What is MQL?
An MQL is a lead that has shown interest in your company through marketing activities and meets certain criteria that indicate they're more likely to become a customer than other leads. Think of it as a lead that's raised their hand and said 'I'm interested' through their actions.
Why MQL Matters
MQLs help you focus your sales team's time on leads that actually have potential. Without qualifying leads, your sales reps waste hours chasing people who were never going to buy. A solid MQL process can increase sales efficiency by 30% or more.
61%
of B2B marketers send all leads to sales
27%
of those leads are actually qualified
79%
of MQLs never convert to sales
How MQL Works
Lead captures attention
Someone downloads a whitepaper, signs up for a webinar, or fills out a form on your site.
Marketing scores the lead
Based on demographics (company size, industry, role) and behavior (pages visited, content consumed), the lead gets a score.
Lead hits MQL threshold
When the score reaches a certain point, the lead becomes an MQL and gets flagged for sales attention.
Sales reviews and accepts
A sales rep reviews the MQL. If they agree it's worth pursuing, it becomes an SQL (Sales Qualified Lead).
Best Practices
Define MQL criteria with sales, not just marketing—alignment is everything
Use both fit (who they are) and intent (what they do) to score leads
Regularly audit MQL-to-SQL conversion rates and adjust criteria
Don't make the threshold too low—quality beats quantity every time
Common Mistakes
- • Setting the bar too low to inflate MQL numbers
- • Not getting sales buy-in on what makes a lead qualified
- • Treating all MQLs the same regardless of engagement level
- • Forgetting to nurture leads that aren't quite MQL-ready yet
Related Terms
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