How do I know what type of lead I have in front of me at each stage?
Posted: Sat Jan 25, 2025 9:34 am
LEADS are classified according to their level of commercial maturity. In B2B, maturity is directly related to the need and intention to purchase . The greater the stated need and intention to purchase, the better qualified the Lead will be.
“Suspect” or suspect
It is simply a contact who completed an online form.
It is a Suspect because we do not yet have elements to qualify whether it responds to the characteristics of the Buyer Persona, and we are also not clear about its level of interest and need.
Examples of Lead Suspects are:
A contact who downloads content (ebook, papers), leaving us their first name, last name and an email address.
A contact who requests information on our website, but without detailing a specific need or the it directors managers email list profile of their company.
Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL):
When a Lead Suspect is qualified by the marketing department as a potential client, it receives the “MQL” label.
In this case we are talking about a person who meets the characteristics sought in a potential client, based on criteria such as:
Purchasing decision power
Company size according to
Favorable context for the purchase or contracting of our product or service.
Examples of MQLs are:
The same contact from example 1, which we now know is a target company, and a person with decision-making power.
The contact who wrote to us via the contact form on our website, and who completed a pre-qualification form that we sent to him/her by email.
Sales Qualified Lead (SQL):
When an MQL shows real interest and the current conditions are met to advance in a purchasing process, then it is qualified as SQL (Sales Qualified Lead).
The SQL is a hot lead and must, in B2B, be handled quickly by the sales team or the Inside Sales team.
Examples of SQL are:
The same contact who downloaded an ebook, went through a maturation process and is ready to buy in the short term.
The contact who wrote to us via the contact form on our website, and who then provided us with further information regarding his/her query, and we determined that he/she is ready to move forward with the purchase decision.
Pipeline Opportunity:
When a SQL advances in conversations with the sales team and enters the sales funnel (Pipeline), it is then treated as an opportunity.
Examples of Pipeline Opportunity are:
Our contact from example 1 now receives a formal economic proposal and is analyzing the purchase.
The lead in our example 2 is entered as an opportunity after receiving a formal quote.
“Suspect” or suspect
It is simply a contact who completed an online form.
It is a Suspect because we do not yet have elements to qualify whether it responds to the characteristics of the Buyer Persona, and we are also not clear about its level of interest and need.
Examples of Lead Suspects are:
A contact who downloads content (ebook, papers), leaving us their first name, last name and an email address.
A contact who requests information on our website, but without detailing a specific need or the it directors managers email list profile of their company.
Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL):
When a Lead Suspect is qualified by the marketing department as a potential client, it receives the “MQL” label.
In this case we are talking about a person who meets the characteristics sought in a potential client, based on criteria such as:
Purchasing decision power
Company size according to
Favorable context for the purchase or contracting of our product or service.
Examples of MQLs are:
The same contact from example 1, which we now know is a target company, and a person with decision-making power.
The contact who wrote to us via the contact form on our website, and who completed a pre-qualification form that we sent to him/her by email.
Sales Qualified Lead (SQL):
When an MQL shows real interest and the current conditions are met to advance in a purchasing process, then it is qualified as SQL (Sales Qualified Lead).
The SQL is a hot lead and must, in B2B, be handled quickly by the sales team or the Inside Sales team.
Examples of SQL are:
The same contact who downloaded an ebook, went through a maturation process and is ready to buy in the short term.
The contact who wrote to us via the contact form on our website, and who then provided us with further information regarding his/her query, and we determined that he/she is ready to move forward with the purchase decision.
Pipeline Opportunity:
When a SQL advances in conversations with the sales team and enters the sales funnel (Pipeline), it is then treated as an opportunity.
Examples of Pipeline Opportunity are:
Our contact from example 1 now receives a formal economic proposal and is analyzing the purchase.
The lead in our example 2 is entered as an opportunity after receiving a formal quote.