The term lead is from c. 1300, "action of leading," from lead (v.1). Meaning "the front or leading place" is from 1560s. Sense in card-playing, "action or privilege of playing first," is from 1742.

Acquiring and retaining customers is the life blood of business. Customers drive decisions and revenue. Leads play a key role in acquiring customers. Some examples of lead generation include; inbound marketing, content marketing, website, blog, social media, search engine optimization, outbound marketing, pay-per-click advertising, content syndication, direct mail, event marketing, inside sales, and email marketing. Lead generation is big business. Start with the smallest viable market.

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Leading from the front, environment in forests, pyramid of gold