Patent Abstract:
The company acquires new customer through a homepage. The company sends a request mail to an existing customer to introduce a new customer. The existing customer sends information, which contains name, email address etc. of his friend or acquaintance to the company. The company sends information about the company and good, and services to this friend of the existing customer. The company accepts orders, if any, from this friend. If an order is received from this friend he is registered as existing customer.

Full Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to a technology for easily and continuously carrying out an action for causing an existing customer to introduce acquaintances and family as new customers to a company managing a homepage for an Internet business, thereby increasing the number of new customers to be acquired and a computer readable recording medium recording a new customer acquiring program.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Conventionally, there have been known many practical examples of “B to B” (business relations between companies) and “B to C” (business relations between a company and a consumer) for a business system practically using the Internet. In the marketing field, moreover, there have been many practical examples of “B to C” from a company to a consumer and “C to B” for a response thereof which practically use reaction functions such as a web to function, an e-mail to function and the like.  
           [0003]    If a sales system practically using the Internet is assumed, only return information between known and concerned people are exchanged between the company and the consumer for relations of the “B to C” to be an outbound from the company and the “C to B” to be a response in the opposite direction thereof. With such relations, accordingly, there has been a problem in that the company maintains “existing customers” but cannot increase the number of new customers to be acquired. Therefore, means and method for effectively eliminating such drawbacks have conventionally been demanded eagerly.  
           [0004]    Conventionally, examples of a marketing technique for acquiring new customers on the Internet include a PULL method for giving an advertisement and registering a retrieval engine, increasing the publicity of a company and a homepage managed by the company, causing a customer to designate and buy goods of the company and increasing the number of new customers.  
           [0005]    Moreover, there is a PUSH method in addition to the marketing technique using the PULL method. In the PUSH method, a direct mail or the like is directly sent from a company to an expected customer so that a new customer can be acquired to promote the sales.  
           [0006]    As described above, conventionally, a new customer has been acquired by using the marketing techniques utilizing the PULL method and the PUSH method. In the PULL method, however, there has been a problem in that a great deal of cost of advertisements is required and it takes a long time to register a well-known retrieval engine. In the PULL method, moreover, even if a customer makes a response (for example, an order) for the “B to C”, the business is only completed and a new customer cannot be acquired.  
           [0007]    On the other hand, in the PUSH method, it is premised that a company should grasp attribute information for specifying a customer such as a postal address, a name and an e-mail address of an expected customer and the like. It is necessary to get a customer list to be the attribute information from the inside or the outside. Consequently, there has been a problem in that the cost and time are taken. Moreover, the PUSH method is none other than mass marketing using a kind of the PULL method.  
           [0008]    Thus, although the conventional marketing technique using the PULL method and the PUSH method takes a great deal of cost/time for acquiring a new customer, the acquisition of the new customer (the sale) cannot be obtained rapidly.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0009]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a new customer acquiring method capable of rapidly increasing a new customer (sales) and a computer readable recording medium recording a new customer acquiring program.  
           [0010]    According to the present invention, an introduction request mail related to a new customer introduction is transmitted to a terminal of an existing customer of a company to acquire a customer through a Web site; an introduction source entry is accepted from the existing customer; an introduction mail which includes a message for introduction goods and a service of the company is transmitted from the terminal of the existing customer to a terminal of an introduced person; an order and purchase of the goods and the service is accepted from the introduced person induced to the Web site through the introduction mail; and the introduction request mail is transmitted to the terminal of the introduced person by setting the introduced person to be an existing customer only when carrying out the order and purchase.  
           [0011]    The computer readable recording medium according to another aspect of the present invention stores a computer program which when executed realizes the method according to the present invention.  
           [0012]    According to the present invention, it is possible to rapidly increase the number of new customers (sales) at a lower cost than that in the conventional art through a very simple operation in which the introduction request mail is transmitted to the terminal of the existing customer and the introduction source entry is accepted, and the existing customer then transfers the introduction mail transmitted to the terminal of the existing customer to the terminal of the introduced person. In particular, the existing customer transfers the introduction mail to a plurality of introduced people so that an introduction network and a selling network can be enlarged self-multiplicatively.  
