System and method for exchanging sales leads

1. A computer-implemented method for exchanging sales leads between a first company and a plurality of companies, said computer-implemented method being implemented via a computer network, said computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving profile data pertaining to said plurality of companies;

receiving offering data pertaining to at least one of a product and a service offered by at least said first company;

receiving customer profile data, said customer profile data pertaining to a customer conducting a transaction involving said at least one of said product and said service;

providing via said computer network, during a pendency of said transaction, data pertaining to said at least one of said product and said service and pertaining to specific characteristics of said customer to said plurality of companies, wherein each of said plurality of companies offers at least one of a complementary product a complementary service different from said at least one of a product and a service offered by said first company;

receiving via said computer network bid data from said plurality of companies, said bid data pertaining to bids for prices that each individual company of said plurality of companies is willing to pay for at least a sales lead related to said transaction by said customer, said prices depending at least in part on said specific characteristics of said customer as reflected in said customer profile data;

selecting, responsive to said receiving said bid data during said pendency of said transaction, a bid by a second company of said plurality of companies as a winning bid;

providing said bid by said second company to said first company, enabling said first company to accept or reject said bid;

receiving via said computer network at least one qualification question from said second company;

executing, using at least a programmed computing device, sales lead data exchange pertaining to said customer, said executing further including presenting said at least one qualification question furnished by said second company to said customer during said pendency of said transaction and receiving a response to said at least one qualification question from said customer; and

providing sales lead data including at least said response to said second company, wherein a final price payable by said second company to said first company for said sales lead data pertaining to said customer is a first price if said response by said customer has a first value and wherein said final price payable by said second company to said first company for said sales lead data is a second price different from said first price if said response by said customer has a second value different from said first value.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein said selecting said bid data is also responsive to geographic information furnished in one of said bid data and said profile data associated with said second company.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein said bid data includes an indication whether said bid is for an exclusive referral or a non-exclusive referral.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein said bid by said second company is based on bulk sales leads generated by said first company.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein said bid by said second company is based on a specific transaction by said first company.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein said bid by said second company includes a plurality of prices, a specific value of said bid is determined based on responses to said qualification questions after said customer responds to said qualification questions.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising receiving rating data from at least one of said first company and said second company after said sales lead data exchange is executed.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein said transaction occurs at a point-of-sale, said at least one qualification question being presented to said customer while said customer is still conducting said transaction at said point-of-sale.

9. A computer-implemented method for exchanging sales leads between a lead seller and a plurality of prospective lead buyers, said computer-implemented method being implemented via a computer network, said computer-implemented method comprising:

providing attribute data pertaining to said lead seller and at least one of a product and service offered by said lead seller to a plurality of computers interconnected via said computer network and accessible by said plurality of prospective lead buyers, wherein each of said plurality of prospective lead buyers offers at least one of a complementary product a complementary service different from said at least one of a product and a service offered by said lead seller;

accepting bids from said plurality of prospective lead buyers for a sales lead from said lead seller, said bids being made for profile data of a customer of said lead seller interacting with said lead seller for said at least one of said product and service;

receiving via said computer network bid data from said plurality of prospective lead buyers, said bid data pertaining to bids for prices that each individual prospective lead buyer of said plurality of prospective lead buyers is willing to pay for at least a sales lead related to said transaction by said customer, said prices depending at least in part on specific characteristics of said customer as reflected in said profile data of said customer;

after at least a bid of at least one of said plurality of prospective lead buyers has been deemed a winning bid, determining, responsive to said receiving said bid data during said pendency of said transaction, said at least one of said plurality of prospective lead buyers to be a set of actual lead buyers;

after said determining, accepting, using a programmed computing device, qualification questions from said set of actual lead buyers;

providing, using said programmed computing device, said qualification questions to said lead seller for said lead seller to present at least one qualification question of said qualification questions to said customer as part of an interaction between said customer and said lead seller pertaining to said at least one of said product and said service to collect qualification data; and

transmitting said qualification data to said set of actual lead buyers, wherein a final price payable by said set of actual lead buyers to said lead seller for said sales lead data pertaining to said customer is a first price if said response by said customer has a first value and wherein said final price payable by said set of actual lead buyers to said lead seller for said sales lead data is a second price different from said first price if said response by said customer has a second value different from said first value.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 wherein said winning bid is selected based on a set of criteria that includes geographic restriction.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 wherein said winning bid represents a portion of a bulk purchase of sales leads from said lead seller.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 further comprising invoicing said at least one of said plurality of prospective lead buyers for said winning bid.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 further comprising providing a rating mechanism to at least one of said lead seller and said at least one of said plurality of prospective lead buyers to collect rating data pertaining to a sales lead exchange transaction that involves said profile data.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 wherein a price associated with said winning bid is determined based on whether said winning bid is an exclusive winning bid or a non-exclusive winning bid.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 wherein said winning bid is selected based on a set of criteria that includes a rating score resulting from past transactions involving said at least one of said plurality of prospective lead buyers.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 further comprising providing identity data of said at least one of said plurality of prospective lead buyers to said customer.