At RightWave, we often say: lead lifecycle management is part art, part science—and a whole lot of alignment. And if there’s one place where that alignment often gets tricky, it’s around what qualifies as an MQL.
A recent discussion in the MOPS community sparked a thoughtful debate around a seemingly simple question: Do MQLs only count when the first touch is inbound? Or can leads qualify as MQLs even if they didn’t first engage through an inbound channel?
Here’s what we’re seeing across clients and conversations—and some best practices we recommend.
Do MQLs Have to Be Inbound First Touch? Not Necessarily.
While inbound engagement is a strong signal, it doesn’t have to be the only path to MQL status. Whether a lead first engaged through a webinar, a third-party event, or an outbound email campaign, the key question is:
Are they showing enough intent now to warrant a handoff to sales?
What matters most is the current behavior and lead score, not the origin source. We’ve seen high-converting MQLs come from outbound efforts that eventually trigger meaningful engagement later in the funnel.
Can Someone Re-MQL? Yes, With a Few Guardrails.
Re-MQLing is common and often necessary—especially for long buying cycles. But there should be structure:
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Avoid re-MQLing leads already in pipeline. If a lead is actively being worked by sales or attached to an opportunity, re-qualifying them as MQL again can confuse attribution and inflate metrics.
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Use behavior and time-based triggers. If a lead goes cold for a few months and then re-engages—say, by downloading a whitepaper or attending a product demo—it’s fair to consider them a fresh MQL.
A Simple Enhancement: Track First and Last MQL Dates
One of the more effective practices we encourage is timestamping both the first MQL date and the last MQL date.
Why this matters:
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You get better visibility into how long a lead takes to move through the funnel.
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You can analyze trends in re-engagement and lead recycling.
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Sales gets clarity on how recently a lead was qualified—which helps tailor their outreach.
The RightWave POV: How We Help Clients Manage This in Marketo
For clients using Adobe Marketo Engage, we typically configure lifecycle management systems that include:
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Flexible MQL logic: Based on a combination of behavior, fit, and timing—not just channel source.
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Lifecycle stage governance: Preventing duplication and ensuring that sales and marketing stay aligned.
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Lifecycle reporting fields: Including lifecycle stage entry dates, lead source, and MQL timestamps for more actionable reporting.
And perhaps most importantly, we ensure the MQL definitions are agreed upon between marketing and sales teams. Lifecycle systems are only as good as the alignment they’re built on.
Final Thought
There’s no single definition of an MQL that works for every business. But the principles of clarity, flexibility, and alignment apply everywhere.
If your lead lifecycle feels rigid or your MQL metrics are misaligned with sales outcomes, it may be time for a refresh. RightWave can help you reframe your lifecycle stages and build a more agile system in Marketo.
Let’s talk.
