example, when the generative artificial intelligence model 20 generates response information D5. Furthermore, editing operations such as addition, deletion, and modification are performed on the sales activity auxiliary information management database 50 via the information providing device 3 and the user terminal device 4.

[0021] The sales activity auxiliary information management database 50 stores sales activity auxiliary information D2, which is information referenced when generating prompt information D4. The sales activity auxiliary information D2 refers to general auxiliary information related to sales activities, such as corporate information (address, number of employees, sales, etc.), personal information (name, job title, contact information, career history, personality, social media accounts, etc.), organizational and department information (internal structure of the company, department names, etc.), activity information such as recruitment information and exhibition participation, and sales activity auxiliary information such as introduced tools. The sales activity auxiliary information D2 may also include other auxiliary information. Furthermore, the sales activity auxiliary information D2 may also include external information acquired through collaboration with external SFA (Sales Force Automation) services, MA (Customer Relationship Management) services, and MA (Marketing Automation), and such external information may be used to supplement or correct other sales activity auxiliary information D2.

[0022] Furthermore, the sales activity auxiliary information D2 may include information on behavioral history that suggests the customer's interests, consideration status, purchasing intentions, etc. Information on behavioral history is information that can be used to estimate the customer's intentions and trends in interests based on, for example, browsing history of websites related to a specific product, action logs such as requests for information or event applications, search queries, reactions on social media, etc., but is not limited to these. Information on behavioral history may also be obtained through external services (e.g., MA tools, web analysis tools, etc.).

[0023] The answer information D5 refers to general information about content used in sales approaches for a product, such as materials and catalogs for product introductions, email text explaining the product's contents, social media posts, direct mail copy, sales pitch scripts for phone calls, web form input prompts, copy and banner images used in online advertising, seminar slides, webinar scripts, proposals and white papers for potential customers, case studies, review content featuring word-of-mouth from existing customers, panels and flyers used at trade shows, presentation content for co-hosted events, and manuscripts for newsletters and regular newsletters. The answer information D5 is primarily provided in the form of text data, but may also be provided in any data format, such as graphs, tables, still images, and moving images. In the first embodiment, the answer information D5 is mainly provided in the form of text data that can be viewed on the display screen of the user terminal device 4, and is used as a draft of a form to be sent to a potential customer.

[0024] The response information D5 may include information about the prospective customer who will receive the sales approach, i.e., the customer's name, company, job title, telephone number, email address, location, website URL, social media account, etc. This information can be used to optimize the content of the sales approach and provide individual support.

[0025] (Configuration of information providing device 3) Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the information providing device 3 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 3 is a functional explanatory diagram showing an example of the information providing device 3 according to the first embodiment.

[0026] The information providing device 3 includes a control unit 30 configured with a processor or the like, a storage unit 31 configured with an HDD, an SSD, a memory or the like, a communication unit 32 which is a communication interface with the network 6, an input unit 33 configured with a keyboard, a mouse or the like, and a display unit 34 configured with a display or the like. Note that the input unit 33 and the display unit 34 may be omitted.

[0027] The storage unit 31 stores prompt syntax data 310 and an information processing program 311, as well as an operating system, other programs, various types of data, and the like.

[0028] The prompt syntax data 310 is used when generating prompt information D4 from question information D1 and includes multiple syntaxes. Each syntax specifies sales activity auxiliary information D2 to be referenced when generating answer information D5, or specifies a task to be assigned to the generative artificial intelligence model 20.

[0029] The control unit 30 executes an information processing program 311 stored in the storage unit 31, thereby functioning as a question receiving unit 300, a prompt generating unit 301, and an answer providing unit 302. Each unit 300 to 302 of the control unit 30 transmits display information for displaying various display screens on the user terminal device 4 to the user terminal device 4, and receives various input operations via the display screens, thereby functioning as a user interface with the user U.

[0030] The question receiving unit 300 performs a question receiving process to receive question information D1 including product information D10.

[0031] The prompt generation unit 301 performs a prompt generation process to generate prompt information D4 that instructs the generative artificial intelligence model 20 to output answer information D5 while referencing sales activity auxiliary information D2, based on the question information D1. For example, the prompt generation unit 301 performs natural language processing on a sentence (text data) that represents product information D10 in the question information D1, and generates prompt information D4 according to the type of product, etc. In doing so, the prompt generation unit 301 references prompt syntax data 310 stored in the storage unit 31, selects a syntax appropriate for the type of product, etc., and applies the type of sales activity auxiliary information D2 and the content of product information D10 to that syntax, thereby generating prompt information D4.

[0032] The answer providing unit 302 performs an answer providing process of inputting prompt information D4 to the generative artificial intelligence model 20 and providing answer information D5 output from the generative artificial intelligence model 20.