           [0013]    Other objects and features of this invention will become apparent from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]    [0014]FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the principle of an operation according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a structure according to the embodiment;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 3 is a diagram showing each file and a message example sentence in a server  100  illustrated in FIG. 2;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 4 is a flow chart for explaining the operation according to the embodiment;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the screen transition of an introduction source terminal  300  illustrated in FIG. 2;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the screen transition of an introduction reception terminal  300 - 1 ′ illustrated in FIG. 2;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an application example of the embodiment; and  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a variant of the embodiment. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0022]    Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the principle of an operation according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, a server  100  has a basic function for opening a homepage (EC site) of a company (for example, a distributor or a service industry) to the public and a new customer acquiring function for acquiring a new customer which will be described below. The server  100  is accessed through the Internet  200  to an introduction source terminal  300 , an introduction reception terminal  300 - 1 ′, an introduction source terminal  300 - 2 ′, an introduction reception terminal  300 - 11 ′ and an introduction reception terminal  300 - 12 ′ which are Internet terminals, and other terminals which are not shown.  
         [0024]    The introduction source terminal  300  acts as a mobile telephone terminal owned by an existing customer  350  of a company which is connected to the server  100 , a PHS (personal handy phone system) terminal and all kinds of terminals (including ordinary telephone sets) having a transmitting and receiving function for an e-mail of a personal computer or the like, and has a browser function for reading a homepage and an e-mail function for transmitting and receiving an e-mail through the Internet  200 . The introduction source terminal  300 - 1 ′ and the introduction reception terminal  300 - 2 ′ are owned by an introduced person (i.e. a person who is to be introduced)  350 - 1 ′ and an introduced person  350 - 2 ′ who may be acquaintances or family of the existing customer  350 . The introduced person  350 - 1 ′ and the introduced person  350 - 2 ′ receive the introduction of the company from the existing customer  350  through an e-mail.  
         [0025]    The introduction reception terminal  300 - 11 ′ and the introduction reception terminal  300 - 12 ′ are owned by an introduced person  350 - 11 ′ and an introduced person  350 - 12 ′ who may be acquaintances or family of the introduced person  350 - 1 ′. The introduced person  350 - 11 ′ and the introduced person  350 - 12 ′ receive, through e-mail, the introduction of the company from the existing customer  350 - 1 ′ which has been the customer of the company.  
         [0026]    With the above-mentioned structure, the server  100  transmits an introduction request mail and an introduction mail (for transfer) to the introduction source terminal  300  (existing customer  350 ) through the Internet  200 . The introduction request mail makes a request for causing the existing customer  350  to introduce acquaintances and family as new customers to the company. Moreover, the introduction mail (for transfer) serves to introduce the company to the acquaintances and family of the existing customer  350 .  
         [0027]    When the introduction request mail and the introduction mail (for transfer) are received by the introduction source terminal  300 , the existing customer  350  uses the e-mail transfer function of the existing customer  350  to transfer the introduction mail to the introduction reception terminal  300 - 1 ′ (or the introduced person  350 - 1 ′) and the introduction destination terminal  300 - 2 ′ (or the introduced person  350 - 2 ′) in order to introduce the company.  
         [0028]    When the introduction mail (for transfer) is received by the introduction destination terminal  300 - 1 ′, the introduced person  350 - 1 ′ reads the homepage of the server  100 , and inputs his (her) own personal information (name, postal address and e-mail address) and information about goods and gives an order for the goods. Consequently, the introduced person  350 - 1 ′ becomes the new customer (existing customer) of the company. Accordingly, the right to introduce a new customer to the company is given to the introduced person  350 - 1 ′.  
         [0029]    The introduced person  350 - 1 ′ transmits, as the existing customer, the introduction mail (for transfer) to the introduction destination terminal  300 - 11 ′ (or the introduced person  350 - 11 ′) and the introduction destination terminal  300 - 12 ′ (or the introduced person  350 - 12 ′) by using the introduction source terminal  300 - 1 ′ based on the introduction request mail in the same manner as the existing customer  350 .  
