Sales Qualified Lead Definition
A person who shares their contact information with a company is a lead. A sales qualified lead (SQL) is considered ‘qualified’ when they meet criteria agreed upon by the sales and marketing teams.
If a lead is sales qualified then the sales department gets their contact information so they can follow up.
Qualifying leads makes the sales team more productive because they only have to follow up with people that are more likely to buy.
Sales Qualified Lead Example
A business generates most of their web leads from downloadable PDFs. If a website visitor downloads a PDF then leaves the site without visiting any more pages, they are a marketing qualified lead (MQL).
MQLs get emails and other marketing communications but the sales team will only follow up with them after they show more interest.
A website visitor is an SQL if they download a PDF then read 2 case studies and visit the pricing page. Activity like this means the contact is closer to a buying decision so the sales team will follow up with them right away.
Another way to qualify leads is by asking qualifying questions on the contact form like:
- What is your company’s annual sales?
- How many employees does your company have?
- What is your job title?
The answers to questions like these tell the marketing and sales team if the prospect is a qualified buyer or somebody that is just looking around.
Why are Sales Qualified Leads Important in Strategic Marketing?
- Strategy
- Not all leads are equal. Separating SQLs from those that are not ready to buy is an important strategy in making your sales process efficient.
- Closing Sales
- People identified as SQLs are more likely to buy and will be more receptive to the sales team following up with them.
