SaaS Marketing
Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL)
Quick definition
An MQL is a lead that marketing has scored as likely to become a customer, based on demographic fit and engagement with marketing content.
MQLs are typically scored using a combination of firmographic data (company size, industry), behavioral signals (downloaded content, watched demo), and ICP fit.
Why Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL) matters
MQL definitions vary widely between companies, which makes benchmarking risky. Internally, what matters is the conversion rate from MQL to SQL to closed-won.
How Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL) works in practice
Refine MQL definitions every 6–12 months based on actual conversion data. A scoring model that worked last year often miscalibrates as ICP shifts.