         [0030]    Similarly, when the introduction mail (for transfer) is received by the introduction destination terminal  300 - 2 ′, the introduced person  350 - 2 ′ reads the homepage of the server  100 , and inputs his (her) own personal information (name, postal address and e-mail address) and information about goods and gives an order for the goods. Consequently, the introduced person  350 - 2 ′ becomes the new customer of the company. Accordingly, the right to introduce a new customer to the company is given to the introduced person  350 - 2 ′.  
         [0031]    Then, the introduced person  350 - 2 ′ transmits, as the existing customer, the introduction mail (for transfer) to an introduction destination terminal (not shown) owned by the acquaintances and family based on an introduction request mail in the same manner as the existing customer  350 .  
         [0032]    It is to be noted that a person receiving the introduction of the company can act as an existing customer to introduce the company to a third party only if the introduced person actually purchases goods or the like and becomes the existing customer in the embodiment. To the contrary, in the embodiment, in the case in which the person receiving the introduction of the company does not actually purchase goods or the like, the same introduced person cannot further introduce the company to a third party. Therefore, this method is entirely different from a pyramid selling method referred to as a pyramid investment scheme on a thought and structure basis.  
         [0033]    In the so-called pyramid selling method, it is premised that a continuous introduction generation of a parent, a child, a grandchild, a great-grandchild has an infinite chain. In respect of the fact that a participant himself (herself) of the pyramid selling method expects an income from expansion to two more generations which are not known, accordingly, it is apparent that the motive of an introduction in the pyramid selling method does not reside in the convenience of the distribution of goods or a service but the expectation of profits generated from the introduction chain itself. In the pyramid selling method, therefore, any goods can be sold and are quite different from the normal marketing value in many cases, and furthermore, many goods have no substance as goods, a service or the like.  
         [0034]    Next, the specific structure according to the embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a structure according to the embodiment. In FIG. 2, portions corresponding to the portions in FIG. 1 have the same reference numerals. In a server  100 , a control section  101  serves to control each portion, and has the function of opening a homepage to the public, an e-mail transmitting and receiving function, a new customer introduction function and the like. The operation of the control section  101  will be described below in detail.  
         [0035]    A main program  102  is a computer program to be executed by the control section  101  and serving to implement each function of the server  100 . An input control section  103  takes an input interface from the Internet  200  to the control section  101 . An output control section  104  takes an output interface from the control section  101  to the Internet  200 .  
         [0036]    A display section  105  displays various information under control of the control section  101 . In the server  100 , an existing customer data file  106 , a homepage display file  107 , an introduction source entry file  108  and a new purchaser file  109  are used. As shown in FIG. 3, the existing customer data file  106  serves to store the existing customer data of the company. The existing customer data include a customer code, a postal address, a name, an e-mail address, a business history, an introduction history and the like.  
         [0037]    The homepage display file  107  serves to display the homepage of the company and includes information about a method of introducing a new customer/benefits (URL-1), the business guide (URL-2) of the company and the like. The introduction source entry file  108  is information about an introduction source (existing customer) and includes a customer code, a name, an e-mail address and the like. The new purchaser file  109  is information about a customer newly purchasing goods and a service through a homepage by the introduction of the introduction source (existing customer), and includes a postal address, a name, an e-mail address, an introduction source mail address, purchase data and the like.  
         [0038]    A storage section  110  (see FIG. 2) stores a message example sentence  110  to be used in the embodiment. The message example sentence  110  is constituted by messages  111  to  115 .  
         [0039]    Next, the operation according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 4 to FIG. 6. The operation of the server  100  which will be described below is actually carried out under control of the control section  101  (see FIG. 2).  
         [0040]    At step SA 1  shown in FIG. 4, the server  100  transmits an introduction request mail including the message  111  shown in FIG. 3 to an introduction source terminal  300  (existing customer  350 ) through the Internet  200 . When the introduction request mail is received by the introduction source terminal  300 , the introduction source terminal  300  makes a sound or an oscillation which represents e-mail receipt.  
         [0041]    Consequently, the existing customer  350  clicks “e-mail” of a menu screen  10  shown in FIG. 5 and then clicks “see a received mail” of an e-mail operation screen  11 . When the existing customer  350  clicks “introduction request mail” of a received mail list  12 , the contents (a text and URL-1) of the introduction request mail are displayed on a screen  13 . The introduction request mail serves to make a request for the existing customer  350  to introduce a new customer from a company managing a homepage on the server  100 .  