[0033] (Hardware configuration of each device) 4 is a hardware configuration diagram showing an example of a computer 900 constituting each device. Each of the devices 2 to 5 in the information providing system 1 is constituted by a general-purpose or dedicated computer 900.

[0034] 4, the computer 900 includes, as its main components, a bus 910, a processor 912, a memory 914, an input device 916, an output device 917, a display device 918, a storage device 920, a communication I / F (interface) unit 922, an external device I / F unit 924, an I / O (input / output) device I / F unit 926, and a media input / output unit 928. Note that the above components may be omitted as appropriate depending on the application of the computer 900.

[0035] The processor 912 is composed of one or more arithmetic processing devices (such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), MPU (Micro-Processing Unit), DSP (Digital Signal Processor), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or NPU (Neural Processing Unit)), and operates as a control unit that controls the entire computer 900. The memory 914 stores various data and programs 930, and is composed of, for example, a volatile memory (such as a DRAM or SRAM) that functions as a main memory, a non-volatile memory (ROM), a flash memory, etc.

[0036] The input device 916 is composed of, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a numeric keypad, an electronic pen, etc., and functions as an input unit. The output device 917 is composed of, for example, a sound (audio) output device, a vibration device, etc., and functions as an output unit. The display device 918 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, electronic paper, a projector, etc., and functions as an output unit. The input device 916 and the display device 918 may be integrated into one device, such as a touch panel display. The storage device 920 is composed of, for example, an HDD, an SSD, etc., and functions as a storage unit. The storage device 920 stores various data necessary for executing the operating system and the program 930.

[0037] The communication I / F unit 922 is connected to a network 940 such as the Internet or an intranet (which may be the same as network 6 in FIG. 1) via a wired or wireless connection and functions as a communication unit that transmits and receives data to and from other computers in accordance with a predetermined communication protocol. The external device I / F unit 924 is connected to an external device 950 such as a camera, printer, scanner, or reader / writer via a wired or wireless connection and functions as a communication unit that transmits and receives data to and from the external device 950 in accordance with a predetermined communication protocol. The I / O device I / F unit 926 is connected to an I / O device 960 such as various sensors and actuators and functions as a communication unit that transmits and receives various signals and data, such as detection signals from sensors and control signals to actuators, to and from the I / O device 960. The media input / output unit 928 is composed of a drive device such as a DVD drive or CD drive, a memory card slot, and a USB connector, and reads and writes data from and to media (non-transitory storage media) 970 such as a DVD, CD, memory card, or USB memory.

[0038] In the computer 900 having the above configuration, the processor 912 loads a program 930 stored in the storage device 920 into the memory 914, executes the program, and controls each unit of the computer 900 via the bus 910. The program 930 may be stored in the memory 914 instead of the storage device 920. The program 930 may be recorded on the medium 970 in an installable file format or an executable file format and provided to the computer 900 via the media input / output unit 928. The program 930 may be provided to the computer 900 by being downloaded via the communication I / F unit 922 over the network 940. Furthermore, the computer 900 may implement various functions realized by the processor 912 executing the program 930 using hardware such as an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit).

[0039] The computer 900 is an electronic device of any type, such as a desktop computer or a portable computer. The computer 900 may be a client computer, a server computer, a cloud computer, or an embedded computer such as a control panel or a controller (including a microcomputer, a programmable logic controller, or a sequencer).

[0040] (Operation of information provision system 1) The following describes a series of operations performed by the information provision system 1. The series of operations is performed by cooperation between the units 300 to 302 of the information provision device 3 (each process of the information provision method executed by the information processing program 311), the generative AI device 2, the user terminal device 4, and the database device 5.

[0041] 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the information providing system 1 according to the first embodiment. In the following, it is assumed that the sales activity auxiliary information D2 is registered in the sales activity auxiliary information management database 50.

[0042] First, in step S100, the user terminal device 4 receives product information D10 as an input operation by the user on a display screen shown in FIG. 6A, which will be described later, and transmits question information D1 based on the input operation to the information providing device 3.

[0043] 6A is a screen configuration diagram showing an example of a display screen 11A for inputting question information D1. The display screen 11A includes a product information input area 110 for inputting product information D10, and an input confirmation button 111 for transmitting the product information D10 input in the product information input area 110 to the information providing device 3. In the example of FIG. 6A, the product information input area 110 includes a box for inputting the URL of the product's website, a box for inputting the product name, and a box for inputting the product category.

[0044] When the user U inputs product information D10 in the product information input area 110 on the display screen 11A and presses the input confirmation button 111, question information D1 is transmitted to the information providing device 3 based on the input operation on the display screen 11A.

