Sales Dictionary
Sales Qualified Lead (SQL)
Definition
A prospective customer that has been vetted to determine if they are ready for the next stage in the sales process.
Deep Dive
A Sales Qualified Lead (SQL) is a prospective customer that has been thoroughly vetted and determined to have a strong potential to become a paying customer, signifying they are ready for direct engagement by an Account Executive (AE) or a more advanced stage of the sales process. This qualification process typically involves assessing their fit against criteria such as budget, authority, need, and timeline (BANT), or other specialized frameworks like MEDDIC, ensuring they align with the company's ideal customer profile and possess a clear intent to purchase or solve a problem that the product addresses.
Examples & Use Cases
- 1A prospect fills out a "Request a Demo" form on a SaaS company's website, indicating their company size, industry, specific pain points, and an urgent need for a solution within the next quarter.
- 2An SDR conducts a discovery call with a marketing-qualified lead (MQL) and confirms that they have the budget, decision-making authority, a defined problem that the product can solve, and a clear timeline for implementation.
- 3After downloading several in-depth whitepapers and attending a webinar, a potential client proactively reaches out to ask for pricing and implementation details, signaling strong purchase intent.
Related Terms
Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL)Lead QualificationIdeal Customer Profile (ICP)