Not Every MQL is Ready To Buy

Most companies today follow a familiar path when it comes to generating leads for their sales teams: they build large lists of target accounts—often including high-profile names like Fortune 500 companies—and rely on marketing to drive engagement. Marketing runs ads, pushes gated content, and tracks every download, click, and email open. When a certain threshold of activity is reached, the account is handed over to sales as a Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL).

The problem? MQLs rarely convert into sales opportunities. And even when they do, these opportunities are often hard to win.

 Why Traditional MQLs Miss the Mark

Sales leaders know this scenario all too well: despite seeing plenty of so-called "qualified" leads from marketing, actual closed deals remain elusive. The root cause lies in the way most companies approach lead generation and account targeting.

1. The Non-linear Buying Journey  

Buyers don’t make purchasing decisions simply because they saw an ad or opened an email. Instead, they buy when they have an immediate need, and more importantly, when they trust your company. The marketing activities that drive MQLs often have little to do with a buyer's readiness to purchase or their perception of your product’s value.

2. Lack of Awareness  

The reality is that many target accounts don’t even know who you are or why they should care. Sending templated outreach without deep research and personalization leads to messages that are easy for potential buyers to ignore.

3. A Volume Game  

With limited account research, marketing tends to push out generic, templated messages in bulk, hoping something sticks. But in B2B sales, especially with high-value accounts, personalization matters more than sheer volume.

As a result, marketing delivers a high volume of MQLs, but sales teams struggle to turn them into meaningful sales conversations. MQLs become synonymous with wasted time, and eventually, sales begins to ignore marketing’s leads altogether.

 How do we Change This Approach?

To fix this misalignment, companies need to move beyond the traditional MQL model and adopt a more holistic approach: combining Account-Based Marketing (ABM) with demand generation. Here’s how it works in practice:

1. Define Your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)  

Start by developing a crystal-clear picture of your best-fit customers. This goes beyond industry or company size—it includes technographics, firmographics, and account qualification criteria. More importantly, understand the structure of the buying committee and how decisions are made within those accounts.

2. Review Your Demand Generation Program  

Evaluate how your current demand generation efforts are working. Are they bringing in real engagement, or just superficial clicks? If you don’t have an effective demand generation program, you need to build one. Your goal is to attract and engage accounts that match your ICP, even if they aren’t immediately sales-ready.

3. Set Engagement and Intent Criteria  

Not all engagement is created equal. Instead of relying on simplistic lead scores, establish thresholds for meaningful engagement—such as accounts visiting key pages, attending webinars, or downloading product-specific content. These are the signals that indicate genuine interest and should trigger deeper ABM efforts.

4. Account Qualification and Prioritization  

Once you have highly engaged accounts, prioritize them based on your qualification criteria. This ensures your sales team focuses on accounts that are both interested and likely to need your product, increasing the chances of closing the deal.

5. Segment Accounts for Personalization  

Now that you’ve identified the right accounts, break them into tiers for personalized outreach. Some may warrant fully customized 1:1 campaigns, while others can receive tailored messages based on verticals or job roles. The key is to avoid one-size-fits-all messaging.

6. Do the Work: Research and Personalize  

Effective ABM means understanding each account’s unique needs, challenges, and goals. This requires upfront research and crafting personalized messaging that speaks directly to the buyer’s priorities. The goal is to build trust and show how your solution aligns with their objectives.

7. Account Expansion and Renewals  

Once you’ve landed a new customer, don’t stop there. Work closely with your customer success team to ensure successful onboarding, which paves the way for expansion opportunities and renewals. ABM doesn’t end when the deal is signed—it’s an ongoing strategy for long-term growth.

8. Ongoing Nurturing  

Not every account will convert right away. But that doesn’t mean they’re lost forever. Move those accounts back into your demand generation program, staying top of mind until their buying window opens again.

We need to abandon the outdated practice of relying on MQLs to drive business. Instead, by combining a full-funnel ABM strategy with continuous demand generation, you can target the right accounts at the right time with personalized, impactful outreach. This approach not only creates more opportunities but also helps close deals faster by focusing on engaged, well-researched accounts that are more likely to buy.