Sales Qualified Leads (SQL)
Date created: Mar 22, 2019 • Last updated: Mar 14, 2022
What is Sales Qualified Leads?
A Sales Qualified Lead (SQL) is a prospect that meets certain conditions as defined by the sales process. SQLs are middle of the funnel, having been qualified first by marketing or a lead setting team, and are now ready to be moved to the next stage in the sales process.
Alternate names: Sales Accepted LeadsSales Qualified Leads Formula
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How to visualize Sales Qualified Leads?
When tracking your SQLs, it helps to add segmentation to your data for more context. For example, you could track your SQLs in a bar chart segmented by lead source.
Sales Qualified Leads visualization example
Bar Chart
Sales Qualified Leads
Bar Chart
Here's an example of how to visualize your Sales Qualified Leads data in a bar chart to observe segmented data.More about Sales Qualified Leads
Marketing Qualified Leads (MQL) and Sales Qualified Leads (SQL) sit right at the intersection between the Marketing and Sales teams. Defining team responsibilities is easier when you have a good understanding of both MQLs and SQLs.
Keep in mind, at the point that Marketing hands over a Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL), that the lead has raised their hand, and is receptive to learning more, but is likely not yet ready to buy. When Sales takes over and engages, and further educates the prospect, they will typically designate the prospect as an SQL.
Once there is a stated need, a timeline, a budget, and the person has buying authority, an Opportunity might be created as part of the sales process.
How MQLs and SQLs are defined will vary for each company, but these general ideas will hold true.