What is a marketing-qualified lead (MQL)?
A marketing-qualified lead (MQL) is a lead that marketing judges likely to become a customer, based on their engagement and fit.
Why it matters for sales teams
Not every website visitor or form fill is ready for a sales call. The MQL label filters leads so sales spends time on the most promising ones. It usually combines fit, meaning the person and company match the target profile, with behavior, meaning they have engaged enough to suggest real interest. Both are often measured through lead scoring.
When the MQL definition is too loose, sales gets flooded with poor leads and stops trusting them. When it is too strict, good leads wait too long and go cold.
Example
A marketing team sets its MQL rule: a contact at director level or above, at a company with more than 50 employees, who has visited the pricing page and downloaded a guide. When a lead meets that rule, it is routed to an SDR for follow-up.
MQL vs SQL
The MQL is marketing's judgment. The sales-qualified lead is sales' judgment, usually after a conversation. The share of MQLs that become SQLs is a common way to check how well the two teams agree on what a good lead looks like.