Brooke Hattie · Sep 23, 2024 · Case Studies
About this engagement
Our client's marketing team was hitting its MQL targets, but those leads weren't turning into revenue, and the gap was causing friction between sales and marketing.
They brought us in to redefine what counts as an MQL and to improve the quality of the leads their SDRs work.
Our partnership enabled the following results:
The Challenge
The conversion rate from MQL to opportunity was falling. Marketing was meeting its MQL numbers, but the leads rarely became opportunities, so SDRs spent their time chasing prospects that didn't convert.
The misalignment between sales and marketing became a central problem, and marketing's budget was going into leads that didn't add to the pipeline. The client needed new MQL criteria and a better way to get quality leads to the right people.
The Solution
We redefined the MQL around the leads that convert, hand raises and demo requests, so SDRs spend their time on the prospects most likely to become opportunities, and we replaced the old score-out route with a warm outbound play for everyone else.
At a high level, here is what changed:
| Before | After | |
|---|---|---|
| Two paths to MQL treated equally, hand raises and score-outs | → | Hand raises and demo requests as the MQL |
| Score-outs passed to SDRs | → | Warm outbound, based on how engaged each lead is |
| MQLs tracked on lead and contact records | → | MQLs tracked as campaign members, so demo requests are counted |
| Scores that never aged | → | Lead score decay, so the most current leads come first |
And now, here is how we got there.
Two paths to MQL
We analyzed the existing MQL definitions and found two separate paths to MQL status, hand raises and score-outs, treated the same despite very different conversion rates. Splitting them into separate buckets made the difference clear: hand raises converted far better than score-outs.
Making the case with data
We showed the client why hand raises should be the main MQL criterion, with data showing that MQL volume might fall while quality and conversion rose, giving SDRs fewer leads that were each worth more. We then applied the new definitions to historical data. It showed conversion rates would double, and it helped the client set new, realistic goals for the coming quarters.
Tracking and scoring
MQL tracking moved from lead and contact logic to a campaign member format, so demo requests and engagement are tracked accurately. Lead score decay keeps SDRs on the most current and engaged leads.
SDR enablement and reporting
We retrained the SDRs to tell apart the high-interest leads to engage now from the leads that need nurturing, gave them new training materials, and built Salesforce reports that put the highest-scoring leads in front of them.
The Results
Low-quality MQLs fell by 48%, so SDRs had far fewer leads to chase and could focus on the prospects worth their time. With the focus on better leads and the improved scoring, the MQL-to-opportunity conversion rate doubled.
The changes also brought 48 previously unreported demo requests into the reporting, which gave a clearer view of what marketing was producing. Clearer criteria and better leads improved trust and collaboration between sales and marketing, and the pipeline runs more efficiently as a result.
Request a free consultation to see how we can help you improve your MQL quality and drive more meaningful pipeline.