Glossary · Marketing Qualified Lead and Sales Qualified Lead
What are MQL and SQL, and how do they differ?
An MQL (Marketing Qualified Lead) filled out a quiz or ad form and entered a budget, timeline or area there. An SQL (Sales Qualified Lead) confirmed that information in a conversation with the sales team. An MQL may never pick up the phone. With an SQL you can already set up a meeting. A developer should measure ad results by SQLs.
How an MQL differs from an SQL in practice
The person picked "budget over 3M" and "buying within 3 months" on the form. Nobody has talked to them yet. They may have clicked the first options just to get the brochure faster.
A salesperson reached them by phone or chat, and the person stated their budget, timeline, area and payment method in their own words. The data is in the CRM fields, and you can book the meeting.
A form with questions screens out some random inquiries. Only a conversation confirms qualification, though: a form answer stays an unchecked claim.
Why agencies sell MQLs as SQLs
MQLs are cheaper: add a few questions to the form, and everyone who answers them lands in the report as "qualified." The report looks good and CPQL is low, while the sales team can't reach half of these people. In our experience, this is one of the most common sources of conflict between marketing and sales at development companies.
When an agency shows you 135 qualified leads a month, ask one question: who confirmed the qualification, and how, by form or by conversation?
How to lock in the SQL definition with a vendor
- State in the contract or brief that a qualified lead means budget, timeline, area and payment method confirmed in a conversation.
- Record SQLs only in the developer's CRM, based on completed fields.
- Calculate CPQL and pay-for-performance on SQLs, not on form answers.
- Once a month, listen to a sample of calls to make sure statuses follow the criteria.