         [0042]    At step SA 2 , it is decided whether the existing customer  350  is interested in an introduction system. If the result of the decision is “No”, an introduction request mail is disregarded or deleted at step SA 3 . On the other hand, if the existing customer  350  is interested in the introduction system, he (she) clicks the “URL-1” on the screen  13  shown in FIG. 5 at step SA 4  to indicate the result of the decision in the step SA 2  as “Yes”, and reads the homepage of the company.  
         [0043]    At step SA 5 , the server  100  displays a homepage for explaining an introduction system, a method, benefits and perks (see the message  112  in FIG. 3) based on the homepage display file  107  (see FIG. 3). The homepage is linked to the URL-1. At step SA 6 , the existing customer  350  understands the introduction system, the method, the benefits and perks from the homepage and decides whether acquaintances and family are to be introduced as new customers. If the result of the decision is “No”, the existing customer  350  disregards or deletes the homepage at the step SA 3 .  
         [0044]    On the other hand, if the result of the decision in the step SA 6  is “Yes”, the existing customer  350  inputs, to the homepage, the fact that an introduction source entry will be given, thereby carrying out an operation for registering information about the introduction source entry on the introduction source entry file  108 . At step SA 8 , consequently, the server  100  acquires an introduction source address, that is, an e-mail address of the introduction source terminal  300  (existing customer  350 ) and registers information about the introduction source entry (a customer code, a name, an e-mail address and the like) to the introduction source entry file  108  (see FIG. 3).  
         [0045]    At step SA 9 , the server  100  transmits an introduction mail (for transfer) to the introduction source terminal  300  through the Internet  200 . The introduction mail includes the message  113  shown in FIG. 3 and is to be transferred to cause the existing customer  350  himself (herself) to introduce the company to the acquaintances and family.  
         [0046]    When the introduction mail (for transfer) is received by the introduction source terminal  300 , the existing customer  350  clicks “introduction mail” of a received mail list  14  shown in FIG. 5. Consequently, the contents of the introduction mail are displayed on a screen  15 . At step SA 10  shown in FIG. 4, the existing customer  350  executes a processing of transferring the introduction mail to the introduced person  350 - 1 ′.  
         [0047]    More specifically, when an e-mail menu (not shown) is clicked by the existing customer  350 , an e-mail menu screen  16  shown in FIG. 5 is displayed. When “transfer” is clicked, a transfer mail creation screen  17  is displayed. Moreover, the existing customer  350  selects “MR. INOUE” (the introduced person  350 - 1 ′) to be an e-mail address from an address book screen  18 .  
         [0048]    Consequently, the “MR. INOUE” (precisely, e-mail address of Mr. INOUE) is set to be a destination for a transfer mail. Next, when “transmit” of the transfer mail creation screen  17  is clicked, the introduction mail (transfer mail) is transferred from the introduction source terminal  300  to the introduction source terminal  300 - 1 ′ through the Internet  200 . In the case in which the introduction mail is to be transferred to an introduced person other than the introduced person  350 - 1 ′, the existing customer  350  repetitively executes the transfer processing.  
         [0049]    When the introduction mail is received by the introduction destination terminal  300 - 1 ′ shown in FIG. 6, the introduction destination terminal  300 - 1 ′ makes a sound or an oscillation which represents mail receipt. Consequently, the introduced person  350 - 1 ′ clicks “e-mail” of a menu screen  20  and clicks “see a received mail” of an e-mail operation screen  21 .  
         [0050]    When the introduced person  350 - 1 ′ clicks “introduction mail” of a received mail list  22 , the contents (a text and URL-2) of the introduction mail are displayed on a screen  23 . The introduction mail includes the message  113  shown in FIG. 3 and serves to introduce the company to the introduced person  350 - 1 ′.  
         [0051]    Next, it is decided whether the introduced person  350 - 1 ′ is interested in the company (a homepage, goods and a service). If the result of the decision is “No”, the introduction mail is disregarded or deleted. On the other hand, if the introduced person  350 - 1 ′ is interested in the company, he (she) clicks “URL-2” on the screen  23  shown in FIG. 6 and reads the homepage (screen  24 ) of the company at step SA 11 .  
