# MQL and SQL: handing leads over to sales cleanly

> What MQL and SQL mean, how to set criteria, regulate the handover with an agreement and keep improving with a feedback loop.

Quelle: https://whovisit.app/en/blog/mql-sql-lead-handover-sales
Veröffentlicht: 2026-11-07
Herausgeber: Whovisit (ARAVILO, Innsbruck)

MQL and SQL are two labels meant to mediate between marketing and sales. In many small companies they lead to arguments: marketing reports leads, sales finds them poor, marketing thinks sales calls too late. Usually this is not down to the people but to the fact that nobody ever wrote down what a good lead is and who has to do what and when.

## The terms

- **Lead:** a company or person who has shown some interest, for example through a download or a sign-up.
- **MQL (marketing qualified lead):** a lead that marketing considers ready enough for sales, by defined criteria, to pass on. It fits the target group and has shown a minimum level of interest.
- **SQL (sales qualified lead):** a lead that sales has accepted after a first conversation because need, responsibility and timeframe are right.

The exact definitions are for each company to decide. There is no standard. What matters is that both sides understand the same thing by them and that it is in writing.

## Setting criteria

An MQL needs two kinds of criteria, which [Lead scoring in B2B: a simple model based on website signals](https://whovisit.app/blog/lead-scoring-b2b) separates in detail: fit and behaviour.

| Criterion | Example for an MQL | Example for an SQL |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Industry and size within the [ideal customer profile](https://whovisit.app/blog/ideal-customer-profile-erstellen) | Confirmed in conversation |
| Behaviour | Pricing page read and enquiry made | Keeps the appointment, names the trigger |
| Need | Presumed | Stated, with timeframe |
| Responsibility | Unknown | Contact is the decision-maker or leads to them |

These are examples that you should adapt to your business. A download alone is rarely an MQL. A download plus a fitting company plus a second visit can be one.

## The handover agreement

An agreement between marketing and sales (in English a service level agreement, SLA for short) sets out who delivers what to whom and in what time. It fits on one page:

1. **Marketing delivers** only leads that meet the MQL criteria, with company, contact, origin and the pages read.
2. **Sales gets in touch** within an agreed period, for example two working days. The number is a suggestion; adapt it to your capacity.
3. **Sales reports back** whether the lead was accepted or rejected, each time with a reason.
4. **Both meet monthly** and look at the feedback.

It is important that the agreement binds in both directions. Marketing that sends 50 weak leads breaks it. Sales that lets them lie does too.

## The feedback loop

Without feedback, marketing never learns what works. Record a reason for every rejected lead. A selection is enough:

- Does not fit the target group (industry, size, country)
- No visible need
- Wrong contact
- Only searching for information, no project
- Already a customer or a competitor
- Not reachable

Count these reasons once a month. If "does not fit the target group" is at the top, the fit criteria are wrong. If "only searching for information" is at the top, the threshold for behaviour is too low. Then you adjust the model and not sales.

## If there is only one person

In a small company, marketing and sales are often the same person. The agreement is then a conversation with yourself, but it still helps. Write down the criteria before you see the leads. Otherwise you unconsciously adapt the criteria to the leads you already like.

## And company visits?

A company that is currently reading a lot on your website is not yet an MQL. It is a signal that a marketing team can observe. It becomes an MQL when it meets the criteria. It may be approached only within the rules. These also apply to leads: [Cold outreach in B2B: what is permitted in DE, AT and CH](https://whovisit.app/blog/kaltakquise-b2b-erlaubt). How a sales team deals with such signals is covered in [Approaching identified companies: from website visit to conversation](https://whovisit.app/blog/von-der-erkannten-firma-zum-gespraech).

## Frequently asked questions

**Do I need both terms?** Not necessarily. If one person does both, "lead" and "customer in conversation" are enough. The distinction is worthwhile only when two roles or teams are involved.

**How many MQLs are good?** There is no number for everyone. Better than volume is the rate: how many MQLs became SQLs and how many of those became customers? The values from your own last twelve months are the only sensible basis for comparison.

**What about leads that sales rejects?** They go back to marketing, with the reason for rejection. Some mature later and become MQLs again. You do not have to delete them, but check how long you may keep personal data.