Definition

An MQL (Marketing Qualified Lead) is a prospect who has shown enough engagement or fit — based on marketing criteria — to be passed to sales for follow-up.

Detailed Explanation

Typical MQL triggers: downloaded gated content, attended webinar, visited pricing page 3+ times, filled demo form, lead score above threshold.

MQL criteria must align with sales — marketing and sales agree on definition, scoring, and SLA for follow-up speed.

Nepal Context

Nepali B2B teams often treat every form fill as MQL. Define minimum criteria (company size, budget signal, job title) before routing to sales — especially when follow-up is manual via phone/WhatsApp.

Key Takeaways

  • MQL = marketing says “worth a sales conversation”
  • Define criteria jointly with sales
  • Measure MQL→SQL conversion rate, not just MQL volume

Common Mistakes

  1. Every form fill labeled MQL
  2. No feedback loop when sales rejects leads
  3. Slow follow-up — MQLs go cold within hours