What Is MQL & SQL and How Do They Differ?

A marketing qualified lead (MQL) is one who has acquired a piece of content or connected with your marketing team but has not yet approached your sales funnel. A Sales Qualified Lead (SQL) is a lead that has been verified as a possible customer by your sales team. SQLs are in your sales funnel, and your team is focused to get them to sign a contract.

Leads. Everyone craves leads, but few people know what to do with them once they acquire them. This is when the inbound strategy comes into play. In the modern era, digital customer and the inbound sales process sets a big emphasis on MQLs and SQLs. It’s engineered to help both marketing and sales teams foster leads all the way across to a sale.

So what are they, how do you tell them apart, and how can you use both MQLs and SQLs to increase the ROI of your inbound sales process?

Here’s an explanation of the MQL vs. SQL debate, packed with recommendations on how to construct them and how to utilize those concepts to improve the reliability and efficiency of your sales and marketing processes. Let’s begin with the basic fundamentals.

What Exactly Is A MQL?

A marketing qualified lead (MQL) is a website visitor who your marketing team believes has a good chance of becoming a customer. MQLs are pre-qualified leads who match your customer profile.

However, they lack a few qualities that would make them an excellent addition to your sales team.

Perhaps they’re working on a lengthy buying cycle. Alternatively, they may be in the correct industry and have decision-making authority, but they lack the necessary money or reasonable budget expectations.

In a nutshell, a MQL is a decently qualified lead that fits one or more of your customer profiles but isn’t quite willing to buy.

And What Exactly Is A SQL?

A sales qualified lead (SQL) is one that your sales team has determined is worthy of further investigation. They’ve completed the contemplation stage and are now in the decision-making phase of their marketing funnel.

A sales qualified lead is often validated following an early contact contact with a member of your sales team, who may assess the lead’s interest in your service and motivation to buy.

An SQL is a buyer who has expressed an interest in making a purchase and sees your organization as a viable option.

 

MQL Vs. SQL: How Do They Differ?

 

The desire to buy is the most critical distinction between MQLs and SQLs. While there are other elements that influence whether a lead is marketing or sales-ready, the intent to buy is the most important indicator for strategists when determining whether or not to move a lead on to sales. That’s a precise indicator that they’re confident to talk with sales, and it means sending them forward to sales is the best approach to fulfill that lead.

Because MQLs and SQLs can change depending on the market and even specific organizations, below are a few instances of what qualifies as a MQL vs. SQL:

Recurring Visitor vs. First-Time Website Visitor

A prospective MQL is someone who comes for the first time. They’ve just just begun their buyer’s journey and are gathering information that will eventually assist them in making a purchase decision.

An SQL, on the other hand, is a repeat visitor who has visited your site several times and is viewing critical pages and collecting bottom-of-funnel content offerings. They keep coming back because they enjoy the content you’re providing. And if they keep returning, they’re most likely ready to speak with your sales staff.

Content Offers At The Top Vs. Bottom Of The Funnel

A lead who downloads and converts on top-of-funnel content offerings is known as a MQL. They’re looking for content that instructs and educates them about the goods you sell generally. Read More