Definition

An SQL (Sales Qualified Lead) is a prospect vetted by sales as having genuine buying intent, budget, authority, and need — ready for active pipeline pursuit.

Detailed Explanation

SQL criteria often use BANT: Budget, Authority, Need, Timeline. An MQL becomes SQL after sales qualification call or discovery meeting.

Track SQL→Opportunity→Closed-won rates to measure marketing quality, not just lead volume.

Nepal Context

Phone qualification remains standard in Nepal B2B — sales should log SQL criteria in CRM even when process is informal. Marketing optimizes for SQL rate, not raw form fills.

Key Takeaways

  • SQL = sales confirms real opportunity
  • Optimize marketing for SQL conversion, not MQL volume alone
  • Closed-loop reporting: upload SQL/closed deals back to ad platforms

Common Mistakes

  1. No distinction between MQL and SQL
  2. Marketing judged on lead count, sales on revenue — misaligned KPIs
  3. No CRM feedback to ad platforms for optimization