[0045] Next, in step S110 (question reception process), the question reception unit 300 of the information providing device 3 receives the question information D1 transmitted in step S100, thereby accepting the question information D1 including the product information D10.

[0046] Next, in step S200 (prompt generation process), the prompt generation unit 301 generates prompt information D4 that instructs the generative artificial intelligence model 20 to output answer information D5 while referring to sales activity auxiliary information D2, based on the question information D1 received in step S110.

[0047] Next, in step S210 (answer providing process), the answer providing unit 302 inputs the prompt information D4 generated in step S200 into the generative artificial intelligence model 20, thereby generating answer information D5 as an output result from the generative artificial intelligence model 20.

[0048] Next, in step S220 (answer providing process), the answer providing unit 302 transmits display screen information for displaying the answer information D5 generated in step S210 to the user terminal device 4 that is the sender of the question information D1. At this time, the display screen information may include the prompt information D4 generated in step S200.

[0049] Next, in step S230, upon receiving the display screen information transmitted in step S220, the user terminal device 4 displays the display screen 11B including the answer information D5 based on the display screen information.

[0050] FIG. 6B is a screen configuration diagram illustrating an example of a display screen 11B including answer information D5. In the example of FIG. 6B, prompt information D4 instructs the generative AI model 20 to output answer information D5 related to content to be used in a sales approach using a form for a product related to product information D10, based on question information D1 including product information D10 and sales activity support information D2. As a result, answer information D5 illustrates the output of the subject and body of a form to be sent to a prospective customer. The subject of the form is configured, for example, to attract the prospective customer's attention and increase the open rate. For example, a phrase such as "Suggestions for improving the sales rate for XX (product name)" is automatically generated. The body of the form is configured, for example, based on the sales activity support information D2, to succinctly and persuasively convey the key points of the product information D10 in accordance with the customer's needs and challenges. For example, the body of the form includes a statement such as "The following points will lead your company's sales activities to success... (list of points)." The display screen 11B may include a button for ending the provision of the answer information D5, a button for correcting the answer information D5, and a button for returning to step S100 to re-enter the product information D10. The display screen 11B may also include an area for displaying or selecting a destination for sending the form.

[0051] By carrying out the above series of processes, answer information D5 to the question information D1 is provided to the user U. When the user U inputs new question information D1, the above series of processes is carried out in the same manner.

[0052] As described above, according to the information providing device 3 and information providing method of the first embodiment, when prompt information D4 generated based on question information D1 including product information D10 while referring to sales activity auxiliary information D2 is input to generative artificial intelligence model 20, answer information D5 is output from generative artificial intelligence model 20. Therefore, information to be used in a sales approach can be easily generated.

[0053] (Second embodiment) 7 is an overall view showing an example of an information providing system 1 according to the second embodiment. Note that detailed descriptions of the functions and connections of the components in the system and the various data handled by the components that are the same as those in the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0054] The information provision system 1 comprises, as its main components, a generative AI device 2, an information provision device 3 that operates in cooperation with the generative AI device 2, a user terminal device 4 used by a user U, a database device 5 that stores various information, and a customer terminal device 7 used by a specific customer C. Each of the devices 2-5 and 7 is configured, for example, as a general-purpose or dedicated computer (see FIG. 4), and is connected to a wired or wireless network 6 so that various data can be transmitted and received between them. Note that the number of the devices 2-5 and 7 and the connection configuration of the network 6 are not limited to the example of FIG. 7 and may be changed as appropriate.

[0055] In the second embodiment, prompt information D4 refers to either first prompt information D4A or second prompt information D4B. Answer information D5 refers to either first answer information D5A or second answer information D5B. The first answer information D5A is information related to content used in a sales approach for a product, and the first prompt information D4A is information that instructs the generative AI model 20 to output the first answer information D5A based on question information D1. The second answer information D5B is information related to content used in a sales approach for a product, and the second prompt information D4B is information that instructs the generative AI model 20 to output the second answer information D5B based on specific customer response information D3. The type of sales approach associated with the first answer information D5A and the type of sales approach associated with the second answer information D5B may be the same or different.

[0056] When the information providing device 3 receives sales approach request information D6 from the user terminal device 4, it transmits sales approach information D7 including first response information D5A to the customer terminal device 7. In addition, when the information providing device 3 receives specific customer response information D3 from the customer terminal device 7, it registers the specific customer response information D3 in the database device 5.

[0057] When the user terminal device 4 receives the first response information D5A from the information providing device 3, it transmits sales approach request information D6 to the information providing device 3.

[0058] The sales approach request information D6 is information indicating instructions that the user U inputs to the user terminal device 4 when requesting the information providing device 3 to execute a sales approach using the first response information D5A. The sales approach request information D6 may include information regarding modifications, such as additions, deletions, and corrections, to the first response information D5A. The sales approach request information D6 may also include information regarding the designation of potential customers who are targets of a sales approach using the first response information D5A.