         [0052]    At step SA 12 , the server  100  displays, as the screen  24 , a homepage for explaining goods, a selling method and the like (see the message  114  in FIG. 3) based on the homepage display file  107  (see FIG. 3). The homepage is linked to the URL-2.  
         [0053]    At step SA 13 , the introduced person  350 - 1 ′ carries out an operation for order and purchase when he (she) wants to purchase goods and a service. More specifically, the introduced person  350 - 1 ′ clicks “discount coupon” of the screen  24  shown in FIG. 6. The “discount coupon” represents URL-3 (see the message  115  in FIG. 3). Consequently, a discount selling screen  25  is displayed on the introduction destination terminal  300 - 1 ′.  
         [0054]    The discount selling screen  25  can receive a service such as a discount in an actual store managed by the company. The introduced person  350 - 1 ′ inputs, to a predetermined input column, his (her) name, postal address, purchase data, introduction source address (in this case, the e-mail address of the existing customer  350 ) and the like, and then clicks “order and purchase” (not shown).  
         [0055]    At step SA 14  shown in FIG. 4, the server  100  refers to the existing customer data file  106  (see FIG. 3) by using the e-mail address of the introduced person  350 - 1 ′ as a key, confirms that the introduced person  350 - 1 ′ is a new customer and accepts an order. At step SA 15 , the server  100  records purchase data together with the introduction source address in the novel purchaser file  109  (see FIG. 3).  
         [0056]    At step SA 16 , the server  100  checks the introduction source entry file  108  with the new purchaser file  109  (see FIG. 3) and decides whether the introduction source address related to the introduced person  350 - 1 ′ is coincident. If the introduction source address is coincident, the introduction of the introduced person  350 - 1 ′ is decided to be the introduction achievement of the existing customer  350 . At step SA 17 , the server  100  offers benefits (incentives) corresponding to the introduction achievement to the existing customer  350 .  
         [0057]    Subsequently, the introduced person  350 - 1 ′ becomes the existing customer. In the same manner as the case of the existing customer  350 , therefore, the server  100  transmits the introduction request mail shown in FIG. 6 to the introduction destination terminal  300 - 1 ′ based on the address of the new purchaser file  109 . When the introduction request mail is received by the introduction destination terminal  300 - 1 ′, the introduction destination terminal  300 - 1 ′ makes a sound or an oscillation which represents e-mail receipt.  
         [0058]    When “introduction request mail” of a received mail list  26  is clicked by the introduced person  350 - 1 ′ (existing customer), the contents (a text and URL-1) of the introduction request mail are displayed on a screen  27 . The introduction request mail serves to make a request for the introduced person  350 - 1 ′ (existing customer) to introduce a new customer from the company managing the homepage on the server  100 .  
         [0059]    In the same manner as the case of the existing customer  350 , subsequently, the introduced person  350 - 1 ′ (existing customer) transfers the introduction mail to the introduced person  350 - 11 ′ and the introduced person  350 - 12 ′ shown in FIG. 1, thereby executing an introduction processing related to the same company. In the case in which the introduced person  350 - 1 ′ neither orders nor purchases goods and a service at the step SA 13  shown in FIG. 4, he (she) is not the existing customer and the introduction request mail is not transmitted from the server  100  to the introduction destination terminal  300 - 1 ′. In this case, accordingly, the introduced person  350 - 1 ′ cannot introduce new customers (acquaintances and family) to the company by the above-mentioned new customer acquiring function.  
         [0060]    Thus, since the embodiment has the following features, a new customer can be acquired by a method which is quite different from the pyramid selling method.  
         [0061]    (1) Also when the existing customer is to introduce acquaintances and family (a first generation) or a second generation, the “introduction request mail” is always transmitted from the company (server  100 ) every time the introduced person carries out the order and purchase.  
         [0062]    (2) The will to carry out introduction for each generation is confirmed and the company is introduced to the next generation only if the introducer obtains a consent (which is different from an infinite multistage chain).  
