Sales assistance device, sales assistance method, and recording medium

Abstract

[Problem] Conventionally, in so-called appointment setting, the telephone call is often not answered, or oftentimes an agreement for switching from the person answering the call to a sales contact cannot be obtained and the telephone call is consequently disconnected. Such sales activity is inefficient. [Solution] A sales assistance device 1 includes: a call destination management unit 111 that stores call destination information for identifying a call destination; a calling unit 130 that makes a call to the call destination identified by the call destination information; an interaction unit 132 that serves as a call originator to interact with a person at the call destination after the calling unit 130 makes a call thereto; a detection unit 133 that detects a switch from said person to a sales contact; and a switching unit 134 that, if the detection unit 133 detects the switch, switches the call originator to a sales representative. With the sales assistance device 1, when a call is made, AI is used to connect the telephone call and obtain an agreement to switch from the person answering the call to the sales contact, and then the sales representative interacts with the sales contact. As a result, sales activities can be performed efficiently.

Description

Sales Support Device, Sales Support Method, and Recording Medium

[0001] The present invention relates to a sales support device and the like that support sales by telephone.

[0002] In telephone sales (telephone appointment (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as "teleappointment") for short), which is one of the sales methods, usually, (1) when making a call, the call is connected, (2) obtain consent from the recipient at the called party to switch to the business partner at the called party (which may also be referred to as the actual person in charge, etc.), (3) conduct business negotiations between the business partner at the called party and the salesperson at the calling party, and (4) reach an agreement, thereby concluding the business negotiation. Note that the conclusion of a business negotiation is, for example, an agreement regarding the sale and purchase of goods or services, but it may also include obtaining the next appointment, etc.

[0003] Here, in the above (1) and (2), the exchanges between the calling party and the called party are often stereotyped and clerical. On the one hand, regarding the above (1), the call often fails to connect. On the other hand, regarding the above (2), it is often impossible to obtain consent from the recipient at the called party to switch to the business partner at the called party, and the call is often cut off.

[0004] So far, the salesperson at the calling party has carried out all of the above series of processes. Therefore, the salesperson has to spend a lot of time and effort on the above (1) and (2), and cannot concentrate on the essential parts of telephone sales (the above (3) and (4)). As a result, the labor cost of the salesperson has become extremely high, and it has become difficult for the salesperson to obtain knowledge about the essential parts of telephone sales.

[0005] Also, as a conventional technique, there was a telephone sales support system that enabled efficient telephone sales by using a large amount of accumulated telephone sales data (see Patent Document 1). [[ID=1十六]]

[0006] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2024 - 122454

[0007] However, as mentioned above, in traditional telemarketing, calls often did not connect, and it was often difficult to obtain the recipient's agreement to transfer the call to the target company, resulting in calls being hung up. This limited the efficiency of telephone-based sales activities.

[0008] The sales support device of the first invention comprises: a call destination management unit that stores call destination information for identifying call destinations; a call destination unit that makes calls to the call destinations identified by the call destination information; a dialogue unit that, after the call destination unit has made a call, interacts with the recipient of the call destination as the call source; a detection unit that detects when the recipient switches to the sales target; and a switching unit that switches the call source to a sales representative when the detection unit detects a switch.

[0009] This configuration allows for efficient sales activities by automatically connecting calls, obtaining agreement from the recipient's receptionist to transfer the call to the target customer, and allowing the sales representative to handle the actual conversation with the target customer.

[0010] Furthermore, the sales support device of this second invention, compared to the first invention, is a sales support device in which the detection unit detects whether the conversation between the receptionist and the caller satisfies the switching conditions or whether the call has been put on hold.

[0011] This configuration allows the call source to be switched to the sales representative at the appropriate time.

[0012] Furthermore, the sales support device of this third invention, compared to the first or second invention, is a sales support device in which the dialogue unit further comprises a speech acquisition unit that acquires the utterances of the receptionist at the receiving end of the call, and based on the receptionist's utterances, acquires the utterances of the caller, and the dialogue unit speaks the caller's utterances acquired by the speech acquisition unit to the receptionist.

[0013] With this configuration, the caller's utterance can be determined using the utterance of the recipient at the receiving end of the call.

[0014] Furthermore, the sales support device of this fourth invention, compared to the third invention, is a sales support device in which the speech acquisition unit acquires one or more attribute values ​​of the receptionist from the receptionist's speech and uses one or more attribute values ​​to acquire the caller's speech.

[0015] With this configuration, the caller's utterance can be obtained using one or more attribute values ​​of the recipient.

[0016] Furthermore, the sales support device of this fifth invention, compared to the first invention, is a sales support device further comprising: a dialogue unit that acquires speech information such as the utterance of the receptionist at the receiving end of the call, the utterance of the caller, the utterance of the sales representative, or the utterance of the other party, and a result acquisition unit that acquires result information such as a call result indicating whether the call made by the calling unit was successful or not, a switching result indicating whether the switching by the switching unit was successful or not, or a sales result indicating whether the sales representative's sales to the other party was successful or not; a storage unit that stores speech information and result information in association with each other; a speech analysis unit that analyzes speech information for each result information stored by the storage unit and acquires the analysis result; and an analysis output unit that outputs the analysis result.

[0017] This configuration allows for the analysis of the correspondence between sales result information and spoken information.

[0018] Furthermore, the sales support device of the sixth invention is a sales support device that, in addition to the first invention, further comprises a result acquisition unit that acquires result information such as a call result indicating whether or not a call made by the call unit was successful, or a switching result indicating whether or not a switch made by the switching unit was successful; a statistical processing unit that performs statistical processing using the result information and acquires statistical processing results; and a statistical output unit that outputs the statistical processing results.

[0019] This configuration allows for the output of statistically processed sales results.

[0020] Furthermore, the sales support device of the seventh invention, compared to the sixth invention, further comprises a call determination unit that acquires status information to identify the status of the sales representative of the calling party and determines whether or not to make a call based on the status information, and the call determination unit makes a call only when the call determination unit determines that it is possible to make a call.

[0021] This configuration allows for controlling call volume based on the number of sales representatives.

[0022] The sales support device according to the present invention can automatically detect the transition from the receptionist to the sales target. As a result, the sales support device according to the present invention enables efficient sales activities.

[0023] Conceptual diagram of the sales support system A in Embodiment 1 Block diagram of the sales support system A Flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the sales support device 1 Flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the sales support device 1 Flowchart illustrating a first example of the call decision process Flowchart illustrating a second example of the call decision process Flowchart illustrating an example of the dialogue process Flowchart illustrating an example of the speech acquisition process Flowchart illustrating an example of the detection process Flowchart illustrating an example of the switching process Flowchart illustrating an example of the speech analysis process Flowchart illustrating an example of the statistical process Diagram showing an example of the call destination management table Diagram showing an example of the call source management table Diagram showing an example of the speech acquisition management table Diagram showing an example of the switching condition management table Diagram showing an example of the dialogue information management table Block diagram of the computer system

[0024] The embodiments of the sales support device, etc., will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the embodiments, components that are denoted by the same reference numerals perform the same operation, and therefore, further explanation may be omitted.

[0025] (Embodiment 1) This embodiment describes a sales support device that automatically makes a call, in which the AI ​​engages in a dialogue with the recipient of the call to request that the call be transferred to the sales target, detects the transfer from the recipient to the sales target, and, upon detection of the transfer, switches the call originator back to the sales representative. In this embodiment, for example, the change in the person handling the call is detected based on the content of the dialogue or by detecting that the call is on hold. Furthermore, here, AI may be considered to broadly include not only generative AI, chatbots, and machine learning, but also automated software and hardware.

[0026] In this embodiment, we will describe a sales support device that determines the content of the caller's speech using the receiver's speech.

[0027] In this embodiment, a sales support device that acquires the content of the caller's speech using one or more attribute values ​​of the receptionist will be described.

[0028] This embodiment describes a sales support device that stores data on the success or failure of sales calls and uses this data to analyze sales activities.

[0029] This embodiment describes a sales support device that acquires the success or failure of a call or switch, performs statistical processing on the success or failure of the call or switch, and outputs the results of the statistical processing.

[0030] In this embodiment, a sales support device that controls phone calls while taking into account the status of the sales representative (available, unavailable, etc.) will be described.

[0031] In this specification, information X being associated with information Y means that information Y can be obtained from information X, or information X can be obtained from information Y, and the method of association is irrelevant. Information X and information Y may be linked, may exist in the same buffer, may information X be contained in information Y, or information Y may be contained in information X, and so on.

[0032] Furthermore, in this specification, selecting or determining information Z means obtaining information Z, obtaining a pointer to information Z, obtaining the ID of information Z, setting a flag on information Z, etc., and it is sufficient to be able to access information Z.

[0033] Figure 1 is a conceptual diagram of the sales support system A in this embodiment. The sales support system A comprises a sales support device 1, two or more call destination telephone terminals 2, and one or more call source telephone terminals 3.

[0034] Sales support device 1 is a device that supports sales activities by telephone. Typically, sales support device 1 can make a call to the recipient's telephone terminal 2 and forward the call to the originating telephone terminal 3. Sales support device 1 can be, for example, a cloud server or an ASP server, but the type is not limited. Sales support device 1 can also be a terminal.

[0035] The "recipient's telephone terminal 2" refers to the telephone terminal of the person being called. This terminal is used by the recipient's receptionist or by one or more of the recipient's business partners. Typically, the recipient is an organization of a business partner.

