Marketing Glossary

MQL (Marketing Qualified Lead)

A prospect who has shown enough interest through marketing touchpoints to be worth a closer look.

Used in context
3.3 — Lead Definitions & Handoff Criteria

…Once a prospect crosses the engagement threshold we define together, they become an MQL and move into the sales queue.…

What it means

An MQL, or Marketing Qualified Lead, is a prospective buyer deemed more likely to convert based on marketing interaction thresholds — things like downloading a guide, attending a webinar, or repeat site visits.

MQL status doesn’t mean someone is ready to buy today; it means they’ve shown enough engagement to justify further nurturing or a sales touch.

Creates a clear stage

MQL gives marketing and sales a shared checkpoint instead of a vague notion of “interested.”

Times the outreach right

Reaching out too early wastes goodwill; MQL criteria flag the right moment.

Feeds better reporting

Tracking MQL volume shows whether top-of-funnel marketing is actually working.

DNA’s Take

DNA's Take: We define MQL criteria jointly with your sales team so the definition reflects real buying behavior for your business, not a generic engagement score borrowed from another industry.

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