What Is MQL?
A lead that meets predefined marketing criteria and is ready for sales follow-up.
A Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL) is a prospect who has engaged with your marketing content or campaigns enough to meet a scoring threshold that signals purchase intent. The specific criteria vary by company, but typically combine demographic fit (job title, company size, industry) with behavioral signals (downloaded a whitepaper, attended a webinar, visited the pricing page multiple times).
MQLs sit at the handoff point between marketing and sales. Marketing generates them through campaigns, scores them based on fit and engagement, then passes them to sales development reps for qualification. The MQL-to-SQL conversion rate is one of the most watched metrics in demand gen because it measures whether marketing is sending the right leads to sales.
Getting MQL definitions right matters. Set the bar too low and sales wastes time on unqualified leads. Set it too high and you choke the pipeline. Most mature demand gen teams revisit their MQL scoring model quarterly, adjusting weights based on which behaviors actually predict closed deals.
Example: A B2B SaaS company defines an MQL as someone who scores 75+ points, where visiting the pricing page is worth 20 points, downloading a case study is 15 points, and being a Director or above at a company with 100+ employees adds 25 points. When a lead crosses that threshold, the SDR team gets an alert in Salesforce.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good MQL-to-SQL conversion rate?
Most B2B companies see MQL-to-SQL conversion rates between 13% and 27%. If your rate is below 10%, your MQL definition is probably too loose. Above 30% and you may be leaving pipeline on the table by setting the bar too high.
How is an MQL different from an SQL?
An MQL is qualified by marketing based on engagement and fit criteria. An SQL (Sales Qualified Lead) has been vetted by a sales rep who confirmed budget, authority, need, and timeline. The MQL comes first in the funnel.
Who decides the MQL criteria?
MQL criteria should be set jointly by marketing and sales leadership, documented in an SLA. Marketing owns the scoring model, but sales needs to agree that the criteria produce leads worth pursuing.