MQL — Marketing Qualified Lead
Definition: A lead that has shown enough engagement (downloads, page visits, form fills) to be passed from marketing to sales.
Example
A prospect who downloads 3 whitepapers and visits the pricing page twice usually becomes an MQL.
When you'll hear it
MQL shows up most often in board meetings, quarterly business reviews, and strategy off-sites. When someone uses it, they're usually referring to marketing qualified lead — and they expect the room to already know what that means.
FAQs
MQL vs SQL?
An MQL is qualified by behavior. An SQL is qualified by a salesperson after a conversation — meaning real buying intent.
What does MQL stand for?
MQL stands for Marketing Qualified Lead.
What does MQL mean in business and finance?
A lead that has shown enough engagement (downloads, page visits, form fills) to be passed from marketing to sales.
Where will I hear MQL used at work?
MQL comes up most often in board meetings, quarterly business reviews, and strategy off-sites. It's used as shorthand for marketing qualified lead, so people assume you already know the term.