Marketing qualified lead (MQL)
In short
A marketing qualified lead (MQL) is a lead that has met criteria set by marketing and sales for being worth passing to the sales team. The criteria combine fit, such as company size and role, with engagement, such as visits, downloads, and email clicks.
An MQL is not a prospect who wants to buy now. It means the lead looks interested enough and matches enough of your target profile to justify human outreach. The next stage is usually a sales accepted or sales qualified lead.
How MQLs are defined
Most teams use a points model. Fit points come from traits such as industry, headcount, and job title. Behavior points come from actions such as a demo request, a pricing-page visit, or repeated content engagement. When the total crosses an agreed threshold, the lead becomes an MQL and is routed to sales.
Example
Say a director at a company in your target industry attends a webinar, then returns to view pricing twice in a week. Fit points plus behavior points cross the threshold, the lead is marked an MQL, and a rep gets a task with the activity history.
MQL vs. SQL
- MQL: Marketing's judgment that a lead is worth contacting.
- SQL: Sales' judgment, after contact, that the lead has a real need, budget path, and timing.
Common mistakes
- Counting volume: Measuring MQL numbers instead of the share that becomes opportunities rewards low-quality leads.
- Behavior without fit: A student who downloads ten guides is engaged but not a buyer.
- No feedback loop: Review accepted and rejected MQLs with sales monthly and adjust the threshold.
- Individual-only view: In B2B, several contacts from one account showing interest matters more than one lead's score.
Marketing qualified lead (MQL) FAQs
What is a marketing qualified lead (MQL)?
A marketing qualified lead is a lead that meets criteria agreed by marketing and sales for being ready for sales follow-up. The criteria combine fit with the target profile and engagement signals such as demo requests or repeated visits.
What is the difference between an MQL and an SQL?
An MQL is qualified by marketing based on fit and engagement. An SQL is qualified by sales after direct contact confirms a real need, a path to budget, and timing. Leads usually become MQLs first, then SQLs.
How do you define an MQL?
Agree with sales on the fit traits and behaviors that predict deals, assign points to each, set a threshold, and test it against past closed-won and closed-lost data. Review it regularly and adjust using sales feedback.
Is MQL still a useful metric?
It can be, as a hand-off signal, if it is tied to conversion to pipeline. Counting MQLs alone rewards volume, so many teams also track account-level engagement and the share of MQLs that become opportunities.
