Ask three B2B teams what an "MQL" is and you'll often get three answers. That's a problem when you're paying for leads, because the label on the invoice decides what your sales team expects to receive.
MQL: interest that fits
A marketing qualified lead is someone who fits your target profile and has shown some interest — typically by engaging with content, such as downloading a whitepaper. An MQL tells you the person is the right kind of buyer. It doesn't tell you they're ready to buy.
SQL: ready for a sales conversation
A sales qualified lead has been judged worth a salesperson's time. What that means should be written down and agreed by sales: a confirmed project, a defined need, or a request to talk. Without a written definition, SQL becomes whatever the person delivering the lead says it is.
BANT: a specific test
BANT is one well-known way to qualify a lead in conversation:
| Letter | Question it answers |
|---|---|
| Budget | Is there money, or a process to get money, for this? |
| Authority | Is this person a decision maker or part of the buying group? |
| Need | Is there a real problem your product solves? |
| Timeline | When are they planning to act? |
Because BANT needs answers to direct questions, it's normally qualified through a live phone conversation rather than a form fill.
How to avoid disputes
- Write down the acceptance criteria for each lead type before the campaign starts.
- Specify which answers must be captured and how they should be recorded.
- Agree how rejected leads will be handled and replaced.
Clear definitions protect both sides: you get leads your sales team can use, and the supplier knows exactly what "done" looks like.