What is Sales Qualified Lead (SQL)?
A Sales Qualified Lead (SQL) is a prospect that has passed through marketing qualification and been accepted by the sales team as worthy of direct sales follow-up. SQLs have typically demonstrated both strong fit (matching the ICP) and strong intent (requesting a demo, asking for pricing, or engaging in high-intent behavior). The MQL-to-SQL conversion rate is a critical metric for marketing-sales alignment — it measures whether marketing is delivering prospects that sales actually wants to pursue.
Why It Matters
SQLs represent the pipeline that directly feeds revenue. Tracking SQL volume, quality, and conversion rates provides the clearest picture of marketing's impact on the business and helps forecast revenue accurately.