MQL (Marketing Qualified Lead) - Sales Glossary - Upnify
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MQL (Marketing Qualified Lead)

A Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL) is a commonly used term in the field of marketing and sales to identify a prospect or potential customer who has shown initial interest in a company's products or services, indicating that they may be closer to becoming a customer. The MQL is a stage in the lead generation and lead qualification process.

Characteristics of a Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL):

  1. Demonstrated Interest: An MQL has taken certain actions that demonstrate an interest in the company's products or services. This may include downloading content, subscribing to newsletters, engaging on social media, visiting relevant web pages, among other activities.
  2. Fit for Profile: In addition to interest, an MQL typically meets certain profile criteria that make them relevant to the business. This can include demographic factors such as geographic location or company size, and alignment with the company's target audience.
  3. Not a Sales Qualified Lead (SQL): An MQL is not yet considered a Sales Qualified Lead (SQL) or qualified sales prospect. To become an SQL, the MQL must meet certain additional criteria that qualify them for a more direct sales conversation.

The lead generation and lead qualification process is critical in a company's marketing and sales strategy. MQLs are intermediate steps in this process and are often nurtured through additional marketing actions, such as sending relevant and personalized content, with the goal of eventually converting them into SQLs and, ultimately, customers. Lead qualification helps ensure that sales resources are dedicated to the most promising prospects and maximizes efficiency in the sales process.


The Sales Glossary is a compendium of all the most commonly used terminology in sales strategy. Many of the concepts listed here are used when implementing a CRM system or a digital sales funnel, no matter if they are legacy systems or an online CRM. See also our blog that deals with sales techniques, marketing and sales culture.