Method for customer lead selection and optimization

Claim 3

The method of claim 1, wherein the relationship indicated by each of said scores is indicative of a likelihood of a match between a customer associated with a respective one of said customer records and said product.

Claim 4

The method of claim 2, wherein said likelihood of a match is determined by comparing customer descriptive information in said respective one of said customer records to said product.

Claim 5

The method of claim 1, wherein said predetermined number of preferences includes an attribute of a type of customer sought to be retrieved as a customer lead for said product.

Claim 6

The method of claim 4, wherein said determining step includes a step of comparing customer descriptive information in each of said plurality of customer records with said attribute to find a match therebetween.

Claim 7

The method of claim 1, wherein said outputting step includes outputting a predetermined number of customer records from said first collection of customer records having highest scores as assigned in said assigning step.

Claim 8

The method of claim 1, further comprising: outputting the scores assigned to the customer records in said first collection.

Claim 9

The method of claim 1, wherein customer records in said first collection are output exclusive of customer contact information.

Claim 10

The method of claim 1, further comprising: selecting a customer record from said predetermined number of customer records output from said first collection; and wherein said information associated with said selected customer record is contact information.

Claim 11

The method of claim 1, wherein said predetermined number of preferences and said product are specified in a search request which, when executed, causes said database to be searched for customer records in said first collection.

Claim 12

The method of claim 10, wherein said search request is formulated by one of a user and a computer.

Claim 13

The method of claim 1, wherein said predetermined number of preferences is zero.

Claim 14

The method of claim 1, wherein said assigning step occurs after said defining step and includes scoring customer records in said first collection to indicate a relationship between a respective one of the customer records in said first collection and a product.

Claim 17

The method of claim 14, wherein said ordering step includes ordering said first collection of customer records in descending order according to scores assigned in said assigning step.

Claim 18

The method of claim 14, further comprising: assigning new scores to the customer records in said second collection, each of said new scores indicating how closely a respective one of the customer records in said second collection satisfies said second predetermined number of preferences; and ordering the customer records in said second collection based on said new scores.

Claim 19

The method of claim 16, wherein if the customer records in said first collection of customer records number less than or equal to said predetermined number of customer records, the customer records in said second collection are same as the customer records in said first collection.

Claim 20

The method of claim 16, further comprising: outputting a predefined number of customer records from said second collection of customer records.

Claim 21

The method of claim 18, wherein said predefined number of customer records correspond to customer records in said second collection having highest new scores.

Claim 22

The method of claim 19, further comprising: outputting the new scores assigned to said predefined number of customer records output from said second collection.

Claim 23

The method of claim 14, wherein said second predetermined number of preferences is zero.

Claim 26

The method of claim 22, wherein said arranging step includes arranging the data records in said first collection in descending order of relevance, as determined by the relationships measured in said measuring step.

Claim 27

The method of claim 22, wherein said searching step includes a step of comparing said predetermined number of traits to information in a data field of each of said plurality of data records.

Claim 28

The method of claim 22, further comprising: specifying a maximum number of data records to be included in said first collection.

Claim 29

The method of claim 22, wherein said predetermined number of traits is zero.

Claim 32

The method of claim 27, wherein in said arranging step, the data records in said second collection are arranged in descending order of relevance.

Claim 33

The method of claim 27, further comprising: outputting said second collection of data records as arranged in said arranging step.

Claim 34

The method of claim 29, further comprising: selecting at least one of the data records output in said second collection; and outputting information from a data field of said at least one selected data record as stored in said storage device.

Claim 35

The method of claim 27, wherein said second predetermined number of traits is zero.

Claim 36

A computer process comprising: a computer program embodied in a computer-readable medium for retrieving customer lead information from a marketing database, said database storing a plurality of customer records each containing data relating to a different customer, said program being performed on or with aid of a computer and including: (a) first code means for causing the computer to assign scores to said plurality of customer records, each of said scores indicating a relationship between a respective one of said customer records and a product; (b) second code means for causing the computer to acknowledge a predetermined number of preferences; (c) third code means for causing the computer to determine whether each of said plurality of customer records satisfies said at least one preference; (d) fourth code means for causing the computer to define, as a first collection of customer records, customer records which satisfy said at least one preference; (e) fifth code means for causing the computer to order said first collection of customer records based on the scores assigned to the customer records in said first collection by said first code means; (f) in sixth code means for causing the computer to output a predetermined number of customer records from said first collection of customer records in an order determined by said fifth code means; and (g) seventh code means for causing the computer to output information associated with a customer record selected by a user.

Claim 37

A computer process comprising: a computer program embodied in a computer-readable medium for retrieving customer lead information from a marketing database, said database storing a plurality of customer records each containing data relating to a different customer, said program being performed on or with aid of a computer and including: (a) first code means for causing the computer to assign scores to said plurality of customer records, each of said scores indicating a relationship between a respective one of said customer records and a product; (b) second code means for causing the computer to acknowledge a predetermined number of preferences; (c) third code means for causing the computer to determine whether each of said plurality of customer records satisfies said at least one preference; (d) fourth code means for causing the computer to define, as a first collection of customer records, customer records which satisfy said at least one preference; (e) fifth code means for causing the computer to order said first collection of customer records based on the scores assigned to the customer records in said first collection by said first code means; (f) in sixth code means for causing the computer to output a predetermined number of customer records from said first collection of customer records in an order determined by said fifth code means; and (g) seventh code means for causing the computer to output information associated with a customer record selected by a user.

Claim 40

The system of claim 33, wherein said data includes customer contact information.

Claim 41

The system of claim 33, wherein one of a user, second processor, and external computer inputs the search request received by said input device.

Claim 42

The system of claim 33, wherein said input device is remotely located from said first and second processors, and is connected thereto via a communications line.

Claim 43

The system of claim 36, wherein said communications line is one of a LAN, WAN, land-based telephone line, and cellular phone line.

Claim 44

The system of claim 33, wherein said output device is said input device.

Claim 45

The system of claim 33, wherein said second processor sorts the customer records in said first collection in descending order based on the scores determined for the customer records in said first collection by said first processor.

Claim 46

The system of claim 33, wherein said first processor and said second processor are a same processor.

Claim 49

The system of claim 41, further comprising: a fourth processor for determining new scores for customer records in said second collection, each of said new scores indicating how closely a respective one of said customer records in said second collection satisfies said second predetermined number of preferences, said fourth processor further ordering the customer records in said second collection based on said new scores.

Claim 50

The system of claim 42, wherein said output device outputs a predetermined number of customer records from said second collection as ordered by said fourth processor.

Claim 51

The system of claim 43, wherein said predetermined number of customer records output from said second collection are said predetermined number of customer records from said second collection having highest new scores.

Claim 52

The system of claim 42, wherein said first processor, second processor, third processor, and fourth processor are a same processor.

Claim 53

The system of claim 41, wherein said first processor, second processor, and third processor are a same processor.