         [0063]    (3) Registration in the new purchaser file  109  is not carried out until the introduced person orders and purchases goods and a service, and the introduction request mail is transmitted to an address registered in the new purchaser file  109 . Therefore, even if the multistage chain introduction is consequently carried out, it is possible to reliably distribute goods (or provide a service).  
         [0064]    [0064]FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an application example of the embodiment described above. In FIG. 7, portions corresponding to the portions of FIG. 2 have the same reference numerals. FIG. 7 shows an example in which the embodiment is applied to beauty salon new customer acquisition. The server  400  has the same function as that of the server  100  shown in FIG. 2. The Web system  410  has the function of opening a homepage to the public and of transmitting and receiving an e-mail. The beauty salon  600  corresponds to a company and opens a solon introduction homepage  420  onto the server  400  in order to acquire a new customer.  
         [0065]    With the above-mentioned structure, an introduction request male (URL-1 attached) is transmitted from the server  400  to an introduction source terminal  300  in (1). The following is a sample introduction request mail: “A special request to you who regularly use our salon! Please introduce your friends. To introduce your friends, please click the button. Benefits and perks will be explained. If you do not intend to anyone, please click the “reject” button. Thank you for your cooperation. We look forward to your support.” 
         [0066]    If an existing customer  350  rejects the introduction option, an introduction rejection mail is transmitted from the introduction source terminal  300  to the server  400  in (2). Moreover, if the existing customer  350  accepts the introduction, the URL-1 is clicked in (3). In (4), a page for explaining the introduction method corresponding to the URL-1 is displayed on the introduction source terminal  300 .  
         [0067]    The following is a message sample for this page: “The introduction method . . . we will mail you an introduction card tomorrow. Please correctly transfer the introduction card together with an e-mail address of your friend from an address book of your mobile telephone. Benefit . . . when the introduced person comes to our salon, both they and you will receive a 20% discount. A request . . . Only persons who have never been to our salon are eligible to be introduced. The 20% discount cannot be used in conjunction with any other special offers of our salon” 
         [0068]    In (5), an introduction card (URL-2 attached) corresponding to the introduction mail is transmitted from the server  400  to the introduction source terminal  300 . In (6), the introduction card (URL-2 attached) is transferred from the introduction source terminal  300  to an introduction reception terminal  300 - 1 ′. A sample message for the introduction card: “I will introduce you to my favorite beauty salon “SMART” which is very cheerful and nice. We are sure that fashionable people like you will like the salon . . . Click this link to display a page for the salon.” 
         [0069]    In (7), the URL-2 is clicked by the introduced person  350 - 1 ′. In (8), the page for the salon invitation, the postal address, a discount coupon or others is displayed on the introduction reception terminal  300 - 1 ′. The following is a message sample for this page: “. . . Invitation to the hair salon SMART . . . We welcome you who are beauty conscious. We are expecting you. Our salon is located in front of the south exit of XX station. Please make an appointment by phone. Click this button to display a discount coupon. Please print out the page and present it when you come to our salon.” 
         [0070]    Consequently, the introduced person  350 - 1 ′ goes to the beauty salon  600  and presents the discount coupon displayed on the introduction destination terminal  300 - 1 ′, and can thus receive the new customer discount service.  
         [0071]    As described above, according to the embodiment, it is possible to rapidly increase the number of new customers (sales) at a lower cost than that in the conventional art through a very simple operation in which the introduction request mail is transmitted to the introduction source terminal  300  of the existing customer  350  and the introduction source entry is accepted, and the existing customer  350  then transfers the introduction mail transmitted to the introduction source terminal  300  to the introduction destination terminal  300 - 1 ′ and an introduction destination terminal  300 - 2 ′. In particular, the existing customer transfers the introduction mail to a plurality of introduced people so that an introduction network and a selling network can be enlarged self-multiplicatively.  
         [0072]    According to the embodiment, moreover, when the introduced person orders and purchases the goods and the service, the benefits are offered to the existing customer. Therefore, the will of the existing customer to introduce a person can be enhanced. As a result, the number of new customers can further be increased.  
         [0073]    According to the embodiment, furthermore, the introduction mail is transferred to the e-mail address (introduction destination terminal) selected from the e-mail address book of the terminal of the existing customer. Therefore, the introduction can readily be carried out through only the simple operation.  