[0036] The calling telephone terminal 3 is the telephone terminal used by the sales representative making the call. The sales representative makes the call to the target company and aims to close the deal. The calling company is the organization that conducts the sales.

[0037] The receiving telephone terminal 2 and the calling telephone terminal 3 are devices that have telephone functionality. These devices may be, for example, business phones, smartphones, or mobile phones. The receiving telephone terminal 2 and the calling telephone terminal 3 may be either fixed-line telephone devices or mobile phone devices; the type is not restricted.

[0038] The sales support device 1 and the receiving telephone terminal 2, and the sales support device 1 and the calling telephone terminal 3, can communicate via, for example, a telephone line or the internet.

[0039] Figure 2 is a block diagram of the sales support system A in this embodiment. The sales support device 1 that constitutes the sales support system A includes a storage unit 11, a reception unit 12, a processing unit 13, and an output unit 14.

[0040] The storage unit 11 includes a call destination management unit 111 and a call source management unit 112. The processing unit 13 includes a call unit 130, a speech acquisition unit 131, a dialogue unit 132, a detection unit 133, a switching unit 134, a result acquisition unit 135, a storage unit 136, a speech analysis unit 137, a statistical processing unit 138, a person identification unit 139, and a call judgment unit 140. The output unit 14 includes an analysis output unit 141 and a statistical output unit 142.

[0041] Various types of information are stored in the storage unit 11 that constitutes the business support device 1. The various types of information include, for example, the connection destination information described later, the connection source information described later, one or more utterance information, and one or more switching conditions described later.

[0042] The utterance information is information that identifies the utterance content. The utterance information is, for example, the connection source utterance template and the recipient utterance template.

[0043] The connection source utterance template is information that serves as a template for the connection source utterance. The connection source utterance template may be the connection source utterance. The connection source utterance is information indicating the utterance content of the connection source. The connection source utterance is a character string indicating the utterance of the connection source. The recipient utterance template is information that serves as a template for the recipient utterance. The recipient utterance template may be the recipient utterance. The recipient utterance is information indicating the utterance content of the recipient. The recipient utterance is a character string indicating the utterance of the recipient.

[0044] The connection source utterance template is, for example, "<Connection source identifier>. Is <Business partner> <Position> there?" "Thank you. Please take care of it." "<Regarding business target>." In the utterance information, the character string surrounded by "<" and ">" is a variable.

[0045] The recipient utterance template is, for example, "Please wait a moment." "What is your business?" "<Business partner> is on a business trip and is currently not available."

[0046] One or more connection destination information are stored in the connection destination management unit 111. The connection destination information is information that identifies the connection destination. The connection destination information is, for example, a telephone number, but may also be the ID of a telephone application (e.g., LINE phone), etc. The connection destination information may have a connection destination identifier, call destination information, and business partner information.

[0047] The destination identifier is information for identifying the destination. The destination identifier is, for example, an organization identifier. The destination identifier is, for example, the name of the organization or the ID of the organization. The organization identifier is information for identifying an organization. An organization is usually a company, but it may also be an association, a sole proprietor, etc. The organization identifier is, for example, the organization name or the ID of the organization. The organization identifier is, for example, the company name, the name of a local public entity, or the ID of the company.

[0048] The call destination information is information for specifying the call destination. The call destination information is, for example, a phone number, but it may also be the ID of a phone application, etc. The business partner information is information regarding the business partner. A business partner is the partner of the destination that the salesperson at the origin wants to conduct business with. The business partner information has, for example, the name or surname of the business partner, the position, and the department.

[0049] It is preferable that one or more pieces of destination information of the destination management unit 111 are associated with an origin identifier. One or more pieces of destination information may be associated with two or more origin identifiers. That is, two or more pieces of origin information of each organization of two or more origins may be associated with the destination management unit 111.

[0050] One or more pieces of origin information are stored in the origin management unit 112. The origin information is information regarding the origin. The origin is the side that makes a telepoint call to the destination. The origin information is associated with an origin identifier. The origin information has, for example, the number of people who can be accommodated. The origin information has, for example, a business target. The origin information has, for example, one or more pieces of salesperson information.

[0051] The origin identifier is information for identifying the origin. The origin identifier is usually an organization identifier. The origin identifier is, for example, the name of the origin organization or the ID of the origin.

[0052] The number of people who can be accommodated is the number of salespersons at the origin. The number of salespersons is the maximum number of people who can talk on the phone with the business partner at the destination at one time.

[0053] A target of business is information that identifies the target of business. For example, a target of business might be the product name of the product being sold. A product is the name of the product. A product is the item being sold. A product can be a physical item or a service.

[0054] Sales representative information refers to information about a sales representative. This information includes, for example, caller information and the sales representative's name. Caller information includes, for example, status information. Caller information identifies the recipient of the call from the sales representative making the call. This caller information includes, for example, the sales representative's phone number, extension number, and the ID of the sales representative's phone application.

[0055] Status information refers to information that identifies the status of a sales representative. This information can also include information that allows for the estimation of the sales representative's status. Status information may also indirectly indicate the sales representative's status. For example, status information could indicate whether or not a new call is available. For instance, status information could be either "1" (available) or "0" (not available). If a new call is unavailable, it might be because the sales representative is on another call or away from their desk.

[0056] The reception unit 12 receives various instructions and information. These instructions and information include, for example, call destination information, available staff, and start instructions.

[0057] A start instruction is an instruction to begin making a call to one or more destinations. A start instruction includes, for example, a call source identifier. The reception unit 12 receives a start instruction from, for example, a terminal (not shown).

[0058] Here, "reception" typically refers to the reception of information transmitted via wired or wireless communication lines, but it may also be a concept that includes the reception of information input from input devices such as keyboards, mice, and touch panels, as well as the reception of information read from recording media such as optical discs, magnetic discs, and semiconductor memory.

[0059] The processing unit 13 performs various processes. These processes include, for example, those performed by the call-making unit 130, speech acquisition unit 131, dialogue unit 132, detection unit 133, switching unit 134, result acquisition unit 135, storage unit 136, speech analysis unit 137, statistical processing unit 138, number of people identification unit 139, or call-making judgment unit 140.

[0060] The calling unit 130 makes a call to the destination specified by the call destination information. Note that the process of making a call to a specific destination is a known technique.

[0061] It is preferable that the power-on unit 130 only makes a power connection when the power-on determination unit 140, which will be described later, determines that it is possible to make a power connection.

[0062] The speech acquisition unit 131 acquires the caller's utterance, which is the caller's utterance. The means and algorithm by which the speech acquisition unit 131 acquires the caller's utterance are not specified. The process by which the speech acquisition unit 131 acquires the caller's utterance can be carried out using publicly known technology.

[0063] The speech acquisition unit 131 acquires, for example, the caller's utterance from the storage unit 11. The speech acquisition unit 131 is, for example, a so-called chatbot and acquires the caller's utterance, which is an utterance corresponding to the receptionist utterance received from the receptionist. The speech acquisition unit 131 gives, for example, a prompt to the generating AI to output the content to be spoken, and acquires the caller's utterance from the generating AI. The prompts are, for example, "You are a sales representative belonging to <Caller Identifier>. When making a call to <Sales Target> <Position> to sell our company's products, what should you say first?" or "You are a sales representative belonging to <Caller Identifier>. You have received the utterance "<Receptionist utterance>" from the receptionist at the sales target. What should you say next?"

[0064] The generating AI may be ChatGPT® or Gemini, but it is not limited to these.

[0065] The speech acquisition unit 131 acquires, for example, the caller's utterance, which is the caller's utterance, based on the receiver's utterance acquired by the dialogue unit 132, which will be described later.

[0066] The speech acquisition unit 131, for example, acquires one or more attribute values ​​of the receiver from the receiver's speech. Next, the speech acquisition unit 131, for example, uses the one or more attribute values ​​to acquire the caller's speech. In this case, for example, caller speech templates are stored in the storage unit 11, associated with two or more attribute value conditions that use one or more attribute values. Then, the speech acquisition unit 131 acquires a caller speech template that corresponds to an attribute value condition that matches one or more attribute values ​​acquired from the receiver's speech, and acquires a caller speech based on the caller speech template.

[0067] The speech acquisition unit 131, for example, performs acoustic analysis on the receiver's speech and acquires one or more attribute values ​​of the receiver. The technique of acquiring one or more attribute values ​​of a speaker based on human voice information is a known technique. Here, one or more attribute values ​​are, for example, gender, age group, and current emotions (joy, anger, sadness, etc.).

[0068] The dialogue unit 132, acting as the caller, interacts with the recipient of the call after the dialing unit 130 has made the call. The dialogue unit 132, for example, transmits the caller's utterance acquired by the utterance acquisition unit 131. The dialogue unit 132 usually transmits the caller's utterance to the recipient telephone terminal 2.

[0069] The dialogue unit 132 may have the functions of the speech acquisition unit 131. In such a case, the dialogue unit 132 can be implemented, for example, by a so-called chatbot. The dialogue unit 132, for example, provides an AI for generating utterances from the receptionist at the destination, acquires the caller's utterance from the AI, and transmits the caller's utterance to the destination telephone terminal 2.

