MQL vs. SQL vs. SAL: Differences & Similarities Explained

by Frankie Karrer

9 Min Read

As a business, you’re trying to move people down your sales and marketing funnel, from their very first stirrings of “gosh, the couch looks old” to “I need to buy a new couch” to “I’m going to buy your couch.”

Different potential customers have different needs at different points in their journey, and as a marketer, it can be helpful to characterize them at different points to accurately target their needs. MQLs, SQLs, and SALs refer to customers at these stages.

Read on to get more information about what each of these steps comprises and how you can better optimize them for your demand generation efforts.

What Are Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs)?

Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs) are potential leads who have had some interaction with your marketing efforts but haven’t yet entered your sales funnel. They may have read some general information about your brand or started to think about buying a new car (or TV or blender — you get the picture). But they’re not ready to commit yet.

Importance of MQLs

MQLs matter because they fit your customer profile. They are credible consumers, and with the right engagement and support or outreach, they may well move down your sales funnel. They’re not in it yet, but you can certainly get them there.

Here are a few specific reasons you need to track MQLs:

Lead Nurturing: MQLs represent potential customers who have shown interest but are not yet ready to buy, allowing marketing teams to nurture these leads through targeted content and engagement strategies.
Resource Allocation: Identifying MQLs helps marketing teams allocate resources effectively, ensuring that time and budget are spent on leads with a higher likelihood of conversion.
Campaign Effectiveness: By tracking MQLs, marketing can evaluate the success of different campaigns and strategies, making data-driven adjustments to improve overall performance.

Examples of MQLs

Actions that indicate whether or not someone is an MQL are:

Newsletter Subscriber: A lead who has signed up for the company’s email newsletter to receive regular updates.
Ebook Downloader: A prospect who has downloaded an educational ebook or whitepaper from the company’s website.
Webinar Registrant: An individual who has registered for a free informational webinar but has not yet attended.
Social Media Engager: A user who regularly likes, comments on, or shares the company’s social media posts.
Blog Commenter: Someone who frequently comments on the company’s blog posts, showing ongoing interest in the content.

Strategies to Get More MQLs

Here are a few top-of-funnel marketing strategies to attract and engage potential customers.

High-Value Gated Content: Offer whitepapers, reports, or webinars in exchange for contact info to capture engaged prospects.
Paid Social and CTV Awareness Campaigns: Use targeted CTV and social ads to introduce your brand and drive traffic to lead forms.
SEO-Optimized Thought Leadership: Publish high-ranking blog content that addresses industry pain points and attracts organic leads.
Interactive Lead Magnets: Launch quizzes, calculators, or assessments that require contact info for personalized results.
Strategic Partnerships for Lead Generation: Collaborate with brands on co-branded content or webinars to expand your audience.

What Are Sales Accepted Leads (SALs)?

Sales Accepted Leads (SALs) are MQLs that have been vetted by the sales team and are determined to be credible sales prospects.

Importance of SALs

SALs matter because they represent the start of your sales funnel. They’re worth your while to put marketing resources into as they have a legitimate interest in what you’re selling.

Here’s why you need to track SALs:

Sales Readiness Validation: SALs ensure that leads have been vetted by both marketing and sales teams, confirming their readiness for further sales engagement and reducing wasted effort.
Alignment Between Teams: The SAL stage fosters alignment and communication between marketing and sales teams, creating a seamless transition and shared understanding of lead quality.
Optimized Sales Process: Recognizing SALs streamlines the sales process by ensuring that only leads with verified interest and potential are handed over, improving efficiency and focus.

Examples of SALs

The following actions may provide some insight as to whether or not someone is a SAL:

Webinar Attendee: A lead who attended a webinar and participated in the Q&A session, indicating active interest.
Contact Form Submission: A prospect who filled out a detailed contact form requesting more information about specific products.
Product Brochure Download: An individual who downloaded a detailed product brochure and requested a follow-up.
Event Booth Visitor: A lead who visited the company’s booth at a trade show and engaged in a meaningful conversation.
Initial Consultation Request: A potential customer who has requested an initial consultation or introductory meeting.

Strategies to Get More SALs

Here are a few mid-funnel marketing strategies to nurture and qualify leads before passing them to sales. In other words, here’s how you turn MQLs into SALs:

Lead Scoring and Segmentation: Assign scores based on engagement to ensure only high-potential leads move forward.
Multi-Touch Email Sequences: Automate personalized emails that educate, nurture, and encourage conversion.
Retargeting Ads on CTV and Social: Keep your brand top-of-mind with dynamic ads for leads who haven’t engaged yet.
Live Chat and Chatbot Qualification: Use AI-driven chat or live reps to qualify interest and address objections in real time.
Webinar-to-Sales Pipeline: Host webinars that highlight use cases, followed by direct outreach to engaged attendees.

