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2. Lists and qualification

What is a sales qualified lead?

A sales qualified lead (SQL) is a lead that the sales team has reviewed and accepted as a real opportunity worth active selling. It sits after the marketing qualified lead stage: someone on the sales side, not a score alone, confirmed the fit and the interest.

The parts

  1. A person decided, not a numberA score can suggest who to look at first, but a lead becomes an SQL only when a salesperson or a development rep reviews it and says yes.
  2. Fit and interest both presentThe company matches the buyers you serve, and the person has shown a reason to talk now, such as asking a question or replying to a message.
  3. A named ownerEvery SQL belongs to one seller who is responsible for the next step. A lead with no owner is still waiting to be qualified.
  4. A written rule for acceptanceMarketing and sales agree on the rule in advance, so a lead is not argued over after it is passed across.

Worked example: five leads at a payroll software company

Brightwave Payroll, a fictional company, receives five leads. Sales accepts a lead only when three things are true: the person asked for a conversation, the company fits the target profile, and a seller has taken ownership.

By hand

  1. Leads received: 5.
  2. Asked for a conversation: 4 of 5.
  3. Also fit the profile: 3.
  4. Also have an owner: 2 leads, which become sales qualified leads.
  5. Acceptance rate: 40% of leads received.
LeadAsked to talkFits profileHas ownerResult
Lead AYesYesYesSales qualified
Lead BYesNoYesNot yet
Lead CNoYesNoNot yet
Lead DYesYesYesSales qualified
Lead EYesYesNoNot yet

Each lead against the three acceptance checks

How to apply it

  1. Write the acceptance rule in one short paragraph that both marketing and sales sign off on.
  2. Review new leads daily so a warm lead is not sitting for days.
  3. Give every accepted lead an owner and a dated next step in the same moment.
  4. Send rejected leads back with a one-line reason so the rule improves over time.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Promoting a lead because it scored high, without anyone on the sales side looking at it.
  • Leaving the rule unwritten, so each seller applies a different standard.
  • Never returning rejected leads with a reason, which hides what the rule should change.

Marketing qualified lead

A marketing qualified lead (MQL) is a contact who has met an agreed standard of fit and activity, so they are worth passing from marketing to sales.

Read more

Lead qualification

Lead qualification is the step of checking whether a lead is worth a sales conversation: whether the company fits your profile, whether there is a real need and whether the person can act.

Read more

BANT

BANT is a qualification checklist built on four questions: does the buyer have budget, does this person have authority to decide, is there a real need, and is there a timeline.

Read more

Questions

How is an SQL different from an MQL?
A marketing qualified lead is flagged by marketing activity or a score. A sales qualified lead has also been reviewed and accepted by the sales side.
Who decides that a lead is an SQL?
A seller or a sales development rep, using a rule that sales and marketing agreed in advance.
Can a lead stop being an SQL?
Yes. If the buyer goes quiet or turns out not to fit, the lead goes back to nurture and the reason is recorded.
Does an SQL always mean a meeting is booked?
No. It means the lead is worth active selling. A booked meeting is one of the steps that usually follows.

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