[0070] The dialogue unit 132 acquires the receptionist utterance, which is the utterance of the receptionist at the destination of the call. The dialogue unit 132 acquires one or more pieces of utterance information. The utterance information includes the receptionist utterance, the caller's utterance, the sales utterance, or the recipient's utterance. The receptionist utterance is the utterance of the receptionist at the destination of the call. The caller's utterance is the utterance of the caller. The sales utterance is the utterance of the sales representative. The recipient's utterance is the utterance of the sales partner.

[0071] The detection unit 133 detects when the call is switched from the receptionist to the sales client. The detection unit 133 detects when the call is switched from the receptionist to the sales client, or when the call has been switched.

[0072] The detection unit 133 detects a switchover, for example, when a switching condition is met. The detection unit 133 detects a switchover, for example, when a phone call is put on hold.

[0073] Switching conditions are the conditions used to determine whether the call has been switched from the receptionist to the sales partner, or whether the call has been switched from the receptionist to the sales partner. Switching conditions are conditions related to one or more switching utterances. For example, a switching condition is that the receptionist utterance or the caller's utterance contains specific information. The switching utterance is usually the receptionist utterance or the caller's utterance.

[0074] A switching utterance is an utterance used to detect a switch. A switching utterance is an utterance used by the detection unit 133 to detect when the recipient of a call switches from the receptionist to the business partner, or when a switch has occurred. A switching utterance may contain one or more variables. An example of a switching utterance is the receptionist's utterance, "Please wait a moment," "I will check. Please wait a moment," and the caller's utterance, "Thank you, I appreciate it." The receptionist's utterance is the utterance from the receptionist's side. The caller's utterance is the utterance from the caller's side. The caller's utterance is the utterance from the dialogue unit 132. The utterance from the dialogue unit 132 is the utterance acquired by the utterance acquisition unit 131.

[0075] The switching condition is, for example, that the received utterance from the receptionist is identical to or has a similarity to the switching utterance that is equal to or greater than a threshold. Another switching condition is that the utterance from the caller acquired by the utterance acquisition unit 131 is identical to or has a similarity to the switching utterance that is equal to or greater than a threshold.

[0076] The switching condition is, for example, that the response from the generating AI is a response indicating that a switch has occurred. The detection unit 133, for example, provides the generating AI with one or more utterances from the receptionist and / or one or more utterances from the caller, and also gives the generating AI the prompt "Considering one or more conversations, please answer either 'change' or 'do not change' regarding whether the call will be transferred from the receptionist to the sales partner!" and detects a switch when it receives the response "change".

[0077] When the detection unit 133 detects a switch, the switching unit 134 switches the call source to a sales representative. When the detection unit 133 detects a switch, the switching unit 134 obtains the call source notification destination information of the sales representative from the call source management unit 112. Next, the switching unit 134 switches the phone to the destination indicated by the call source notification destination information. Note that the process of switching the phone is publicly known technology.

[0078] The result acquisition unit 135 acquires one or more result information. The result acquisition unit 135 usually acquires result information in association with the call source identifier. The result acquisition unit 135 also acquires result information in association with, for example, the call destination identifier.

[0079] The result information includes call results, switching results, or sales results. Call results are information indicating whether a call made by the call unit 130 was successful or not. Switching results are information indicating whether a switch made by the switching unit 134 was successful or not. Sales results are information indicating whether a sales representative's sales efforts to a client were successful or not. The result acquisition unit 135 receives sales results from, for example, a sales representative's terminal (not shown). It is preferable that such sales results are associated with a call source identifier and a call destination identifier. It is preferable that sales results are associated with a call identifier. A call identifier is information that identifies a single call. A call identifier is, for example, an ID.

[0080] The storage unit 136 stores speech information and result information in association. The storage unit 136 stores speech information and result information in association with, for example, a call source identifier. The storage unit 136 stores speech information and result information in association with, for example, a call destination identifier. It is preferable for the storage unit 136 to store result information in association with a call source identifier. The destination where the storage unit 136 stores result information, etc., may be the storage unit 11 or a device other than the sales support device 1.

[0081] The speech analysis unit 137 analyzes the speech information for each result information stored by the storage unit 136 and obtains the analysis results. It is preferable for the speech analysis unit 137 to analyze the speech information for each call source identifier and obtain the analysis results. It is preferable for the speech analysis unit 137 to analyze the speech information for each call source identifier and each call destination identifier and obtain the analysis results. It is preferable for the speech analysis unit 137 to analyze the speech information for each call source identifier, each call destination identifier and each result information and obtain the analysis results.

[0082] The speech analysis unit 137, for example, acquires one or more speech information corresponding to each result information accumulated by the storage unit 136. Next, the speech analysis unit 137 acquires one or more important terms from the terms contained in the one or more speech information for each result information. Important terms are, for example, terms whose TF / IDF value is equal to or greater than a threshold. In this way, for example, terms used when a switch fails (terms that the speech acquisition unit 131 should not acquire) and terms used when a sales attempt fails (terms that sales representatives should not use) can be identified.

[0083] The speech analysis unit 137, for example, acquires one or more speech information associated with each result information stored by the storage unit 136. Next, the speech analysis unit 137 acquires one or more topics from two or more speech information for each call identifier for each result information. In this way, for example, topics related to unsuccessful sales calls (topics that sales representatives should not talk about) and topics related to successful sales calls (topics that sales representatives should talk about) can be identified. Note that the technique for acquiring topics from dialogue information is publicly known.

[0084] The statistical processing unit 138 performs statistical processing using one or more result information and obtains the statistical processing results. It is preferable for the statistical processing unit 138 to perform statistical processing for each of the one or more call source identifiers and obtain the statistical processing results. The statistical processing unit 138 may also perform statistical processing for each of the one or more call destination identifiers and obtain the statistical processing results. The statistical processing unit 138 may also perform statistical processing for each call destination identifier and each call source identifier and obtain the statistical processing results.

[0085] The statistical processing results include, for example, call success rate, conversion rate, and sales success rate. The call success rate is calculated as "number of successful calls / number of calls made". The conversion rate is calculated as "number of times calls were connected to potential customers / number of successful calls" or "number of times calls were connected to potential customers / number of calls made". The sales success rate is calculated as "number of times deals were closed / number of times calls were connected to potential customers" or "number of times deals were closed / number of calls made".

[0086] The person identification unit 139 identifies the required number of sales representatives for the calling source. The person identification unit 139 obtains, for example, the number of call destination identifiers that are paired with a call source identifier, and obtains the required number based on that number. The required number usually increases as the number of call destination identifiers increases. The required number is calculated, for example, by an increasing function that takes the number of call destination identifiers as a parameter.

[0087] The call determination unit 140 determines whether or not to make a call. There are various methods for determining whether or not to make a call, and this is not limited to any particular method.

[0088] The call determination unit 140, for example, acquires status information that identifies the status of the sales representative from the call source, and determines whether or not to make a call based on said status information. The call determination unit 140 acquires status information of the sales representative from the call source from the call source management unit 112. The call determination unit 140, for example, refers to the status information and determines that a call can be made if there is a sales representative who can respond, and that a call cannot be made if there is no sales representative who can respond. The call determination unit 140, for example, refers to the status information and determines that a call can be made if the number of sales representatives who can respond meets the calling conditions, and that a call cannot be made if the calling conditions are not met. The calling conditions here include the number of sales representatives who can respond being greater than or equal to the site or greater than a threshold, or the number of sales representatives who can respond being less than or equal to the required number identified by the personnel identification unit 139.

[0089] The call decision unit 140 determines whether or not to make a call, for example, using the number of available staff at the call source and the switching result. The call decision unit 140 determines whether or not to make a call if, for example, when a call is connected to a new sales target, there are no sales representatives available to answer. The call decision unit 140 determines whether or not to make a call, for example, using the number of available staff at the call source management unit 112 and the required number of staff obtained by the staff identification unit 139. The call decision unit 140 determines whether or not to make a call if, for example, "available staff < required number of staff".

[0090] The output unit 14 outputs various types of information. These types of information include, for example, the analysis results and statistical processing results acquired by the speech analysis unit 137.

[0091] Here, "output" refers to, for example, transmission to a terminal device (not shown), but it may also be a concept that includes display on a screen, projection using a projector, printing with a printer, sound output, transmission to an external device, storage on a recording medium, and handover of processing results to other programs, etc.

[0092] The analysis output unit 141 outputs the analysis results acquired by the speech analysis unit 137. The analysis output unit 141 transmits the analysis results acquired by the speech analysis unit 137 to a terminal (not shown), for example.

[0093] The statistical output unit 142 outputs the statistical processing results acquired by the statistical processing unit 138. The statistical output unit 142 transmits the statistical processing results acquired by the statistical processing unit 138 to a terminal (not shown), for example.

[0094] The storage unit 11, the call destination management unit 111, and the call source management unit 112 are preferably made of non-volatile recording media, but can also be made of volatile recording media.

[0095] The process by which information is stored in the storage unit 11, etc. is not relevant. For example, information may be stored in the storage unit 11, etc. via a recording medium, information transmitted via a communication line, etc. may be stored in the storage unit 11, etc., or information input via an input device may be stored in the storage unit 11, etc.

[0096] The reception unit 12 may be implemented, for example, by wireless or wired communication means, but it may also be implemented by means of receiving broadcasts, device drivers for input means such as touch panels and keyboards, or control software for menu screens.

