The debate over the Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL) has reached a boiling point. Across the B2B landscape, the argument is not merely whether MQLs should exist, but rather how we should define them and, more critically, how marketers can turn positive engagements into meaningful business conversations (and metrics that the business understands!).

Let’s unpack this.

Positive Engagements Aren’t Enough

The backlash against MQLs often stems from their over-simplistic qualification criteria. Actions such as attending a webinar, downloading an eBook, or visiting a pricing page are often labelled as MQLs. But here’s the problem: these are not buying signals. They are positive engagements — indicators that someone is curious, interested, or gathering information. They are opportunities, not outcomes.

The real challenge lies in the next step. Marketers need to take these positive engagements and turn them into MQLs that sales teams value. This means:

  • Understanding the intent behind an engagement.
  • Creating follow-up actions that deepen the relationship.
  • Ensuring alignment between marketing’s criteria for an MQL and sales’ expectations for lead readiness.

Too often, marketing teams stop at the first step — celebrating surface-level engagements without progressing the conversation. This is where the breakdown occurs, and where mistrust between marketing and sales festers.

The MQL Identity Crisis

One of the most fundamental challenges is that many organisations don’t have a clear, shared definition of an MQL. Behavioural metrics are used as a cornerstone of demand generation, but they are rarely linked to explicit intent. This creates a misalignment where marketing qualifies leads based on activity, while sales dismisses them for lack of readiness.

What should define an MQL? The consensus among thought leaders seems to be explicit intent: a clear, deliberate action that indicates someone is ready to engage with sales. This could include:

  • Filling out a “contact us” form.
  • Requesting a demo.
  • Asking to speak to a sales representative.

But here’s the twist: explicit intent doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It is the result of nurturing — guiding someone from a positive engagement (e.g., reading a blog) to a point where they are ready to take the next step.

Why Many Marketing Teams Struggle

The scary truth is that most marketing teams lack the tools, processes, or alignment to convert positive engagements into meaningful business conversations. Why?

  1. Misaligned Metrics: Marketing teams are often measured on volume — the number of leads generated — rather than the quality of those leads or their conversion rates.
  2. Fragmented Journeys: Many organisations fail to connect the dots between a prospect’s various touchpoints, treating each interaction as an isolated event rather than part of a cohesive journey.
  3. Lack of Sales Collaboration: Without close collaboration, marketing doesn’t get the feedback it needs to refine its lead qualification process, and sales doesn’t trust the leads it receives.

Moving Forward: Redefining the MQL

It’s clear that we don’t need to kill the MQL. What we need is a better framework for defining and operationalising it. Here are some key steps:

  • Align on Definition: Collaborate with sales to define an MQL that is based on both explicit intent and contextual engagement. Ensure the criteria are specific, actionable, and tied to business outcomes.
  • Use Engagement as a Bridge: Treat positive engagements as stepping stones. Rather than labelling them as MQLs, use them as signals to guide prospects through the funnel.
  • Invest in Nurturing: Build nurture programmes that focus on delivering the right message, at the right time, to move prospects closer to intent-driven actions.
  • Track and Optimise: Continuously measure the effectiveness of your MQL criteria and adjust based on feedback from sales and conversion data.

Final thoughts…

The MQL isn’t dead — it’s just misunderstood. The real challenge for marketers is to move beyond surface-level engagements and focus on creating meaningful connections that drive business outcomes. By redefining what an MQL truly is, and aligning it with both intent and sales expectations, B2B organisations can turn the MQL into a powerful tool for growth.

The question isn’t whether we should kill the MQL, but whether we have the courage to redefine it. After all, success isn’t about filling the pipeline — it’s about moving people through it.

Does this resonate? We’d love to hear what you think.

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