         [0074]    According to the embodiment, moreover, the introduced person is caused to input information (the e-mail address or the like) about the existing customer. Therefore, it is possible to clearly couple the introduction source and the introduction destination. Since the introduction source is a purchaser in the former stage for two or more generations. Therefore, the introduction mail can easily be transferred.  
         [0075]    While the embodiment according to the present invention has been described above in detail with reference to the drawings, the specific example of the structure is not restricted to the embodiment but a design can be modified without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the function of acquiring a new customer may be implemented by recording the new customer acquiring program for implementing the new customer acquiring method in a computer readable recording medium  800  shown in FIG. 8 and reading and executing the new customer acquiring program recorded in the recording medium  800  through a computer  700  shown in FIG. 8.  
         [0076]    The computer  700  shown in FIG. 8 is constituted by a CPU  701  for executing the new customer acquiring program, an input device  702  such as a keyboard or a mouse, an ROM (Read Only Memory)  703  for storing various data, an RAM (Random Access Memory)  704  for storing an operation parameter or the like, a reading device  705  for reading the new customer acquiring program from the recording medium  800 , an output device  706  such as a display or a printer, and a bus BU for connecting each portion of the devices.  
         [0077]    The CPU  701  provides the function of acquiring a new customer by reading the new customer acquiring program recorded in the recording medium  800  through the reading device  705  and then executing the new customer acquiring program. The recording medium  800  includes a portable recording medium such as an optical disk, a floppy disk or a hard disk, and furthermore, a transmission medium for temporarily recording and holding data as in a network.  
         [0078]    While the example of application to the beauty business has been described in the embodiment, application to all fields can be carried out in order to promote the sales. In the following, examples of the application field will be described.  
         [0079]    (a) Field in which diversification and discrimination can be carried out based on the static attribute of a customer  
         [0080]    Service business such as barbers, a beauty salon or a private learning school  
         [0081]    Sales promotion for each age group  
         [0082]    Sales promotion based on a birthday, a constellation or a blood type  
         [0083]    Sales promotion based on a family make-up  
         [0084]    (b) Field in which diversification and discrimination can be carried out based on the dynamic attribute of a customer  
         [0085]    Selling service for selling durable consumer goods such as automobiles or household electrical appliances,  
         [0086]    Sales promotion based on purchase at a first time (business continuation period)  
         [0087]    Sales promotion based on the number of time of the purchase or the frequency of the purchase  
         [0088]    Sales promotion based on a purchase price  
         [0089]    Sales promotion based on purchase achievement of related goods (series cosmetics or the like)  
         [0090]    Sales promotion for estranged and dormant customers  
         [0091]    Sales promotion based on introduction achievement  
         [0092]    As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to rapidly increase the number of new customers (sales) at a lower cost than that in the conventional art through a very simple operation in which the introduction request mail is transmitted to the terminal of the existing customer and the introduction source entry is accepted, and the existing customer then transfers the introduction mail transmitted to the terminal of the existing customer to the terminal of the introduced person. In particular, the existing customer transfers the introduction mail to a plurality of introduced people so that an introduction network and a selling network can be enlarged self-multiplicatively.  
         [0093]    According to the present invention, moreover, in the case in which the introduced person orders and purchases the order and service, the incentive is given to the existing customer. Therefore, the will of the existing customer to introduce a person can be enhanced. As a result, the number of new customers can further be increased.  
         [0094]    According to the present invention, furthermore, the introduction mail is transferred to the e-mail address selected from the e-mail address book of the terminal of the existing customer. Therefore, the introduction can readily be carried out through only the simple operation.  
         [0095]    According to the present invention, moreover, the introduced person is caused to input information about the existing customer. Therefore, it is possible to clearly couple the introduction source and the introduction destination. Since the introduction source is a purchaser in the former stage for two or more generations. Therefore, the introduction mail can easily be transferred.  
         [0096]    Although the invention has been described with respect to a specific embodiment for a complete and clear disclosure, the appended claims are not to be thus limited but are to be construed as embodying all modifications and alternative constructions that may occur to one skilled in the art which fairly fall within the basic teaching herein set forth.

Technology Classification (CPC): 6