[0097] The processing unit 13, call unit 130, speech acquisition unit 131, dialogue unit 132, detection unit 133, switching unit 134, result acquisition unit 135, storage unit 136, speech analysis unit 137, statistical processing unit 138, number of people identification unit 139, and call determination unit 140 can typically be implemented using a processor, memory, etc. The processing procedures of the processing unit 13, etc., are typically implemented in software, and this software is recorded on a recording medium such as ROM. However, it may also be implemented in hardware (dedicated circuitry). The processor can be a CPU, MPU, GPU, etc., and the type is not limited.

[0098] The output unit 14, the analysis output unit 141, and the statistical output unit 142 are implemented, for example, by wireless or wired communication means, but may also be implemented by driver software for an output device such as a display or speaker, or by driver software for an output device and the output device itself.

[0099] Next, an example of the operation of the sales support device 1 will be explained using the flowcharts in Figures 3 and 4.

[0100] (Step S301) The processing unit 13 determines whether the conditions for making a call have been met. If the conditions for making a call have been met, the process proceeds to step S302; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S321.

[0101] The calling conditions are the conditions for deciding to make a call to one or more destinations. In this case, the calling conditions are, for example, that the reception unit 12 has received a calling instruction, or that a predetermined time has arrived. It is preferable that the time to start making a call for each call source is managed by the storage unit 11.

[0102] (Step S302) The processing unit 13 assigns 1 to counter i.

[0103] (Step S303) The processing unit 13 determines whether or not there is an i-th call source that satisfies the call-making conditions. If there is an i-th call source, the process goes to step S304; otherwise, it returns to step S301.

[0104] (Step S304) The processing unit 13 assigns 1 to counter j.

[0105] (Step S305) The processing unit 13 obtains the call source identifier of the i-th call source. Next, the processing unit 13 determines whether the j-th call destination identifier, which is paired with the said call source identifier, exists in the call destination management unit 111. If the j-th call destination identifier exists, the unit proceeds to step S306; otherwise, it proceeds to step S320.

[0106] (Step S306) The call determination unit 140 determines whether or not to make a call to the j-th call destination identified by the j-th call destination identifier, and obtains the determination result. An example of such a call determination process will be explained using the flowcharts in Figures 5 and 6.

[0107] (Step S307) If the result of the judgment in step S306 is "possible to make a call", proceed to step S308; if it is "not possible to make a call", proceed to step S319.

[0108] (Step S308) The dialing unit 130 obtains call destination information (for example, a telephone number) from the call destination management unit 111 that is paired with the j-th call destination identifier. The dialing unit 130 uses this call destination information to make a call. The dialing unit 130 continues making calls for a predetermined period of time, and if the call is not answered, it terminates the call.

[0109] (Step S309) The storage unit 136 obtains the call result (success or failure) from step S308. The storage unit 136 obtains the date and time from a clock (not shown). The storage unit 136 associates the i-th call source identifier with the j-th call destination identifier and the date and time, and stores the call result in the storage unit 11. If the call result is "successful", it is preferable for the storage unit 136 to obtain a unique call identifier and store the call result in the storage unit 11 in conjunction with that call identifier.

[0110] (Step S310) If the call is successful, proceed to step S311; otherwise, proceed to step S318.

[0111] (Step S311) The dialogue unit 132 converses with the receptionist at the destination of the call. An example of such dialogue processing will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 7.

[0112] (Step S312) The detection unit 133 performs a switching detection process. An example of the detection process will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 9.

[0113] (Step S313) If a switchover is detected in step S312, proceed to step S314; otherwise, proceed to step S316.

[0114] Furthermore, if a switch is detected, it is preferable that the speech acquisition unit 131 acquires the next caller's utterance (by performing the processing shown in the flowchart in Figure 8), and the dialogue unit 132 transmits the caller's utterance to the recipient telephone terminal 2.

[0115] (Step S314) The storage unit 136 acquires the switching result indicating that a switch has occurred. The storage unit 136 acquires the date and time from a clock (not shown). The storage unit 136 associates the i-th call source identifier, the j-th call destination identifier, and the date and time, and stores the switching result in the storage unit 11.

[0116] (Step S315) The switching unit 134 performs a switching process. An example of the switching process will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 10.

[0117] (Step S316) The processing unit 13 determines whether or not to end the call, or whether or not the call has ended. If the call has ended, the unit proceeds to step S317; otherwise, it returns to step S311.

[0118] (Step S317) The storage unit 136 obtains a switching result indicating that the switch did not occur. The storage unit 136 obtains the date and time from a clock (not shown). The storage unit 136 associates the i-th call source identifier, the j-th call destination identifier, and the date and time and stores the switching result in the storage unit 11. It is preferable for the storage unit 136 to store the switching result in the storage unit 11 in pairs with the call identifier.

[0119] (Step S318) The processing unit 13 increments the counter j by 1. The process returns to step S305.

[0120] (Step S319) The processing unit 13 waits for a predetermined time. The process returns to step S305.

[0121] (Step S320) The processing unit 13 increments the counter i by 1. The process returns to step S303.

[0122] (Step S321) The reception unit 12 determines whether or not it has received the sales result. If it has received the sales result, it proceeds to step S322; otherwise, it proceeds to step S323. The sales result is associated with, for example, a call identifier. The call identifier is associated with a call source identifier and a call destination identifier.

[0123] The reception unit 12 receives, for example, sales results associated with a call identifier from a sales representative's terminal (not shown).

[0124] (Step S322) The storage unit 136 stores the sales results in association with the call identifier. Return to step S301.

[0125] The storage unit 136 may, for example, change the status information corresponding to the sales representative to "available" (for example, "0").

[0126] (Step S323) The reception unit 12 determines whether or not it has received the information. If it has received the information, it proceeds to step S324; otherwise, it proceeds to step S325.

[0127] The information presented here includes all or part of the information of the recipient of the call, and all or part of the information of the caller. The reception unit 12 also receives information from a terminal (not shown) of a person in charge at the organization making the call.

[0128] The reception unit 12 may, for example, receive information that a call between a sales representative and a client has been completed.

[0129] (Step S324) The storage unit 136 stores the information received in step S323. Return to step S301.

[0130] When information is received indicating that a call between a sales representative and a client has been completed, the storage unit 136 changes the status information corresponding to the sales representative to, for example, "available" (e.g., "0").

[0131] (Step S325) The speech analysis unit 137 determines whether or not the speech analysis conditions are met. If the speech analysis conditions are met, the process proceeds to step S326; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S328.

[0132] Speech analysis conditions are the conditions for analyzing speech. Examples of speech analysis conditions include reaching a predetermined time, exceeding a threshold amount of accumulated speech information, and receiving an analysis instruction from the user.

[0133] (Step S326) The speech analysis unit 137 performs speech analysis processing. An example of speech analysis processing will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 11.

[0134] (Step S327) The analysis output unit 141 outputs the speech analysis results obtained in step S326. Return to step S301.

[0135] (Step S328) The statistical processing unit 138 determines whether the statistical processing conditions are met. If the statistical processing conditions are met, the process proceeds to step S329; otherwise, it returns to step S301.

[0136] Statistical processing conditions are the conditions for initiating statistical processing. Examples of statistical processing conditions include reaching a predetermined time, exceeding a threshold amount of accumulated result information, or receiving a statistical processing instruction from the user.

[0137] (Step S329) The statistical processing unit 138 performs statistical processing. An example of statistical processing will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 12.

[0138] (Step S330) The statistical output unit 142 outputs the statistical processing results obtained in step S328. Return to step S301.

[0139] In the flowcharts shown in Figures 3 and 4, processing is terminated by power-off or processing termination interrupts.

[0140] Next, a first example of the call determination process in step S306 will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 5.

[0141] (Step S501) The call determination unit 140 obtains the call source identifier.

[0142] (Step S502) The power-on determination unit 140 assigns 1 to counter i.

[0143] (Step S503) The call determination unit 140 determines whether the i-th sales representative information, which is paired with the call source identifier, exists in the call source management unit 112. If the i-th sales representative information exists, the process proceeds to step S504; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S508.

[0144] (Step S504) The call determination unit 140 obtains the status information of the i-th sales representative from the call source management unit 112.

[0145] (Step S505) If the status information indicates that the call can be made, the call determination unit 140 proceeds to step S506, and if the status information indicates that the call cannot be made, it proceeds to step S508.

[0146] (Step S506) The call determination unit 140 determines the result to be "call possible". It returns to the higher-level processing.

[0147] (Step S507) The call determination unit 140 increments the counter i by 1. Return to step S504.

[0148] (Step S508) The call determination unit 140 determines the result to be "Call not possible". It returns to the higher-level processing.

[0149] Next, a second example of the call determination process in step S306 will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 6.

[0150] (Step S601) The number of people identification unit 139 obtains the call source identifier.

[0151] (Step S602) The number of people identification unit 139 obtains the number of people that can be handled, which is paired with the call source identifier.

[0152] (Step S603) The number of people identification unit 139 obtains from the storage unit 11 the switching result for the target period (for example, today) which is paired with the call source identifier.

[0153] (Step S604) The number identification unit 139 obtains the sales results for the target period (for example, today) from the storage unit 11, which are paired with the call source identifier.

[0154] (Step S605) The number of people identification unit 139 obtains the number of people that can be handled, which is paired with the call source identifier, from the call source management unit 112.

[0155] (Step S606) The person identification unit 139 obtains the number of "successful switching" results. The person identification unit 139 obtains the number of sales results. The person identification unit 139 determines whether the condition "Number of people who can be handled - (Number of "successful switching" - Number of sales results) >= 1" is met. If this calling condition is met, proceed to step S607; otherwise, proceed to step S608.