[0059] The customer terminal device 7 is configured, for example, with a desktop computer or a portable computer. The customer terminal device 7 is used by a specific customer C. The specific customer C is a specific prospective customer who has received a sales approach using the first response information D5A. Examples of prospective customers include, but are not limited to, a purchasing manager at a small or medium-sized enterprise who is interested in solving their company's problems, or a manager of a new business development department at a large company. Note that a prospective customer may be a target of sales activities, or may be a customer who is actually at the stage of considering introducing a product. Furthermore, a prospective customer who becomes a specific customer C may be a prospective customer uniquely selected by the user U, or may be a prospective customer selected according to a predetermined rule from prospective customers presented as part of the first response information D5A, but is not limited to these.

[0060] The customer terminal device 7 has applications, browsers, and other programs installed, accepts various input operations, and outputs various information via a display screen or voice. The customer terminal device 7 displays a display screen for accepting input operations to input specific customer response information D3 and outputting sales approach information D7, etc., and transmits and receives various data, such as specific customer response information D3 and sales approach information D7, to and from the information providing device 3.

[0061] The sales approach information D7 is information including the first response information D5A, and indicates the specific content of the sales approach that the specific customer C receives from the customer terminal device 7 when a sales approach using the first response information D5A is carried out by the information providing device 3. The sales approach information D7 may be composed of text data, still images, moving images, audio data, or a multimedia format that combines these. Furthermore, part or all of the sales approach information D7 may be output in conjunction with an external sales support tool or CRM system.

[0062] The specific customer response information D3 is information regarding responses from the specific customer C. The specific customer response information D3 may include, for example, information such as the level of interest, level of understanding, evaluation, questions, requests, requests for information, requests for demonstrations, and requests for business negotiations as feedback from the specific customer C to the sales approach information D7. The specific customer response information D3 is acquired based on comments, responses to questionnaires, click operations, submission of a information request form, chat history with a sales representative, and email replies entered by the specific customer C in response to the sales approach information D7 displayed on the customer terminal device 7. The specific customer response information D3 may also be recorded as structured data and may include information such as whether or not a response was made, the date and time of the response, the means of the response, the classification of the response content (positive, negative, etc.), and scoring information.

[0063] The database device 5 includes a sales activity auxiliary information management database 50 and a customer response information management database 51 that manages specific customer response information D3. The customer response information management database 51 stores specific customer response information D3, which is information that is referenced when generating second prompt information D4B. The customer response information management database 51 can be referenced by each of the devices 2 to 4, and is referenced, for example, when the generative artificial intelligence model 20 generates second response information D5B. Furthermore, the customer response information management database 51 is subjected to editing operations such as addition, deletion, and modification via the information providing device 3 and the user terminal device 4.

[0064] Fig. 8 is a block diagram showing an example of an information providing device 3 according to the second embodiment. Fig. 9 is a functional explanatory diagram showing an example of an information providing device 3 according to the second embodiment. Note that detailed descriptions of the configurations and operations of each unit in each device and the various types of data handled by each device that are the same as those in the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0065] The control unit 30 executes an information processing program 311 stored in the storage unit 31, thereby functioning as a question receiving unit 300, a prompt generating unit 301, an answer providing unit 302, a sales approach executing unit 303, and a response information acquiring unit 304. Each of the units 300 to 304 of the control unit 30 transmits display information for displaying various display screens on the user terminal device 4 or the customer terminal device 7 to the user terminal device 4 or the customer terminal device 7, and receives various input operations via the display screens, thereby functioning as a user interface with the user U or the specific customer C.

[0066] The prompt generation unit 301 and the answer providing unit 302 perform the prompt generation process and the answer providing process twice. When sales activity auxiliary information D2 is stored in the sales activity auxiliary information management database 50, as shown in the example of FIG. 9 , in the first prompt generation process, which is the first prompt generation process, first prompt information D4A is generated based on question information D1, instructing the output of first answer information D5A. In the second prompt generation process, which is the second prompt generation process, second prompt information D4B is generated based on specific customer response information D3 acquired by the response information acquisition unit 304, instructing the output of second answer information D5B.

[0067] When the sales approach execution unit 303 receives the sales approach request information D6, it performs a sales approach execution process to send sales approach information D7.

[0068] The response information acquisition unit 304 performs a response information acquisition process to acquire specific customer response information D3. The response information acquisition unit 304 also performs a process to register the acquired specific customer response information D3 in the database device 5.

