Sales Analysis System for Early Customer Suitability Screening
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sales analysis methods are time-consuming and fail to identify unsuitable customers early in the evaluation process, and do not effectively address potential conflicts among decision makers at potential customers.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that involves gathering information about decision makers, identifying conflicts, designating a champion to resolve conflicts, and generating reports to determine suitability for a transaction, while also creating profiles for ideal and unacceptable customers to streamline the sales process and provide a competitive advantage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If all client characteristics are analyzed using a scoring system to determine suitability, then measurement precision is improved, but loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the client evaluation process into distinct phases: initial screening phase and detailed analysis phase. The scoring system is applied selectively - first to key criteria in the screening phase to quickly identify unsuitable clients, then to all characteristics in the detailed analysis phase for suitable candidates. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by applying comprehensive measurement only where needed while maintaining speed through phased evaluation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by conducting an initial screening of clients against key criteria before proceeding to full analysis. This preliminary evaluation uses a simplified scoring system on essential characteristics to pre-qualify or disqualify clients early in the process, thereby reducing the time required for complete analysis of all characteristics while maintaining assessment accuracy for those who proceed.
2Reliability
If comprehensive client characteristics are evaluated to identify suitable customers, then reliability of selection is improved, but productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the client base into different categories based on evaluation results: clearly suitable, clearly unsuitable, and borderline cases requiring further analysis. This segmentation allows the sales team to focus comprehensive evaluation resources on borderline cases while making quick decisions on clear cases, thereby maintaining high selection reliability for all clients while improving overall productivity through differentiated processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial action by evaluating only the most critical characteristics initially, and only proceeding to evaluate additional characteristics for clients who meet the initial threshold. This approach ensures reliable selection by focusing on key discriminators while improving productivity by avoiding unnecessary evaluation of all characteristics for every client.
3Measurement precision
If conflicts among decision makers are analyzed in detail, then measurement precision of conflict identification is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary conflict analysis module that sits between the basic client evaluation system and the detailed conflict resolution process. This intermediary layer identifies potential conflicts using standardized criteria and templates, translating complex interpersonal dynamics into structured data that can be processed systematically, thereby improving conflict identification accuracy without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention generally relates to a system and method for analyzing sales opportunities, and more particularly, provides a seller of goods and/or services the ability to predict whether potential customers are suitable to engage in a particular transaction. The present invention also assists a seller in identifying and removing unsuitable customers early in the sales process. The present invention utilizes metrics to measure the suitability of potential customers and analyzes, among other things, potential conflicts that may arise among key decision makers of the potential customers, with the seller working with those customers to resolve any such conflicts. Moreover, the present invention analyzes whether the potential customer has characteristics which are acceptable and/or unacceptable to the seller. Moreover, the seller analyzes its own products and/or services to determine whether it could provide such customer with a unique competitive advantage.