[0156] (Step S607) The call determination unit 140 determines the result to be "call possible". It returns to the higher-level processing.

[0157] (Step S608) The call determination unit 140 determines the result to be "Call not possible". It returns to the higher-level processing.

[0158] The call determination unit 140 may determine whether or not a call can be made by a method other than the flowcharts shown in Figures 5 and 6. For example, the call determination unit 140 may send a signal to the calling telephone terminals 3 of one or more sales representatives asking whether or not they are available, and if it receives a signal from one or more calling telephone terminals 3 indicating that they are available, it may determine that a call can be made.

[0159] Next, an example of the dialogue processing in step S311 will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 7.

[0160] (Step S701) The speech acquisition unit 131 performs speech acquisition processing and acquires the caller's speech. An example of the speech acquisition processing will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 8. Note that this processing may also be performed by the dialogue unit 132.

[0161] (Step S702) The storage unit 136 acquires the caller identifier of the caller making the call and the caller identifier of the caller of interest. The storage unit 136 stores the caller utterance acquired in step S701 in the storage unit 11, associating it with the caller identifier and the caller identifier. It is preferable for the storage unit 136 to store the caller utterance in the storage unit 11, associating it with the caller identifier.

[0162] (Step S703) The dialogue unit 132 transmits the caller's utterance acquired in step S701 to the call recipient's telephone terminal 2.

[0163] (Step S704) The dialogue unit 132 determines whether or not it has received a caller's utterance from the call destination telephone terminal 2. If it has received a caller's utterance, it proceeds to step S705; if it has not received a caller's utterance, it proceeds to step S706.

[0164] (Step S705) The storage unit 136 obtains the call source identifier and the call destination identifier. The storage unit 136 stores the receiver utterance received in step S704 in the storage unit 11, associating it with the call source identifier and the call destination identifier. Here, it is preferable for the storage unit 136 to store the receiver utterance in the storage unit 11 in pairs with the call source identifier.

[0165] (Step S706) The dialogue unit 132 determines whether the call with the receiver has ended (for example, the call has been disconnected from the caller's telephone terminal 2). If the call has ended, it returns to the higher-level processing; otherwise, if the receiver's utterance is received, it returns to step S704.

[0166] Next, an example of the speech acquisition process in step S701 will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 8.

[0167] (Step S801) The speech acquisition unit 131 determines whether or not it is the first utterance made when the call was made. If it is the first utterance, the unit proceeds to step S802; otherwise, the unit proceeds to step S807.

[0168] (Step S802) The speech acquisition unit 131 acquires the first speech template from the speech template management table in the storage unit 11.

[0169] (Step S803) The speech acquisition unit 131 assigns 1 to counter i.

[0170] (Step S804) The speech acquisition unit 131 determines whether the i-th variable exists in the most recently acquired speech template. If the i-th variable exists, the process proceeds to step S805; otherwise, it returns to the higher-level processing.

[0171] (Step S805) The speech acquisition unit 131 acquires the i-th variable. The speech acquisition unit 131 acquires the information corresponding to the i-th variable. The speech acquisition unit 131 substitutes this information into the speech template and acquires the caller's utterance.

[0172] (Step S806) The speech acquisition unit 131 increments the counter i by 1. Return to step S804.

[0173] (Step S807) The speech acquisition unit 131 acquires past speech information. The past speech information is usually the most recent speech from the recipient.

[0174] (Step S808) The speech acquisition unit 131 assigns 2 to counter j.

[0175] (Step S809) The speech acquisition unit 131 determines whether the j-th recipient speech template exists in the speech template management table. If the j-th recipient speech template exists, the process proceeds to step S810; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S815.

[0176] (Step S810) The speech acquisition unit 131 acquires the j-th recipient speech template from the speech template management table.

[0177] (Step S811) The speech acquisition unit 131 acquires the similarity between past speech information and the j-th recipient speech template.

[0178] (Step S812) The speech acquisition unit 131 determines whether the similarity score satisfies the similarity condition. If the similarity condition is met, the process proceeds to step S813; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S814.

[0179] (Step S813) The speech acquisition unit 131 acquires the caller's speech template that corresponds to the j-th recipient's speech template. Proceed to step S803.

[0180] (Step S814) The speech acquisition unit 131 increments the counter j by 1. Return to step S809.

[0181] (Step S815) The speech acquisition unit 131 acquires a speech acquisition prompt template from the storage unit 11.

[0182] A speech acquisition prompt template is a template for a prompt used to acquire the caller's utterance. An example of a speech acquisition prompt template is, "Based on our previous conversation, what should I say next? <Speech Information>" where "<Speech Information>" is a variable into which the previous utterance information will be assigned.

[0183] (Step S816) If a variable exists in the speech acquisition prompt template, the speech acquisition unit 131 acquires the information corresponding to the variable, substitutes the information into the variable's location, and constructs the speech acquisition prompt. If no variable exists in the speech acquisition prompt template, the speech acquisition unit 131 uses the speech acquisition prompt template as the speech acquisition prompt.

[0184] (Step S817) The speech acquisition unit 131 passes the speech acquisition prompt to the generating AI.

[0185] (Step S818) The speech acquisition unit 131 determines whether or not it has obtained a response from the generating AI. If a response has been obtained, the process proceeds to step S819; otherwise, it returns to step S818.

[0186] (Step S819) The speech acquisition unit 131 acquires the caller's speech from the response. It returns to the higher-level processing.

[0187] Alternatively, instead of following the flowchart in Figure 8, the speech acquisition unit 131 may, for example, perform processing using a known chatbot to acquire the caller's utterance.

[0188] Next, an example of the detection process in step S312 will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 9.

[0189] (Step S901) The detection unit 133 determines whether or not a hold signal has been received from the telephone terminal 2 to which the call was made. If a hold signal has been received, the process proceeds to step S902; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S903.

[0190] (Step S902) The detection unit 133 assigns "switched" to the detection result. It returns to the higher-level processing.

[0191] (Step S903) The detection unit 133 obtains the latest receiver utterance in the target dialogue from the storage unit 11.

[0192] (Step S904) The detection unit 133 assigns 1 to counter i.

[0193] (Step S905) The detection unit 133 determines whether the i-th switching receiver utterance exists in the switching condition management table of the storage unit 11 (for example, Figure 16, which will be described later). If the i-th switching receiver utterance exists, the process proceeds to step S906; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S909.

[0194] Note that the "switching receptionist utterances" are examples of utterances made by receptionists to determine whether a switch is necessary. Examples of switching receptionist utterances include, "Please wait a moment," and "I will check. Please wait a moment."

[0195] (Step S906) The detection unit 133 acquires the i-th switching recipient utterance from the storage unit 11.

[0196] (Step S907) The detection unit 133 obtains the similarity between the most recent receiver utterance obtained in step S903 and the i-th switched receiver utterance obtained in step S906. The detection unit 133 determines whether the similarity satisfies the switching condition. If the switching condition is met, proceed to step S902; otherwise, proceed to step S908.

[0197] The switching condition is that the similarity score is equal to or greater than a threshold. Furthermore, the technique for obtaining the similarity score of two strings is publicly known.

[0198] (Step S908) The detection unit 133 increments the counter i by 1. Return to step S905.

[0199] (Step S909) The detection unit 133 obtains the latest caller utterance in the target conversation from the storage unit 11.

[0200] (Step S910) The detection unit 133 assigns 1 to counter i.

[0201] (Step S911) The detection unit 133 determines whether the i-th switching caller utterance exists in the switching condition management table of the storage unit 11 (for example, Figure 16, which will be described later). If the i-th switching caller utterance exists, the unit proceeds to step S912; otherwise, the unit proceeds to step S915.

[0202] (Step S912) The detection unit 133 acquires the i-th switching call source utterance from the storage unit 11.

[0203] (Step S913) The detection unit 133 obtains the similarity between the latest caller utterance obtained in step S909 and the i-th switched caller utterance obtained in step S912. The detection unit 133 determines whether the similarity satisfies the switching condition. If the switching condition is met, proceed to step S902; otherwise, proceed to step S914.

[0204] (Step S914) The detection unit 133 increments the counter i by 1. Return to step S909.

[0205] (Step S915) The detection unit 133 assigns "no switch" to the detection result. It returns to the higher-level processing.

[0206] In addition, in the flowchart of Figure 9, the detection unit 133 may, for example, provide the generation AI with the utterance information from the previous conversation between the receptionist and the dialogue unit 132, and also provide the generation AI with a prompt to inquire whether the call will be transferred from the receptionist to the sales partner (for example, "Considering the conversation you provided, answer whether the call will be transferred from the receptionist to the sales partner!"), and detect the switch when it receives the answer "change".

[0207] Next, an example of the switching process in step S315 will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 10.

[0208] (Step S1001) The switching unit 134 acquires the call source identifier.

[0209] (Step S1002) The switching unit 134 assigns 1 to counter i.

[0210] (Step S1003) The switching unit 134 determines whether or not the i-th sales representative exists. If the i-th sales representative exists, the process proceeds to step S1004; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S1010.

[0211] (Step S1004) The switching unit 134 obtains status information paired with the i-th sales representative identifier from the call source management unit 112.

[0212] (Step S1005) If the status information indicates "available", proceed to step S1006; if the status information indicates "unavailable", proceed to step S1009.

