MQLs and SQLs - Bridging the Gap Between Marketing and Sales

Why are we talking about MQLs and SQLs?

Funnel Marketing has dominated the last two episodes. First, it was the interview with Gia Laudi, author of "Forget the Funnel." Then I shared my thoughts on how the Funnel can be used effectively for start-ups and growth companies.

Marketing Qualified Leads are a layer on top of the Funnel that bridges the gap between Marketing and Sales teams. So if you've just set up a stand-alone marketing team, or your Sales and Marketing folks just don't talk to each other, MQLs and SQLs can be a great way to improve communication and reduce friction.

I explain how MQLs/SQLs work, and emphasize the importance of agreeing on definitions of each, between the teams; and I talk about the metrics to look at around the process.

I also highlight some of the time-sinks that exist around the funnel - namely, Lead Scoring and Attribution. They may make sense for Enterprise organizations with well established marketing teams. But for most companies, they just suck up precious resources.

I also mention a Generative AI session I participated in, run by Frederick Werhle and the San Francisco AMA. More info here.

Some additional reading:
Salesken.ai "Marketing Qualified Lead vs. Sales Qualified Lead vs. Sales Accepted Lead"

Salesdorado: "Why Your Lead Scoring System is Probably Useless"