The MQL Problem
Marketing reports 500 MQLs. Sales says 450 were garbage. Marketing blames sales for not following up. Sales blames marketing for sending junk. Sound familiar?
The problem isn't either team—it's the lack of a shared, specific MQL definition that both teams wrote together and agreed to enforce.
The Two Paths to MQL
There are only two ways a contact should become an MQL:
Path 1: Scored MQL (Threshold-Based)
Contact passes both demographic AND behavioral thresholds:
- Demographic Grade: A or B (confirmed ICP fit)
- Behavioral Score: 50+ points (engaged beyond casual browsing)
This catches leads who are actively researching but haven't raised their hand yet.
Path 2: Hand-Raiser MQL (Intent-Based)
Contact explicitly requests contact, regardless of score:
- Submitted "Contact Sales" or "Request Demo" form
- Replied to email asking to talk
- Called the sales line
These bypass behavioral scoring because intent is explicit. But they still need demographic validation—a competitor requesting a demo isn't an MQL.
What Makes an MQL vs. Not
IS an MQL
- VP Marketing at 500-person SaaS, score 55
- Director Ops, viewed pricing 3x this week
- Any A/B grade who requested demo
- Manager at ICP company, attended webinar + downloaded case study
IS NOT an MQL
- Student with 80 points (wrong persona)
- Competitor researching you (wrong company)
- Consultant seeking partnership (not a buyer)
- ICP contact who only downloaded 1 ebook (low engagement)
Calibrating Your Threshold
The right threshold depends on your business. Here's how to find it:
Step 1: Pull Historical Data
Look at your last 100 MQLs. What percentage converted to SQL? To opportunity? To closed-won?
Step 2: Compare by Score Range
| Score Range | MQL Count | SQL Rate | Opp Rate | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30 | 45 | 5% | 1% | Too early |
| 31-50 | 30 | 15% | 5% | Marginal |
| 51-70 | 18 | 35% | 15% | Good |
| 71+ | 7 | 60% | 30% | Hot |
Step 3: Set Your Line
Choose the threshold where SQL rate becomes acceptable to sales. In the example above, 50+ would be the right cutoff—anything below has poor conversion.
If fewer than 30% of your MQLs convert to SQL, your threshold is too low. If more than 60% convert, you might be missing opportunities by being too restrictive. Aim for 30-50% MQL→SQL conversion.
Handling Edge Cases
What About C-Grade Leads with High Scores?
These are tricky. They're engaged but may not be buyers (wrong seniority, wrong department). Options:
- Don't auto-MQL: Keep in nurture, flag for manual review
- MQL with caveat: Route to SDR for quick qualification call
- Research the account: Maybe they're the internal champion
What About A-Grade Leads with No Activity?
Perfect fit but cold. Don't MQL—they haven't shown interest. Add to targeted nurture or outbound cadence.
What About Event Leads?
Conference badge scans aren't MQLs. They're leads that need scoring like everyone else. A 5-minute booth conversation doesn't equal buying intent.
Events generate volume, not quality. Treat event leads as top-of-funnel entries that need to prove engagement before MQL status.
Document It and Get Sign-Off
Your MQL definition should be:
- Written down in a shared doc both teams reference
- Specific with exact scores, grades, and exceptions
- Agreed to by both marketing and sales leadership
- Reviewed quarterly and adjusted based on conversion data
If sales is rejecting MQLs, pull the data. Either the definition needs adjustment or sales isn't following the SLA.