[0069] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the information provision system 1 according to the second embodiment. In the following, it is assumed that sales activity auxiliary information D2 is registered in the sales activity auxiliary information management database 50. In addition, it is assumed that the specific customer C is determined in advance. Note that detailed explanations of the same operations and configurations as those in the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0070] First, in step S100, the user terminal device 4 receives the product information D10 and transmits to the information providing device 3 question information D1 based on the input operation.

[0071] Next, in step S110 (question reception process), the question reception unit 300 of the information providing device 3 receives the question information D1 transmitted in step S100, thereby accepting the question information D1 including the product information D10.

[0072] Next, in step S200 (first prompt generation process), the prompt generation unit 301 generates first prompt information D4A that instructs the generative artificial intelligence model 20 to output first answer information D5A based on the question information D1 received in step S110.

[0073] Next, in step S210 (first answer providing process), the answer providing unit 302 inputs the first prompt information D4A generated in step S200 into the generative artificial intelligence model 20, thereby generating first answer information D5A as an output result from the generative artificial intelligence model 20.

[0074] Next, in step S220 (first answer providing process), the answer providing unit 302 transmits display screen information for displaying the first answer information D5A generated in step S210 to the user terminal device 4 that is the sender of the question information D1. At this time, the display screen information may include the first prompt information D4A generated in step S200.

[0075] Next, in step S230, upon receiving the display screen information transmitted in step S220, the user terminal device 4 displays a display screen including first response information D5A based on the display screen information.

[0076] Next, in step S240, the user terminal device 4 transmits the sales approach request information D6 to the sales approach execution unit 303 of the information providing device 3.

[0077] Next, in step S250, the sales approach execution unit 303 receives the sales approach request information D6 transmitted in step S240, thereby accepting the sales approach request information D6.

[0078] Next, in step S260, the sales approach execution unit 303 transmits sales approach information D7 to the customer terminal device 7 based on the sales approach request information D6 received in step S250.

[0079] Next, in step S270, the customer terminal device 7 receives the sales approach information D7 transmitted in step S260, thereby accepting the sales approach information D7.

[0080] Next, in step S280, the customer terminal device 7 transmits specific customer response information D3 to the response information acquisition unit 304 of the information providing device 3 in response to the sales approach information D7 transmitted in step S270.

[0081] Next, in step S290 (response information acquisition process), the response information acquisition unit 304 of the information providing device 3 acquires the specific customer response information D3 transmitted in step S280 and registers it in the database device 5.

[0082] Next, in step S300 (second prompt generation process), the prompt generation unit 301 generates second prompt information D4B that instructs the generative artificial intelligence model 20 to output second answer information D5B, based on the specific customer response information D3 acquired in step S290. Note that the second prompt generation process may be started based on a predetermined operation from the user terminal device 4.

[0083] Next, in step S310 (second answer providing process), the answer providing unit 302 inputs the second prompt information D4B generated in step S300 into the generative artificial intelligence model 20, thereby generating second answer information D5B as an output result from the generative artificial intelligence model 20.

[0084] Next, in step S320 (second answer providing process), the answer providing unit 302 transmits display screen information for displaying the second answer information D5B generated in step S310 to the user terminal device 4 that is the sender of the question information D1. At this time, the display screen information may include the second prompt information D4B generated in step S300.

[0085] Next, in step S330, upon receiving the display screen information transmitted in step S320, the user terminal device 4 displays a display screen including the second answer information D5B based on the display screen information.

[0086] By performing the above series of processes, second answer information D5B to the question information D1 is provided to the user U. When the user U inputs new question information D1, the above series of processes is performed in the same manner.

[0087] As described above, the information providing device 3 and information providing method according to the second embodiment can regenerate prompt information using specific customer response information D3 acquired from a specific customer C, thereby generating information (second response information D5B) to be used for a more accurate and personalized sales approach. This enables a flexible approach according to the customer's reactions and interests, thereby improving the accuracy and effectiveness of sales activities.

[0088] (Other embodiments) The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, all of which are included in the technical concept of the present invention.

[0089] In the above embodiment, the functions of each unit of the information providing device 3 are described as being realized by one device, but the functions of each unit may be distributed among multiple devices and realized by multiple devices. Also, the control unit of the user terminal device 4 or the control unit of the database device 5 may function as the information providing device 3 by executing the information processing program 311.

[0090] In the above embodiment, the database device 5 is described as including the sales activity auxiliary information management database 50 and the customer response information management database 51. However, part or all of the sales activity auxiliary information management database 50 and the customer response information management database 51 may be stored in an external device (or multiple external devices) connectable to the network 6 or in any storage medium. In addition, the sales activity auxiliary information management database 50 and the customer response information management database 51 may be stored in the storage unit 31 of the information providing device 3.

