In B2B sales, not every lead is created equal. Some are just starting their research, others are ready for a sales conversation, and many are stuck somewhere in between.
The trouble is, most teams don’t have a shared understanding of what each lead stage actually means. Marketing is celebrating downloads, sales is chasing unqualified names, and leadership is frustrated with pipeline clarity.
This article breaks down the three most common types of B2B leads, MQL, SQL, and SAL, and explains how they fit into a well-aligned lead management system.
Why Not All Leads Are Equal
Leads differ not just in quality, but in timing and intent.
- A contact who reads your blog once is not the same as someone who books a demo.
- A buyer browsing casually is not the same as a decision-maker with budget and urgency.
When you treat all leads the same, you get:
- Bloated pipelines
- Sales chasing dead ends
- Low conversion rates
- Mistrust between marketing and sales
That’s why clear lead classification is essential. Ultimately, this comes back to what actually makes a lead worth pursuing, not just how often they engage. It’s not about labels, it’s about focus.
What Is an MQL (Marketing Qualified Lead)?
An MQL is a lead who’s shown interest in your offer but isn’t ready for sales outreach.
They’ve typically engaged with your marketing efforts, downloaded content, attended a webinar, or visited your site multiple times.
Traits of an MQL:
- Matches basic demographic or firmographic criteria
- Has interacted with marketing materials
- May need nurturing before outreach
MQLs are usually scored automatically based on behaviour and profile. But this scoring only works if marketing and sales agree on what matters.
Teams often over-celebrate MQL volume while ignoring actual conversion. That’s why we recommend tracking progression, not just generation. See top lead generation metrics to track for B2B for more.
What Is an SQL (Sales Qualified Lead)?
An SQL is a lead who’s been vetted and is ready for a conversation with sales.
They meet your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) and have demonstrated strong intent, like booking a meeting, requesting pricing, or engaging with high-value content.
Traits of an SQL:
- Meets predefined sales criteria
- Shows signs of urgency or intent
- Has been reviewed or routed by marketing or SDRs
The definition of SQL varies by company, but whatever your criteria, it should be specific and documented.
This is where CRM alignment matters. If you can’t see who moved a lead from MQL to SQL or why, your pipeline will always be murky.
What Is a SAL (Sales Accepted Lead)?
A SAL is the often-overlooked middle stage, the bridge between marketing and sales.
It’s the moment when sales accepts a lead from marketing, typically after a quick review. Not all MQLs become SALs, and not all SALs become SQLs.
Traits of a SAL:
- Passed from marketing to sales
- Reviewed and accepted by a rep
- Scheduled for follow-up or qualification
SAL helps you create accountability between teams. It’s especially useful in high-volume or SDR-led environments.
To build clearer handoffs, many teams adopt defined playbooks and lead SLAs (service-level agreements). These define how quickly a lead should be contacted, by whom, and how outcomes are tracked.
If you have a growing SDR or BDR team, this is especially critical, see SDR vs BDR: What’s the Difference? for more.
How Leads Move from Marketing to Sales
Here’s a typical lead journey in a structured B2B system:
- Lead captured (via form, webinar, content)
- MQL scored based on engagement and fit
- SAL reviewed by sales or SDR team
- SQL approved and handed to an AE or senior rep
- Opportunity created or rejected based on fit/interest
This journey only makes sense when you understand how leads move through the full pipeline as part of a structured lead generation model.
This pipeline model works when:
- Criteria for each stage are clear and mutually agreed
- CRM stages match the real-world journey
- Teams are trained on how and when to progress a lead
Want to build a system like this? Start with a clear understanding of how B2B lead generation works.
Common Mistakes in Lead Handover
Here are some of the issues we see most often in B2B teams:
- Everything gets labelled MQL: No filtering means sales gets flooded with unqualified leads.
- Sales ignores marketing leads: Because trust is low, reps assume the leads are weak.
- No SAL stage: Leads fall into a void between departments with no follow-up.
- CRM isn’t aligned: Pipeline stages in the CRM don’t reflect reality.
- No feedback loop: Marketing doesn’t know what’s converting, so can’t improve targeting.
The result? Disjointed teams and lost deals.
These breakdowns often happen when CRM setup causes handover issues, especially when stages don’t reflect real qualification.
Clarity Builds Confidence
Clear lead stages don’t just help the sales team, they improve performance across the board.
- Marketing knows who to target
- SDRs know when to engage
- Sales reps know who to prioritise
- Leadership gets a more accurate forecast
At 1000Steps, we help B2B teams design sales systems that scale. That starts with shared definitions and better lead handoffs.
FAQ: MQL, SQL, SAL in B2B
Do all companies use SAL as a stage?
No, but it’s helpful in high-volume or SDR-led teams. It creates accountability between marketing and sales.
Can an MQL become an SQL without SAL?
Yes, especially in leaner teams. But if you have multiple handoffs, SAL provides clarity.
How do I know if our lead definitions are working?
Track conversion rates between stages. If lots of MQLs are ignored or no-show, your criteria likely need adjustment.