MQL (Marketing Qualified Lead)

A Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL) is a lead that has been evaluated by marketing and meets predefined qualification criteria — such as a minimum lead score, job title match, or demonstrated behavioral engagement — indicating it is likely to be receptive to a sales conversation. MQL status represents the marketing-to-sales handoff point: marketing certifies that a lead has demonstrated sufficient interest and organizational fit to warrant sales follow-up, while sales accepts responsibility for qualification and pipeline development from that point forward. The MQL-to-SQL conversion rate is one of the most telling metrics in B2B revenue operations — a consistent gap between MQL volume and SQL creation signals misalignment between marketing's qualification standards and sales' assessment of opportunity quality.