[0091] In the above embodiment, the case where the information providing device 3 operates according to the flowcharts shown in Figures 5 and 10 has been described, but the order of execution of each step may be changed as appropriate, some steps may be omitted, or other steps may be added. For example, in the second embodiment, when the prompt generation unit 301 generates prompt information D4 in the prompt generation process (steps S200 and S300), a step may be added in which the prompt information D4 is provided to the user terminal device 4, and an input operation by the user U to change the prompt information D4 is accepted via the display screen of the user terminal device 4, thereby changing the prompt information D4.

[0092] In the above embodiment, the generative artificial intelligence model 20 generates response information D5 by referencing the sales activity auxiliary information D2 stored in the sales activity auxiliary information management database 50 when prompt information D4 is input. However, the generative artificial intelligence model 20 may use a trained model in which the sales activity auxiliary information D2 is systematically incorporated by including the sales activity auxiliary information D2 as part of a training data set. In that case, the generative artificial intelligence model 20 generates response information D5 by referencing the sales activity auxiliary information D2 incorporated into the generative artificial intelligence model 20 based on the instructions of the prompt information D4.

[0093] In the above embodiment, the case has been described in which the user terminal device 4 accepts product information D10 as an input operation by the user U on the display screen 11A shown in FIG. 6A and transmits question information D1 based on the input operation to the information providing device 3. However, the user U may input supplementary information for the product information D10 or other information that is significant for generating answer information D5 as text or an attachment into the product information input area 110 of the display screen 11A shown in FIG. 6A and press the input confirmation button 111, thereby transmitting question information D1 to the information providing device 3 based on the input operation on the display screen 11A.

[0094] In the first embodiment, a case has been described in which prompt information D4 generated based on question information D1 including product information D10 is input to the generative artificial intelligence model 20, and answer information D5 is generated by the generative artificial intelligence model 20 with reference to sales activity auxiliary information D2. In contrast, prompt information D4 generated based on question information D1 including product information D10 may be input to the generative artificial intelligence model 20 without reference to the sales activity auxiliary information D2, and answer information D5 may be generated.

[0095] In the second embodiment, the second prompt information D4B generated based on the specific customer response information D3 is input to the generative artificial intelligence model 20, and the generative artificial intelligence model 20 generates the second answer information D5B. Alternatively, the second prompt information D4B may be generated based on the specific customer response information D3, instructing the generative artificial intelligence model 20 to output the second answer information D5B while referencing past related customer response information related to specific customer response information previously acquired from a prospective customer related to the specific customer C. A prospective customer related to the specific customer C (hereinafter referred to as a "related customer R") may be, for example, a customer who shares the same or similar industry, region, company size, problem area, job title, etc. as the specific customer C, and who has received a similar sales approach in the past. The prospective customer may be the specific customer C itself, or may be another prospective customer different from the specific customer C extracted according to a predetermined rule, but is not limited to this. The past related customer response information is information related to the specific customer response information D3 previously acquired from the related customer R. Examples of past related customer response information include, but are not limited to, related customer R's reaction to a sales approach, inquiry details, document request history, seminar participation status, feedback on proposals, results of successful / failed deals, and evaluation scores associated with these. Furthermore, past related customer response information includes not only information regarding related customer R's past responses to sales approaches using first response information D5A in the second embodiment, but also information regarding responses to other sales approaches and information obtained through external services.

[0096] In the second embodiment, a sales approach to a specific customer C is executed by transmitting sales approach request information D6 from the user terminal device 4 to the information providing device 3, and when the information processing device receives the sales approach request information D6, transmitting sales approach information D7 from the information providing device 3 to the customer terminal device 7. Alternatively, a sales approach to a specific customer C may be executed by transmitting sales approach information D7 from the user terminal device 4 to the customer terminal device 7 without transmitting the sales approach request information D6 from the user terminal device 4 to the information providing device 3. For example, the user U may directly call the specific customer C while referring to the content of the sales talk included in the first response information D5A provided by the information providing device 3. In this case, the call from the user U to the specific customer C corresponds to the sales approach information D7. In this case, audio recording data or transcription data of the conversation during the call may be recorded as the specific customer response information D3.

[0097] (Utilizing USP information) Below, we will describe an example of utilizing USP (Unique Selling Proposition) information in the above embodiment. Note that although the examples (utilization examples) of utilizing USP information shown below are described independently, one or more of the utilization examples may be combined and implemented.

[0098] USP information is information that indicates the features that differentiate a product from competing products. Examples of USP information include, but are not limited to, the product's technical performance and specification advantages (processing speed, number of functions, compatible standards, etc.), compatibility with customer issues (specialization to the needs of a specific industry), and information on the proven track record and effectiveness of implementation. Utilizing USP information can arouse the interest of potential customers and increase the persuasiveness of sales approaches. USP information may be stored in the database device 5 in advance, or may be dynamically updated or added via input from the user terminal device 4.