What Are Sales Qualified Leads (SQLs)?

Sales Qualified Leads (SQLs) are potential customers who have entered the sales funnel. They are starting to look more granularly at making a purchase. They have gathered information, know what reasonable budget expectations involve, and are now starting to answer the nitty gritty questions of which model is right for them.

Importance of SQLs

SQLs matter because they are very close to making a decision. They’re people who are worth your sales team’s time and efforts to target. They’re all but assured to buy something and need guidance to determine exactly which company they are going to buy it from.

Tracking SQLs is critical for the following reasons:

High Conversion Potential: SQLs are leads that have been thoroughly vetted and are ready for direct sales follow-up, offering the highest potential for conversion to customers.
Sales Efficiency: By focusing on SQLs, sales teams can prioritize their efforts on leads that are most likely to result in a sale, enhancing productivity and success rates.
Revenue Growth: SQLs directly contribute to revenue growth as they represent leads who are at the final stages of the buying process, ready to make a purchase decision.

Examples of SQLs

SQLs are highly engaged prospects that may take the following actions:

Demo Request: A lead who has requested a personalized product demo after researching the company’s offerings.
Free Trial User: An individual who has signed up for a free trial and actively used the product, providing positive feedback.
Budget Inquiry: A prospect who has inquired about pricing and budget details, showing readiness to purchase.
RFP Submission: A lead who has submitted a Request for Proposal (RFP) detailing their specific needs and timelines.
Purchase Intent Confirmation: A decision-maker who has confirmed their intention to make a purchase after multiple interactions and meetings with the sales team.

Strategies to Get More SQLs

Here are a few bottom-of-funnel marketing strategies to convert high-intent leads into sales-ready prospects. In other words, here’s how you turn SALs into SQLs:

One-to-One Personalized Video Outreach: Sales reps send custom videos addressing specific pain points and solutions.
Intent-Based CTV and Display Retargeting: Serve hyper-targeted ads to SALs who have engaged but not yet converted.
Account-Based Marketing (ABM) Plays: Align sales and marketing to target high-value accounts with personalized campaigns.
Customer Case Study Campaigns: Share industry-specific success stories that showcase proven results and drive action.
Time-Sensitive Offers and Demo Incentives: Create urgency with limited-time discounts, trials, or exclusive bonuses.

MQL vs. SAL vs. SQL: What’s the Difference?

That was a lot of information, so let’s summarize it. There are a few ways in which MQLs, SQLs, and SALs differ:

Lead Qualification

MQLs: Identified based on engagement with marketing efforts, such as content downloads or ad interactions, but have not yet shown direct buying intent.
SALs: Evaluated and accepted by sales as worthy of outreach, typically after meeting lead scoring or qualification criteria.
SQLs: Demonstrate clear intent to purchase, often showing direct interest in a sales conversation, demo, or pricing discussion.

Sales & Marketing Alignment

MQLs: Owned by marketing, with nurturing campaigns designed to educate and move them closer to a buying decision.
SALs: Jointly handled by marketing and sales, ensuring smooth handoff and continued engagement before full qualification.
SQLs: Fully owned by sales, with efforts focused on converting them into customers through direct outreach and closing strategies.

Funnel Stage

MQLs: Sit at the top of the funnel (or just outside of it), where brand awareness and lead generation efforts drive initial interest.
SALs: Occupy the middle of the funnel, progressing past initial marketing engagement but not yet fully sales-qualified.
SQLs: Exist at the bottom of the funnel, actively evaluating solutions and ready for sales-driven conversations.

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MQLs, SQLs, and SALs: Final Thoughts

Worried about the SQL vs MQL gap? There can be a lot to contemplate in the sales journey, and those stats on conversion (only 13% of MQLs becoming SQLs) can be daunting.

Performance TV offers a new and exciting way of connecting with your potential customers and encouraging them down the sales funnel in a faster, more engaging way than traditional methods have allowed. You don’t have to go it alone, though.

MNTN lives and breathes Performance TV and can bring its skill and efficiency to help your brand convert MQLs to SALs to SQLs and help you reach (and maybe even exceed) your sales goals. Get in touch today!