Even if you can't answer the question of "which came first the chicken or the egg?" you should easily be able to answer "which came first the sale or the lead?" Without leads there are no sales, and without sales there is no business. Statistics like that make it difficult to overstate the importance of sales lead generation to the success of your business without sounding trite, but what can you do about that? It is a simple fact that the most important part of building your business is starting with qualified leads, and qualified leads come from a sales lead generation plan that is working. If your sales lead generation is falling flat there are five fundamental rules that can help you make the needed improvements:

1. The first fundamental rule of sales lead generation is simple: you need to know who you are looking for. Casting your net too wide brings in too many unqualified leads and is a complete waste of time.

2. Rule number two states that: Once you know who you are looking for you need to know where to find them. Uncover your target market and find out where they live (figuratively first and then literally!). If your target market is women over 40 you might do well to avoid marketing on websites that specialize in performance car parts.

3. The third rule of sales lead generation is: Know what you need to know about your leads. You need to ask the right questions to qualify your lead and to aid in the sales process. Of course you need all the usual information like name, address, phone number and email address, but take it a step further by asking the questions that qualify your lead such as their age, gender, what movies they like, what their hobbies are - whatever helps you understand who they are and how your product may be a fit for them.

4. Rule number four is: Offer something of value to the prospect in exchange for their personal information and their time. Common offerings on the Internet these days include a free eBook or white paper, but feel free to get creative. Your "free" bonus is usually designed as further advertising that will lead the prospect back to you as well as entice them to give you their stats. It also helps you build a relationship with the prospect, which makes them more likely to listen to your advice later on.

5. And finally, rule number five to improve your sales lead generation is: constantly analyze your results, make adjustments, try again, and then repeat. No matter how good you get at it, there is always room for improvement. It is usually when you think you have learned it all that it is time to go back to the beginning and start learning it all over again.

Following the five fundamental rules to improve your sales lead generation will get you on the path top increasing sales and boosting your profits in the coming year.