US 5,615,342 A · Electronic proposal preparation system

Abstract

An electronic system for creating customized product proposals stores a plurality of pictures and text segments to be used as building blocks in creating the proposal. The pictures may include various products, environments in which the products may be used, and available product options. The text segments may include textual descriptions of the product, environments in which the product may be used, and its performance specifications. The system queries a user to determine a customer's needs and interests. Based upon the answers to the queries, the system selects the appropriate picture and text building blocks to fill in proposal templates. The system can print the completed proposal templates to provide the user with a customized, printed proposal that describes features and benefits of a product, in a particular environment, that are of interest to the customer who is to receive the proposal.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A computer assisted method of generating a customized proposal for selling products to particular customers, the method comprising the steps of:

presenting to a user of the computer a plurality of questions relating to features and uses of the products;
inputting into the computer a plurality of customer answers to the questions, the answers specifying a customer's desired product features and uses;
storing in the computer product pictures, product environment pictures and text segments;
selecting a particular product picture in response to at least one of the customer answers;
selecting a particular product environment picture in response to at least one of the customer answers;
selecting a particular text segment in response to at least one of the customer answers;
and
generating a customized proposal for the customer using the particular product picture, the particular product environment picture and the particular text segment.

5 more elements

A computer system for generating a customized proposal for a customer to facilitate a sale of products, the system comprising:

a memory, storing product images, product environment images and text segments;
a user interface provided to present to a user of the computer a plurality of questions relating to features and uses of the products and to input a plurality of answers to the questions, the answers specifying a customer's desired product features and uses;
a processor, coupled to the memory and the user interface, wherein the processor selects a particular product picture in response to at least one of the answers, selects a particular product environment picture in response to at least one of the answers, selects a particular text segment in response to at least one of the answers and generates a customized proposal for the customer to facilitate a sale of the particular product using the selected particular product picture, particular product environment picture and text segment.

A computer assisted method of generating a customized proposal for a customer to facilitate a sale of a product, the computer storing product images, product environment images and text segments, the method comprising the steps of:

prompting a user of the computer with a plurality of questions related to at least one of a desired feature and desired use of the product;
receiving into the computer customer answers of the customer to the plurality of questions;
automatically selecting, in response to at least one of the customer answers, a product image, a product environment image and a text segment;
and
generating a proposal customized for the customer using the selected product image, the selected product environment image and the selected text segment.

2 more elements

A computer readable medium tangibly embodying instructions which, when executed by the computer, implement a process comprising the steps of:

prompting a user of the computer with a plurality of questions related to at least one of a desired feature and desired use of the product;
receiving into the computer answers of the customer to plurality of questions;
automatically selecting, in response to at least one of the answers, a product image, a product environment image and a text segment;
and
generating a proposal customized for the customer using the selected product image, the selected product environment image and the selected text segment.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Electronic proposal preparation system

Life of this patent

Electronic proposal preparation system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21