[0099] Usage example 1: When question information D1 is received, prompt information D4 is generated based on question information D1 to instruct generative artificial intelligence model 20 to output answer information D5 related to content to be used in a sales approach for the product while referencing USP information, and answer information D5 output from generative artificial intelligence model 20 may be provided by inputting prompt information D4 into generative artificial intelligence 20. In this way, content to be used in an appealing sales approach using USP information can be generated.

[0100] Usage example 2: When question information D1 is received, prompt information D4 is generated based on question information D1, instructing generative artificial intelligence model 20 to output answer information D5 regarding content to be used in a sales approach for a product while referencing sales activity auxiliary information D2 related to sales activities and USP information. Answer information D5 output from generative artificial intelligence model 20 may be provided by inputting prompt information D4 into generative artificial intelligence model 20. For example, sales activity auxiliary information D2 and USP information may be referenced serially, such as by selecting optimal USP information from customer information, which is sales activity auxiliary information D2, or sales activity auxiliary information D2 and USP information may be referenced in parallel. This makes it possible to derive optimal selling points based on the needs and interests of each customer and generate more individually optimized sales approach content.

[0101] Usage example 3: Upon receiving question information D1, first prompt information D4A is generated based on question information D1 to instruct generative artificial intelligence model 20 to output first answer information D5A regarding content to be used in a sales approach for the product while referencing USP information, and first answer information D5A is provided by inputting first prompt information D4A to generative artificial intelligence model 20. Upon obtaining specific customer response information D3 regarding a response from specific customer C, a specific prospective customer who received a sales approach using first answer information D5A, second prompt information D4B is generated based on the specific customer response information D3 to instruct generative artificial intelligence model 20 to output second answer information D5B regarding content to be used in a sales approach for the product, and second prompt information D4B is input to generative artificial intelligence model 20 to provide second answer information D5B output from generative artificial intelligence model 20. In this way, the content of second prompt information D4B can be dynamically changed according to the response of specific customer C, making it possible to continuously provide sales approach content based on USP information that is of greater interest to the specific customer C.

[0102] Usage example 4: When question information D1 is received, first prompt information D4A is generated based on the question information D1, instructing the generative artificial intelligence model 20 to output first answer information D5A regarding content to be used in a sales approach for the product while referring to sales activity auxiliary information D2 related to sales activities, and the first answer information D5A is provided by inputting the first prompt information D4A into the generative artificial intelligence model 20, and when specific customer response information D3 regarding a response from a specific customer C, a specific potential customer who received a sales approach using the first answer information D5A, second prompt information D4B is generated based on the specific customer response information D3, instructing the generative artificial intelligence model 20 to output second answer information D5B regarding content to be used in a sales approach for the product while referring to USP information, and the second prompt information D4B is input into the generative artificial intelligence model 20, instructing the generative artificial intelligence model 20 to output second answer information D5B regarding content to be used in a sales approach for the product. In this way, it is possible to gradually generate sales approach content that accurately utilizes highly appealing USP information that is suited to the response tendencies of specific customer C.

[0103] Usage example 5: When question information D1 is received, first prompt information D4A is generated based on the question information D1, instructing the generative artificial intelligence model 20 to output first answer information D5A regarding content to be used in a sales approach for the product while referring to sales activity auxiliary information D2 regarding sales activities and USP information, and the first answer information D5A is provided by inputting the first prompt information D4A into the generative artificial intelligence model 20, and when specific customer response information D3 regarding a response from a specific customer C, a specific potential customer who received a sales approach using the first answer information D5A, second prompt information D4B is generated based on the specific customer response information D3, instructing the generative artificial intelligence model 20 to output second answer information D5B regarding content to be used in a sales approach for the product, and the second prompt information D4B is input into the generative artificial intelligence model 20, instructing the generative artificial intelligence model 20 to output second answer information D5B regarding content to be used in a sales approach for the product. In this way, the sales activity support information D2 can be used to understand the customer's industry and issues, and by reflecting USP information that is in line with the reaction of specific customer C, it is possible to provide sales approach content that is personalized in a step-by-step and accurate manner.

