Sales qualified lead (SQL)
What is a sales qualified lead?
A sales qualified lead (SQL) is a lead that sales has reviewed and accepted as a real opportunity: it fits the ideal customer profile, has a need the product solves, and has signs of budget and timing.
Teams often qualify with a simple checklist such as budget, authority, need and timeline. An SQL usually becomes an opportunity in the sales pipeline.
Why a sales qualified lead matters
Separating SQLs from MQLs shows how many leads are truly sales-ready, which makes forecasts more reliable.
Related marketing terms
Marketing qualified lead (MQL)
A marketing qualified lead, MQL, is a lead whose fit and interest meet marketing’s bar to be handed to sales for follow-up.
A sales pipeline shows every open deal by stage, from first contact to closed, so you can see what is likely to close and what is stuck.
Lead scoring gives each lead points for fit and interest, such as company size or pages viewed, so sales talks to the most promising first.
An ideal customer profile, ICP, describes the kind of company or person that gets the most value from your product and is best to sell to.