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Decoding the Jargon

MQL

Marketing Qualified Lead

AutomationTerm

A lead that marketing judges ready to be handed to sales, based on agreed rules such as fit and engagement. It is a stage in the funnel, not a sale.

Example

At a Pune B2B software firm, a finance head who downloaded the pricing guide and attended a webinar crosses the lead score threshold. Marketing marks her as an MQL and passes her to sales.

How you'll hear it

“Marketing hit 400 MQLs this quarter, but sales says most weren't ready to talk.”

Don't confuse it with

SQL: a lead sales has checked and accepted as a real buying opportunity.
Lead: any interested contact, before anyone has qualified it.

Sources

Marketing Qualified Lead: Everything You Need to Know About MQLs, HubSpot
Use contact and company lifecycle stages, HubSpot Knowledge Base

Checked 1 October 2026. Examples use a fictional business; figures are illustrative.

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MQL