[0213] (Step S1006) The switching unit 134 obtains the call source notification destination information, which is paired with the i-th sales representative identifier, from the call source management unit 112.

[0214] (Step S1007) The switching unit 134 notifies the recipient indicated by the caller notification information. As a result, the sales representative's caller telephone terminal 3 and the recipient can communicate.

[0215] (Step S1008) The switching unit 134 sets the status information paired with the i-th sales representative identifier to "unavailable". It then returns to the higher-level processing.

[0216] (Step S1009) The switching unit 134 increments the counter i by 1. Return to step S1003.

[0217] (Step S1010) The switching unit 134 outputs an error. It returns to the higher-level processing.

[0218] In the flowchart of Figure 10, in step S1010, instead of returning to the higher-level process, the system may, for example, wait for a predetermined time before returning to step S1001.

[0219] Next, an example of the speech analysis process in step S326 will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 11.

[0220] (Step S1101) The speech analysis unit 137 obtains a call source identifier that identifies the call source to be analyzed.

[0221] (Step S1102) The speech analysis unit 137 assigns 1 to counter i.

[0222] (Step S1103) The speech analysis unit 137 determines whether or not the i-th type of result information exists. If the i-th type of result information exists, the process proceeds to step S1104; otherwise, it returns to the higher-level processing. The types of result information that exist are predetermined. For example, the types of result information are one or more of the following: "Successful call", "Failed call", "Successful switch", "Failed switch", "Successful sales", "Failed sales".

[0223] (Step S1104) The speech analysis unit 137 obtains the i-th type of result information.

[0224] (Step S1105) The speech analysis unit 137 retrieves the utterance of the caller from the storage unit 11 that corresponds to the result information obtained in step S1104. The utterance of the caller is either the utterance of the receptionist or the utterance of the business partner.

[0225] (Step S1106) The speech analysis unit 137 obtains one or more characteristic words, etc. from one or more utterances obtained in step S1105. Characteristic words, etc. are, for example, one or more pieces of information from characteristic words, topic, and summary.

[0226] (Step S1107) The speech analysis unit 137 obtains the caller's utterance that corresponds to the result information. The caller's utterance is either the caller's utterance or the utterance of the sales representative.

[0227] (Step S1108) The speech analysis unit 137 obtains one or more characteristic words, etc. from one or more utterances obtained in step S1107. Characteristic words, etc. are, for example, one or more pieces of information from characteristic words, topic, and summary.

[0228] (Step S1109) The speech analysis unit 137 constructs an analysis result that includes the acquired characteristic words, etc.

[0229] (Step S1110) The speech analysis unit 137 increments counter i by 1. Return to step S1103.

[0230] In addition, in the flowchart of Figure 11, the speech analysis unit 137 may use two or more types of information from the recipient's speech, the caller's speech, and the sales representative's speech at the same time to acquire characteristic words, etc.

[0231] Furthermore, the speech analysis unit 137 provides the generating AI with information such as the prompt "Summarize the following conversation," along with one or more types of information from the utterances of the caller, the caller, and the sales representative, and obtains a summary of the conversation as a response from the generating AI.

[0232] Next, an example of the statistical processing in step S329 will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 12.

[0233] (Step S1201) The statistical processing unit 138 obtains the call source identifier of the call source that is the subject of statistical processing.

[0234] (Step S1202) The statistical processing unit 138 retrieves from the storage unit 11 one or more call results that are paired with the call source identifier obtained in step S1201, and for a corresponding period of statistical processing. The corresponding period may be predetermined or given. The call results may be, for example, "success" or "failure".

[0235] (Step S1203) The statistical processing unit 138 obtains the call success rate from the one or more call results obtained in step S1202.

[0236] (Step S1204) The statistical processing unit 138 retrieves from the storage unit 11 one or more switching results for the corresponding period that are paired with the call source identifier obtained in step S1201. The switching results are, for example, "success" or "failure".

[0237] (Step S1205) The statistical processing unit 138 obtains the switching success rate from the switching results of 1 or more obtained in step S1204.

[0238] (Step S1206) The statistical processing unit 138 obtains one or more sales results that are paired with the call source identifier obtained in step S1201, and that cover one or more sales results for the corresponding period.

[0239] (Step S1207) The statistical processing unit 138 obtains the sales success rate from the one or more sales results obtained in step S1206.

[0240] (Step S1208) The statistical processing unit 138 generates the statistical processing results. It returns to the higher-level processing. The statistical processing results include, for example, one or more types of information such as call success rate, switching success rate, and sales success rate.

[0241] The following describes a specific example of the operation of the sales support system A in this embodiment.

[0242] The call destination management unit 111 of the sales support device 1 stores the call destination management table shown in Figure 13. The call destination management table is a table that manages information on one or more call destinations. In this case, the call destination management table is a table that manages information on call destinations for each calling source. The call destination information for each calling source is information on the call destinations that each calling source organization wants to telemarket to. The call destination management table is a table that manages one or more records that have an "ID", a "calling source identifier", and "call destination information".

[0243] "ID" is information that identifies a record. "Call destination information" has "Call source identifier" and "Call destination information". "Call destination information" has "Call destination identifier", "Call destination information", and "Sales partner information". "Sales partner information" is information about the sales partner (individual). "Sales partner information" has "Name", "Job title", and "Department". "Call destination information" is information that identifies the call destination, and in this case it is a telephone number or the ID of the phone application. Also, "Call source identifier" and "Call destination identifier" here are company names.

[0244] The call source management unit 112 stores the call source management table shown in Figure 14. The call source management table is a table that manages information on one or more call sources. The call source management table has an "ID" and "Call Source Information". The "Call Source Information" has a "Call Source Identifier", "Target Sales Target", "Sales Representative Information", and "Number of Available Personnel". The "Sales Representative Information" has a "Sales Representative Name", "Call Source Notification Information", and "Status Information". The "Call Source Notification Information" has a "Main Number" and "Extension Number". "Call Source Notification Information" is information indicating the recipient of the call source's notification. "Target Sales Target" is the product or service that the call source is selling. "Number of Available Personnel" is the number of sales representatives who can make telemarketing calls.

[0245] The storage unit 11 stores the speech acquisition management table shown in Figure 15. The speech acquisition management table is a table used by the speech acquisition unit 131 to acquire the caller's utterance. The speech acquisition management table is a table that manages one or more records having an "ID", "Caller's utterance template", and "Receptionist's utterance template". The "Caller's utterance template" is information that serves as a template for the caller's utterance. The caller's utterance template may also be the caller's utterance. The caller's utterance template has, for example, one or more variables. The "Receptionist's utterance template" is information that serves as a template for the receptionist's utterance. The receptionist's utterance template may also be the receptionist's utterance. The receptionist's utterance template has, for example, one or more variables. Here, the variables are strings enclosed in "<" and ">". When an utterance corresponding to a "receptionist utterance template" is received, the utterance is retrieved using the "caller utterance template" corresponding to that "receptionist utterance template".

[0246] The storage unit 11 stores the switching condition management table shown in Figure 16. The switching condition management table is a table that manages one or more switching conditions. The switching condition management table has an "ID", "utterance type", and "switching utterance". "Utterance type" is information that identifies the subject of the utterance. In this case, the "utterance type" can be either "receptionist utterance" or "caller utterance". "Switching utterance" is an utterance that satisfies the switching condition.

[0247] The storage unit 11 stores a dialogue information management table having the structure shown in Figure 17. The dialogue information management table is a table that manages the dialogue that takes place between the caller and the recipient. The dialogue information management table has "ID", "Caller Identifier", "Recipient Identifier", "Date and Time", "Utterance Type", "Utterance Information", and "Result Information". "Result Information" has "Call Result", "Switching Result", and "Sales Result". Here, "Utterance Information" can take the form of "Receptionist Utterance", "Caller Utterance", "Recipient Utterance", or "Sales Utterance". "Recipient Utterance" is the utterance of the sales target. "Sales Utterance" is the utterance of the sales representative. "Call Result" can take the form of "1", indicating a successful call, or "0", indicating a failed call. "Switching Result" can take the form of "1", indicating a successful switch from the receptionist to the sales target, or "0", indicating a failed switch from the receptionist to the sales target. "Sales results" can be represented as "1" (successful sale) or "0" (unsuccessful sale).

[0248] Based on the above situation, the following two specific examples will be explained. Specific example 1 is the case where the call is successfully transferred from the receptionist to the sales target. Specific example 2 is the case where the call is unsuccessfully transferred from the receptionist to the sales target.

[0249] (Specific Example 1) Assume that the person in charge of the call source identifier "Company A" sits down at the desk of each sales representative of "Company A", confirms that the situation is ready, and then enters a start command into a terminal (not shown). Next, the terminal transmits the "start command (Company A)" to the sales support device 1.

[0250] Next, the reception unit 12 of the sales support device 1 receives the start instruction. Then, the processing unit 13 determines that the call conditions have been met.

[0251] Next, the processing unit 13 obtains the call source identifier "Company A" from the received "start instruction (Company A)". Then, the processing unit 13 obtains the first call destination identifier "Company X", which is paired with the call source identifier "Company A", from the call destination management table (Figure 13).

[0252] Next, the call determination unit 140 obtains the status information of each sales representative paired with the call source identifier "Company A" from the call source management table (Figure 14). Since the three obtained status information values ​​are "0", the call determination unit 140 determines that the call conditions are met (the call can be made). Here, the call conditions are, for example, that at least one of the sales representative status information values ​​is "0".

