Marketing Qualified Leads (MQL) vs Sales Qualified Leads (SQL)
MQLs and SQLs represent progressive stages of lead qualification. MQLs meet marketing's readiness criteria and are handed to sales; SQLs have been accepted and validated by sales as worth pursuing. The MQL-to-SQL conversion rate is one of the most important marketing-to-sales alignment metrics.
At a Glance
Marketing Qualified Leads (MQL)
Leads nurtured by marketing and ready for sales handoff
Sales Qualified Leads (SQL)
Leads accepted and qualified by sales team
Key Differences
- MQLs are defined by marketing; SQLs are defined by sales — misalignment between the two definitions is a common source of friction.
- A low MQL→SQL conversion rate suggests leads are not truly qualified, wasting sales time.
- SQLs are a lagging indicator of marketing quality; MQLs are a leading indicator.
- Best practice: jointly define MQL and SQL criteria in a Service-Level Agreement (SLA) between marketing and sales.
When to Use Each
Use Marketing Qualified Leads (MQL) when…
Use MQL volume and quality to evaluate top-of-funnel marketing effectiveness and content/campaign ROI.
Full Marketing Qualified Leads guide →Use Sales Qualified Leads (SQL) when…
Use SQL volume and velocity to forecast pipeline, set quota, and assess sales capacity.
Full Sales Qualified Leads guide →Formulas
MARKETING QUALIFIED LEADS (MQL)
MQL = Count of Leads Meeting MQL Criteria
Count of Leads with Score ≥ MQL ThresholdSALES QUALIFIED LEADS (SQL)
SQL = Count of MQLs Accepted by Sales
SQL = MQL × SQL Conversion RateCharts
Marketing Qualified Leads (MQL)
Sales Qualified Leads (SQL)