What is Sales-Qualified Lead (SQL)?

A prospect that has been vetted by the sales team and is deemed ready for direct sales engagement.

Understanding Sales-Qualified Lead (SQL)

SQLs have passed both marketing qualification (MQL) and initial sales qualification — they meet ICP criteria, have a defined pain point, have shown purchase intent, and have a realistic budget. Converting outbound cold outreach contacts to SQLs is the core KPI for SDR teams, typically tracked as meetings booked per month.