[0253] Next, the calling unit 130 obtains the notification information "03-1234-5566" which is paired with the call recipient identifier "Company X" from the call recipient management table (Figure 13). The calling unit 130 then dials the telephone number "03-1234-5566".

[0254] Next, let's assume that the person receiving the call with the recipient identifier "Company X" answered the call from sales support device 1.

[0255] Next, the storage unit 136 acquires the call result "1 (success)". The storage unit 136 acquires the date and time "t11" from a clock (not shown). The storage unit 136 associates the call source identifier "Company A", the call destination identifier "Company X", and the date and time "t11", and stores the call result "1" in Figure 17.

[0256] Next, the dialogue unit 132 interacts with the receptionist at the call destination as follows. First, the speech acquisition unit 131 acquires the caller utterance template "<Sales Partner Information.Name><Position> is available?" with "ID=1" in Figure 15. Next, the speech acquisition unit 131 acquires the information "Tanaka Ao" corresponding to the variable "<Sales Partner Information.Name>" in the said caller utterance template from the call destination management table (Figure 13). The speech acquisition unit 131 also acquires the information "Section Chief" corresponding to the variable "<Position>" in the said caller utterance template from Figure 13. Next, the speech acquisition unit 131 assigns the acquired information to the variables in the caller utterance template and acquires the caller utterance "Is Section Chief Tanaka Ao available?".

[0257] Next, the dialogue unit 132 speaks the caller's utterance, "Is Section Chief Tanaka A available?" to the recipient's telephone terminal 2.

[0258] Next, the storage unit 136 obtains the date and time "t11" from a clock (not shown). The storage unit 136 obtains the caller identifier "Company A" and the recipient identifier "Company X". The storage unit 136 associates the caller identifier "Company A", the recipient identifier "Company X", and the date and time "t11", and stores the received caller utterance "Is Section Chief Tanaka A available?" in the dialogue information management table (Figure 17). The storage unit 136 also stores the utterance type "Caller Utterance".

[0259] The receiving telephone terminal 2 receives the caller's utterance, "Is Section Chief Tanaka A available?", and outputs it as audio. The receiving telephone terminal 2 then hears the caller's utterance and says, "What can I help you with?" The receiving telephone terminal 2 then transmits the voice of the receptionist saying "What can I help you with?" to the sales support device 1.

[0260] The dialogue unit 132 of the sales support device 1 receives the caller's utterance, "How can I help you?", from the recipient's telephone terminal 2.

[0261] Next, the storage unit 136 obtains the date and time "t12" from a clock (not shown). The storage unit 136 obtains the call source identifier "Company A" and the call destination identifier "Company X". The storage unit 136 associates the call source identifier "Company A", the call destination identifier "Company X", and the date and time "t12", and stores the received caller's utterance "What can I help you with?" in Figure 17. The storage unit 136 also stores the utterance type "Caller's utterance".

[0262] The detection unit 133 performs the switching detection process described above. As a result, the detection unit 133 was unable to detect the switching.

[0263] Next, the utterance acquisition unit 131 acquires the caller utterance template "Regarding <Target>" from the utterance acquisition management table (Figure 15), which corresponds to the receptionist utterance "What can I help you with?". Next, the utterance acquisition unit 131 acquires the target "Product α" from the caller management table (Figure 14), which is the information corresponding to the variable "<Target>" in the said caller utterance template and is paired with the caller identifier "Company A". Next, the utterance acquisition unit 131 assigns the acquired information to a variable and acquires the caller utterance "Regarding Product α".

[0264] Next, the dialogue unit 132 speaks the caller's utterance, "Regarding product α," to the recipient's telephone terminal 2.

[0265] Next, the storage unit 136 obtains the date and time "t13" from a clock (not shown). The storage unit 136 obtains the caller identifier "Company A" and the recipient identifier "Company X". The storage unit 136 associates the caller identifier "Company A", the recipient identifier "Company X", and the date and time "t13", and stores the caller utterance "Regarding product α." in the dialogue information management table (Figure 17). The storage unit 136 also stores the utterance type "Caller utterance".

[0266] The receiving telephone terminal 2 receives the caller's utterance, "This is regarding product α," and outputs it as audio. The receiving receptionist at the receiving end hears this caller's utterance and says, "Please wait a moment." The receiving telephone terminal 2 then transmits the receptionist's utterance, "Please wait a moment," to the sales support device 1.

[0267] The dialogue unit 132 of the sales support device 1 receives the receptionist's statement "Please wait a moment" from the call destination telephone terminal 2.

[0268] Next, the storage unit 136 obtains the date and time "t14" from a clock (not shown). The storage unit 136 obtains the call source identifier "Company A" and the call destination identifier "Company X". The storage unit 136 associates the call source identifier "Company A", the call destination identifier "Company X", and the date and time "t14", and stores the received caller's utterance "Please wait a moment." in the dialogue information management table (Figure 17). The storage unit 136 also stores the utterance type "Caller's utterance".

[0269] Next, the speech acquisition unit 131 acquires the caller's speech template "Thank you, please" which corresponds to the receptionist's speech "Please wait a moment" from the speech acquisition management table (Figure 15).

[0270] Next, the dialogue unit 132 speaks the caller's utterance, "Thank you, please," to the recipient's telephone terminal 2.

[0271] The receiving telephone terminal 2 receives the caller's utterance, "Thank you, please," and outputs it as audio.

[0272] Furthermore, the detection unit 133 performs the switching detection process described above. Specifically, the detection unit 133 acquires the previous receptionist utterance, "Please wait a moment." The detection unit 133 determines that the receptionist utterance "Please wait a moment" matches the switching utterance with "ID=1" in the switching condition management table (Figure 16) (i.e., it matches the switching condition). In other words, the detection unit 133 detects the switching.

[0273] The storage unit 136 then acquires a switching result "1" indicating that a switch has occurred. The storage unit 136 acquires the date and time "t15" from a clock (not shown). The storage unit 136 associates the caller identifier "Company A", the recipient identifier "Company X", and the date and time "t15", and stores the caller's utterance "Thank you, please take care of it" and the switching result "1" in the dialogue information management table (Figure 17). The storage unit 136 also stores the utterance type "Caller's utterance".

[0274] Next, the switching unit 134 performs the switching process as follows: The switching unit 134 obtains the call source identifier "Company A". Next, the switching unit 134 obtains the status information "0" for the first sales representative that corresponds to "Company A". Next, the switching unit 134 obtains the call source notification destination information (in this case, extension "111") that corresponds to the first sales representative identifier from the call source management table (Figure 14). Next, the switching unit 134 transfers the call to the notification destination (extension "111") indicated by the call source notification destination information. As a result, the sales representative's call source telephone terminal 3 and the other party can communicate.

[0275] Next, let's assume that the call is then transferred from the receptionist to the client, "Tanaka A-o," who says, "This is Tanaka. How can I help you?"

[0276] Subsequently, the conversation between the sales client "Tanaka A-o" and the sales representative who made the call proceeds, and the conversations uttered by each person are transmitted to the sales support device 1. The storage unit 136 of the sales support device 1 then stores the utterance information in a dialogue information management table (Figure 17), pairing it with the call source identifier "Company A", the recipient identifier "Company X", the date and time, and the type of utterance ("sales utterance" or "recipient's utterance").

[0277] Furthermore, the sales support device 1 also receives and stores the sales result "1" in conjunction with the call identifier "1" (ID=1).

[0278] (Specific example 2) The processing unit 13 of the sales support device 1 detects that it has reached "10 o'clock," which is the start time set by the call source identifier "Company B" and is the time paired with the call source identifier "Company B." The processing unit 13 then determines that the calling conditions have been met for "Company B."

[0279] Next, the processing unit 13 obtains the call source identifier "Company B". Then, the processing unit 13 obtains the first call destination identifier "Company Z", which is paired with the call source identifier "Company B", from the call destination management table (Figure 13).

[0280] Next, the call determination unit 140 obtains the status information "0" of the sales representative, which is paired with the call destination identifier "Company Z," from the call source management table (Figure 14). Then, the call determination unit 140 determines that the call conditions are met (the call is possible). Here, the call conditions are that at least one of the sales representative status information is "0".

[0281] Next, the calling unit 130 obtains the notification information "Telephone application ID = 123456" which is paired with the call recipient identifier "Company Z" from the call recipient management table (Figure 13). The calling unit 130 then makes a call to telephone application ID "123456".

[0282] Next, let's assume that the person who answered the call for company "Z" took the phone call.

[0283] Next, the storage unit 136 acquires the call result "1 (success)". The storage unit 136 acquires the date and time "t31" from a clock (not shown). The storage unit 136 associates the call source identifier "Company B", the call destination identifier "Company Z", and the date and time "t31", and stores the call result "1" in the dialogue information management table (Figure 17).

[0284] Next, the dialogue unit 132 interacts with the receptionist at the call destination as follows. First, the speech acquisition unit 131 acquires the caller utterance template "Is <Sales Partner Information.Name><Position> available?" with "ID=1" from the utterance acquisition management table (Figure 15). Next, the speech acquisition unit 131 acquires the information "Inoue C-ko" corresponding to the variable "<Sales Partner Information.Name>" in the said caller utterance template from the call destination management table (Figure 13). The speech acquisition unit 131 also acquires the information "Department Manager" corresponding to the variable "<Position>" in the said caller utterance template from the call destination management table (Figure 13). Next, the speech acquisition unit 131 assigns the acquired information to variables and acquires the caller utterance "Is Department Manager Inoue C-ko available?".