[0104] Usage example 6: When question information D1 is received, first prompt information D4A is generated based on the question information D1, instructing the generative artificial intelligence model 20 to output first answer information D5A regarding content to be used in a sales approach for the product while referring to sales activity auxiliary information D2 regarding sales activities and USP information, and the first answer information D5A is provided by inputting the first prompt information D4A into the generative artificial intelligence 20 model, and when specific customer response information D3 regarding a response from a specific customer C, a specific potential customer who received a sales approach using the first answer information D5A, second prompt information D4B is generated based on the specific customer response information D3, instructing the generative artificial intelligence model 20 to output second answer information D5B regarding content to be used in a sales approach for the product while referring to USP information, and the second prompt information D4B is input into the generative artificial intelligence model 20, instructing the generative artificial intelligence model 20 to output second answer information D5B regarding content to be used in a sales approach for the product while referring to USP information, and the second answer information D5B is provided by inputting the second prompt information D4B into the generative artificial intelligence model 20. This makes it possible to generate sales approach content that dynamically optimizes the order in which USP information is presented and the points emphasized, taking into account changes in the customer's attitude and the depth of their interest, rather than simply relying on the content of the response.

[0105] The above-described invention utilizing USP information is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but includes modifications, applications, and extensions within the scope conceivable by a person skilled in the art based on common knowledge in the relevant technical field. For example, the process of referencing USP information in each use example may be supplemented or replaced by linking with other external data or trained models, as with the sales activity support information D2 and specific customer response information D3. Furthermore, the method of generating prompt information D4, D4A, and D4B and the combination of its components may also be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the above-described invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0106] 1... Information provision system, 2... Generative AI device, 3... Information provision device, 4... User terminal device, 5...Database device, 20...Generative artificial intelligence model, 30...control unit, 31...storage unit, 32...communication unit, 33...input unit, 34...display unit, 50...Sales activity support information management database, 51...Customer response information management database, 300...question receiving unit, 301...prompt generating unit, 302...answer providing unit, 303...Sales approach execution unit, 304...Customer response information acquisition unit, 310...Prompt Syntax Data, 311...Information Processing Program

Claims

1. An information providing method for providing information used in a sales approach by a computer, comprising: a question reception process for receiving question information including product information indicating the features of the product; a prompt generation process for generating prompt information that instructs a generative artificial intelligence model to output answer information related to content to be provided to potential customers, the content being used in the sales approach for the product, based on the question information; and an answer providing process for providing the answer information output from the generative artificial intelligence model by inputting the prompt information into the generative artificial intelligence model; Information provision method.

2. The prompt generation process includes: generating the prompt information so as to output answer information related to content to be used in the sales approach for the product while referring to sales activity auxiliary information related to sales activities; The information providing method according to claim 1 .

3. An information providing method for providing information used in a sales approach by a computer, comprising: a question reception process for receiving question information including product information indicating the features of the product; a first prompt generation process for generating first prompt information based on the question information, the first prompt information instructing a generative artificial intelligence model to output first answer information related to content to be used in the sales approach for the product while referring to sales activity auxiliary information related to sales activities; a first answer providing process for providing the first answer information output from the generative artificial intelligence model by inputting the first prompt information into the generative artificial intelligence model; a response information acquisition process for acquiring specific customer response information regarding a response from a specific customer who is a specific prospective customer who has received the sales approach using the first response information; a second prompt generation process for generating second prompt information that instructs a generative artificial intelligence model to output second response information related to content used in the sales approach for the product, based on the specific customer response information; a second answer providing process for providing the second answer information output from the generative artificial intelligence model by inputting the second prompt information into the generative artificial intelligence model; Information provision method.

4. The second prompt generation process includes: generating second prompt information that instructs a generative artificial intelligence model to output the second answer information related to content to be used in the sales approach for the product, based on the specific customer response information, while referencing past related customer response information related to the specific customer response information previously acquired from potential customers related to the specific customer; The information providing method according to claim 3.

5. An information providing device that provides information used in sales approaches by a computer, a question receiving unit that receives question information including product information indicating the features of the product; a prompt generation unit that generates prompt information based on the question information and instructs a generative artificial intelligence model to output answer information related to content to be provided to potential customers, the content being used in the sales approach for the product; and an answer providing unit that provides the answer information output from the generative artificial intelligence model by inputting the prompt information to the generative artificial intelligence model, Information providing device.

6. An information providing device that provides information used in sales approaches by a computer, a question receiving unit that receives question information including product information indicating the features of the product; a first prompt generation unit that generates first prompt information based on the question information, the first prompt information instructing a generative artificial intelligence model to output first answer information related to content to be used in the sales approach for the product while referring to sales activity auxiliary information related to sales activities; a first answer providing unit that provides the first answer information output from the generative artificial intelligence model by inputting the first prompt information into the generative artificial intelligence model; a response information acquisition unit that acquires specific customer response information regarding a response from a specific customer who is a specific prospective customer that has received the sales approach using the first response information; a second prompt generation unit that generates second prompt information that instructs a generative artificial intelligence model to output second response information related to content used in the sales approach for the product, based on the specific customer response information; a second answer providing unit that provides the second answer information output from the generative artificial intelligence model by inputting the second prompt information into the generative artificial intelligence model, Information providing device.

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