Definition
A lead deemed ready for sales engagement based on marketing-driven signals — downloaded content, attended webinar, repeated site visits. Earlier in the funnel than an SQL.
Why it matters
The MQL concept matters because it forces a business to define what 'interested enough to call' actually means, rather than treating every form fill or download as a hot prospect. Getting that line right protects sales time from being spent on people just browsing. The tradeoff cuts both ways: set the bar too high and real buyers get ignored, too low and the sales effort gets buried in casual curiosity.