Sales leads are generated in a large number of ways, employing a huge range of techniques, trick, and tactics to discover the most valuable leads. Some of these are tried and tested, some are unique methods used by a particular organization or business, and all of them have varying degrees of success.

One of the most effective ways of generating sales leads is through word of mouth. Once word is spreading of a popular product or service, there is no saying how much can be achieved. However, it is getting word of mouth started that is the tricky part.

The opt-in list generation method allows leads to be generated and customers can be targeted specifically through their interests. The most common opt-in method in use today is through Web sites and emails, whereby after visiting a Web site, users can choose to receive information either directly related to that product or from third parties with similar products.

This is also known as permission-based marketing, and is an incredibly useful way to target potential customers more specifically. However, the technique is not limited to internet marketing. After making an order for a product by mail, there will often be an option to check a box that allows the customer's information to be used for marketing purposes.

A further method of ensuring that the person is interested in a particular product or service is by using the double opt-in method. This is very common with email newsletters, whereby an email is sent to the user's email address, and the user must then click on a link to confirm that they want to be on the list. This is a protective method to prevent people receiving too much spam mail, but it is also a good marketing tool as it means the people on the list are genuinely interested in receiving it.