Sales Qualified Lead (SQL)

SQL stands for sales qualified lead - a prospect demonstrating both fit to the ideal customer profile as well as tangible buying signals like requesting proposals or pricing. SQLs warrant dedicated nurturing by sales versus general inbound leads.

Clear SQL criteria help focus sales team efforts only on warmer, more promising leads versus spreading thin across all inbound inquiries. Qualification may assess buyer stage, authority, budget, needs, and timeline.

Distinguishing SQLs enables better funnel metrics on sales conversion rates and projected pipeline yield. SQL handoff from marketing also aligns teams and expectations. Segmenting and tiering leads into SQL and marketing qualified (MQI) groups provides sales focus and improves forecasting accuracy.