Patent ID: 7917384

Claim:
A method of analyzing a sales opportunity comprising the steps of: establishing, using at least one processor, a plurality of profiles, stored in at least one processor readable memory, wherein each profile comprises a set of attributes that assists a seller in evaluating a potential customer; gathering, using at least one processor, information, stored in at least one processor readable, relating to at least some of said attributes for at least one potential customer; analyzing, using at least one processor, said information, stored in at least one processor readable memory, for each of the profile attributes to which said information relates; determining, using at least one processor, for each of said analyzed profiles whether said potential customer has unsatisfactory characteristics for one of said plurality of profiles; ceasing, using at least one processor, said sales opportunity analysis before completing an analysis of all of said plurality of profiles if it is determined that the potential customer has unsatisfactory characteristics for one of said plurality of profiles other than said final profile; wherein said plurality of profiles comprises a profile of unacceptable customer characteristics; and wherein said profile of unacceptable customer characteristics comprises each of the following attributes: whether the customer has poor billing practices, whether the customer is in poor financial condition, whether the customer is in reorganization, whether there is a customer need for the seller's product or service, whether the customer has a budget, and whether the seller has provided the customer with a prior negative experience.