MQL (Marketing-Qualified Lead)

Definition

An MQL is a lead judged likely to become a customer based on marketing engagement signals (content, forms, intent).

Example

A lead that downloads a pricing guide and reaches a score threshold is labeled MQL.

How to use it

• Define MQL criteria jointly with sales to avoid misalignment.
• Track MQL to SQL and MQL to paid conversion rates.
• Review MQL quality by channel to avoid volume-driven drift.
• Use explicit scoring weights so changes are auditable.
• Revisit scoring when ICP or pricing changes materially.

Common mistakes

• Treating MQL volume as a success metric without conversion quality.
• Changing MQL scoring frequently without recalibrating reporting.
• Ignoring channel quality differences that skew MQL rates.
• Using one global MQL threshold across very different personas.

Why this matters

This term matters because small changes compound in SaaS metrics. Use consistent definitions by cohort and segment so you can diagnose retention, payback, and growth quality.

Practical checklist

• Write a 1-line definition for "MQL (Marketing-Qualified Lead)" that your team will use consistently.
• Keep the time window consistent (weekly/monthly/quarterly) when comparing trends.
• Segment results (channel/plan/cohort) before drawing big conclusions from blended averages.
• Use a calculator that references this term (e.g., Sales Funnel Targets Calculator) to sanity-check assumptions.
• Read the related guide (e.g., Sales funnel targets: leads -> MQL -> SQL -> opp -> win (how to plan)) for context and common pitfalls.

Where to use this on MetricKit