How do you ensure that the definition of a Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL) is continually evolving to reflect the changing market and sales needs?

I once wrote a blog post called "When did MQL become a 4-letter word." And this remains such a hot-button topic. Are MQLs dead? Should we be focused on accounts? Qualified accounts? ABM? Engagement? The list goes on and on.

There is no one-size fits all response to whether you should be using MQLs. But I would contend whatever your approach the intent (pun intended) of an MQL is to create meaningful engagement within your target accounts, which in turn will demonstrate intent to buy.

To specifically answer your question though, go back to the intent of an MQL - which is that if done correctly, that lead should be (based on data) ready to talk to sales. Good lead scoring models should be reviewed and refreshed at least every 6 months. Don't wait any longer. And if possible, build a unique model based on your different ICPs. For example, what qualifies as an MQL for your enterprise accounts likely looks different than for your SMB accounts. To stay relevant and meet the needs, rely on your data. Set a baseline acceptable conversion rate (or success metric) and then continually optimize against that.