Marketing-qualified lead (MQL)

A marketing-qualified lead (MQL) is a contact that marketing has checked against agreed criteria, such as fit with the ideal customer profile, recent engagement and lead score, and judged ready for a sales conversation. It marks the handoff point. Marketing declares the MQL, and sales then decides independently whether the contact becomes a sales-qualified lead (SQL).

How it is measured

MQL to SQL rate = SQLs accepted by sales ÷ MQLs passed to sales, shown as a percentage.

The definition sets the number. First Page Sage's industry report counts a contact as an MQL only once it has indicated purchase intent and been determined able to afford the product. Its SaaS funnel benchmarks use a looser bar: a lead who fits the company’s target market or one of its customer personas.

Worked example

At B2B SaaS averages, 100 MQLs at a 13% MQL to SQL rate produce 13 SQLs, roughly 5 to 6 opportunities, and one to two closed deals. Run that chain backward from your bookings target with the reverse funnel calculator to get the MQL volume you need.

Source channel moves the rate. In First Page Sage's B2B SaaS data, SEO-sourced MQLs converted to SQL at 51% and PPC at 26%.

Usual mistakes

• Blending channels. A quarter where paid volume grows faster than organic volume will show a "declining" conversion rate even if every channel individually improved. Segment by source before you diagnose.
• Comparing across definitions. Two companies in the same vertical can report 13% and 42% conversion rates, and both can be accurate.
• No recency rule. Old activity should not qualify anyone. One setup guide sets the window at typically the last 30 to 60 days.
• Verbal agreements. Put the definition in writing, get sign-off from marketing and sales leadership, and review it quarterly.

When it matters

It matters whenever an MQL target is derived from a pipeline number. A target with a loose definition looks easy to hit, and the shortfall then appears later in the funnel. Compare your rate to the funnel conversion benchmarks only after you confirm that the benchmark counts MQLs the same way you do.