sales
SQL (Sales Qualified Lead)
A lead that meets fit criteria AND is ready to engage with sales.
Definition
A Sales Qualified Lead has been validated by sales as worth pursuing: fits ICP, has expressed buying intent, has decision authority or access to it. This is the handoff point from marketing to sales. Most service businesses skip this step and route every lead directly to a sales call - which burns rep time on unqualified prospects. A clean MQL -> SQL handoff with documented criteria typically lifts win rate by 30-50% by reducing time wasted on bad fits.
In your business
- →Document 4-5 SQL criteria - reject leads that miss 3 of 5
- →Track MQL to SQL conversion - measures marketing quality
- →Track SQL to win conversion - measures sales execution