Marketing Qualified Lead Process

1What is a Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL) and how is it different from a regular lead?

An MQL is a prospect who has engaged with your marketing content in a way that signals purchase intent—beyond just filling out a contact form. Regular leads are any contacts in your database; MQLs have demonstrated specific behaviors (e.g., downloading a pricing guide, attending a webinar, visiting the product page multiple times) that indicate they're more likely to become customers. MQLs are ready to be nurtured; SQLs are ready for direct sales contact.

2How do you define MQL criteria specific to our business?

We run a joint workshop with your marketing and sales teams to define MQL criteria based on your historical conversion data, ICP, and sales team feedback. We analyze which prospect behaviors and attributes have historically correlated with closed deals, and build those signals into your scoring model. The criteria are documented, agreed upon by both teams, and revisited quarterly.

3What scoring system do you use—threshold-based or predictive?

We implement both, depending on your data maturity. Threshold-based scoring uses predefined point values for specific actions (e.g., +10 for webinar attendance, +25 for demo request). Predictive scoring uses machine learning on your historical CRM data to assign conversion probability scores automatically. For most clients, we start with threshold scoring and evolve to predictive as data accumulates.

4How do you handle lead decay (when a lead goes cold after initial interest)?

We implement time-based score decay in your scoring model—MQL scores automatically decrease when there's no engagement activity for a defined period (typically 30–60 days). Cold leads are moved back into nurture tracks rather than being handed to sales, preventing pipeline clog and ensuring reps focus only on actively engaged prospects.

5How long does it take to set up an MQL scoring system?

Initial setup typically takes 3–4 weeks: 1 week for requirements gathering and model design, 1–2 weeks for implementation in your marketing automation platform, and 1 week for QA and testing. If your marketing automation tool is already set up, it can be faster. We then monitor and calibrate the model over the following 60–90 days based on actual conversion data.

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