[0285] Next, the dialogue unit 132 speaks the caller's utterance, "Is Department Head Inoue C-ko available?" to the recipient telephone terminal 2.

[0286] Next, the storage unit 136 obtains the date and time "t31" from a clock (not shown). The storage unit 136 obtains the caller identifier "Company B" and the recipient identifier "Company Z". The storage unit 136 associates the caller identifier "Company B", the recipient identifier "Company Z", and the date and time "t31", and stores the received caller utterance "Is Department Manager Inoue C available?" in the dialogue information management table (Figure 17). The storage unit 136 also stores the utterance type "Caller Utterance".

[0287] The receiving telephone terminal 2 receives the caller's utterance, "Is Department Manager Inoue C-ko available?", and outputs it as audio. The receiving receptionist at the receiving end, upon hearing the caller's utterance, then says, "The department manager is not available at the moment." The receiving telephone terminal 2 then transmits the receptionist's utterance, "The department manager is not available at the moment," to the sales support device 1.

[0288] The dialogue unit 132 of the sales support device 1 receives the message "The department head is not available at the moment" from the call destination telephone terminal 2.

[0289] Next, the storage unit 136 obtains the date and time "t32" from a clock (not shown). The storage unit 136 obtains the call source identifier "Company B" and the call destination identifier "Company Z". The storage unit 136 associates the call source identifier "Company A", the call destination identifier "Company X", and the date and time "t32", and stores the received caller's utterance "The department head is not available at the moment" in Figure 17. The storage unit 136 also stores the utterance type "Caller's utterance".

[0290] Next, the speech acquisition unit 131 acquires the caller's utterance, "I will contact you again later. Thank you," which corresponds to the receptionist's utterance, "The department head is not available at the moment."

[0291] Next, the dialogue unit 132 speaks the caller's utterance, "I will contact you again. Thank you for your cooperation," to the recipient's telephone terminal 2.

[0292] Next, the storage unit 136 obtains the date and time "t33" from a clock (not shown). The storage unit 136 obtains the caller identifier "Company B" and the recipient identifier "Company Z". The storage unit 136 associates the caller identifier "Company B", the recipient identifier "Company Z", and the date and time "t33", and stores the caller's utterance "I will contact you again. Thank you." in the dialogue information management table (Figure 17). The storage unit 136 also stores the utterance type "Caller's utterance".

[0293] Next, the detection unit 133 performs the switching detection process described above. As a result, the detection unit 133 was unable to detect the switching. The processing unit 13 then determines that the call has ended.

[0294] Next, the storage unit 136 obtains a switching result "0" indicating that the switch did not occur. The storage unit 136 obtains the date and time "t33" from a clock (not shown). The storage unit 136 associates the call source identifier "Company B", the call destination identifier "Company Z", and the date and time "t33", and stores the switching result "0" in the dialogue information management table (Figure 17).

[0295] In summary, according to this embodiment, when a call is made, the AI ​​handles the process of connecting the call and obtaining the recipient's agreement to transfer the call to the sales target, while the sales representative handles the actual conversation with the sales target, thereby enabling efficient sales activities.

[0296] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the call source can be switched to a sales representative at an appropriate time.

[0297] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the caller's utterance can be determined using the utterance of the recipient at the receiving end of the call.

[0298] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the caller's utterance can be obtained using one or more attribute values ​​of the recipient.

[0299] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to analyze the correspondence between sales result information and spoken information.

[0300] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the results of statistical processing of sales results information can be output.

[0301] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, calls can be controlled. In particular, calls can be controlled taking into account the status of the sales representative.

[0302] Furthermore, the processing in this embodiment may be implemented in software. This software may be distributed via software download or the like. Alternatively, this software may be recorded on a recording medium such as a CD-ROM and distributed. This also applies to other embodiments in this specification. The software that implements the sales support system A in this embodiment is the following program. In other words, this program is...

[0303] Figure 18 is a block diagram of a computer system 300 that executes the program described herein to realize the various embodiments of the sales support device 1 described above.

[0304] In Figure 18, the computer system 300 includes a computer 301 with a CD-ROM drive, a keyboard 302, a mouse 303, and a monitor 304.

[0305] In Figure 18, the computer 301 includes, in addition to the CD-ROM drive 3012, an MPU 3013, a bus 3014 connected to the CD-ROM drive 3012, a ROM 3015 for storing programs such as boot-up programs, a RAM 3016 connected to the MPU 3013 for temporarily storing application program instructions and providing temporary storage space, and a hard disk 3017 for storing application programs, system programs, and data. Although not shown here, the computer 301 may further include a network card that provides connectivity to a LAN.

[0306] The program that causes the computer system 300 to execute the functions of the sales support device 1, etc., as described above, may be stored on CD-ROM 3101, inserted into CD-ROM drive 3012, and then transferred to hard disk 3017. Alternatively, the program may be transmitted to computer 301 via a network (not shown) and stored on hard disk 3017. The program is loaded into RAM 3016 when executed. The program may also be loaded directly from CD-ROM 3101 or the network.

[0307] The program does not necessarily have to include an operating system (OS) or third-party program that causes the computer 301 to execute functions such as the sales support device 1 of the above-described embodiment. The program only needs to include the instruction portion that calls appropriate functions (modules) in a controlled manner and obtains the desired result. How the computer system 300 operates is well known, so a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0308] In the above program, steps such as sending information and receiving information do not include hardware-based processing, such as processing performed by a modem or interface card in the transmission step (processing that can only be performed by hardware).

[0309] Furthermore, the computer running the above program may be a single computer or multiple computers. In other words, it may perform centralized processing or distributed processing.

[0310] Furthermore, it goes without saying that in each of the above embodiments, two or more communication means present in a single device may be physically implemented in a single medium.

[0311] Furthermore, in each of the above embodiments, each process may be implemented by centralized processing by a single device, or by distributed processing by multiple devices.

[0312] It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible, all of which are also included within the scope of the present invention.

[0313] As described above, the sales support device 1 according to the present invention has the effect of enabling efficient sales activities by having an AI handle the process of connecting a call when a call is made and obtaining agreement from the recipient to transfer the call to the sales target, while the sales representative handles the dialogue with the sales target. Therefore, it is useful as a server or the like to support sales.

Claims

1. A sales support device comprising: a calling unit that makes a call to the designated recipient identified by the designated recipient information; a dialogue unit that, after the calling unit has made the call, interacts with the recipient's receptionist as the call source; a detection unit that detects a switch from the receptionist to the sales target; and a switching unit that, when the detection unit detects the switch, switches the call source to a sales representative.

2. The sales support device according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit detects that the conversation between the receptionist and the caller satisfies the switching conditions or that the call has been put on hold.

3. The dialogue unit further comprises a speech acquisition unit that acquires a receptionist speech which is the speech of the receptionist at the recipient of the call, and acquires a caller speech which is the speech of the caller based on the receptionist speech, and the dialogue unit speaks the caller speech acquired by the speech acquisition unit to the receptionist, the business support device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The sales support device according to claim 3, wherein the speech acquisition unit acquires one or more attribute values ​​of the recipient from the recipient's speech and uses the one or more attribute values ​​to acquire the caller's speech.

5. The sales support device according to claim 1, further comprising: a dialogue unit that acquires speech information such as a receptionist's speech which is the speech of the receptionist at the call destination, a caller's speech which is the speech of the caller, a sales representative's speech which is the speech of the sales partner, and a result acquisition unit that acquires result information such as a call result indicating whether the call made by the call unit was successful or not, a switching result indicating whether the switching by the switching unit was successful or not, or a sales result indicating whether the sales representative's sales to the sales partner was successful or not; a storage unit that stores the speech information and the result information in association with each of the result information stored by the storage unit, a speech analysis unit that analyzes the speech information for each of the result information stored by the storage unit and acquires an analysis result; and an analysis output unit that outputs the analysis result.

6. The business support device according to claim 1, further comprising: a result acquisition unit that acquires result information which is a call result indicating whether or not the call made by the call unit was successful, or a switching result indicating whether or not the switching by the switching unit was successful; a statistical processing unit that performs statistical processing using the result information and acquires a statistical processing result; and a statistical output unit that outputs the statistical processing result.

7. The sales support device according to claim 6, further comprising: a call determination unit that acquires status information identifying the status of the sales representative of the calling source, and determines whether or not to make a call based on said status information, wherein the call determination unit makes a call only when it determines that it is possible to make a call.

8. The business support device according to claim 1, further comprising a call destination management unit that stores call destination information, wherein the call destination unit makes a call to the call destination specified by the call destination information of the call destination management unit.

9. A sales support method realized by a sales support device comprising a calling unit, a dialogue unit, a detection unit, and a switching unit, comprising: a calling step in which the calling unit makes a call to a target specified by target information that identifies the target to be called; a dialogue step in which the dialogue unit, as the caller, engages in dialogue with the receptionist at the target to be called after the calling unit has made the call; a detection step in which the detection unit detects a switch from the receptionist to the sales target; and a switching step in which the switching unit switches the caller to a sales representative when the detection unit detects the switch.

10. A recording medium that stores a program for a computer to function as a switching unit that switches the call source to a sales representative when the detection unit detects the switch from the sales representative to the sales representative.

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