What is MQL to SQL conversion rate?
MQL to SQL conversion rate is the share of marketing-qualified leads that sales accepts as sales-qualified. It measures the single most contested handoff in the funnel.
It is really a measure of agreement. A healthy rate means marketing and sales share a definition of a good lead; a poor one usually means they do not.
The formula.
MQL to SQL conversion rate = (SQLs divided by MQLs) times 100. The number is only meaningful if both stages are defined consistently, because the definitions set the rate as much as lead quality does.
Track it over time on stable definitions. A rate that moves because someone changed what counts as an MQL tells you nothing about lead quality.
A worked example.
Of 500 MQLs in a period, sales accepts 130 as SQLs. Conversion rate is 130 divided by 500, times 100, which is 26%.
What is a good MQL to SQL conversion rate?
There is no universal benchmark, because the rate depends entirely on how strict your MQL and SQL definitions are. A loose MQL bar produces a low conversion rate; a strict one produces a high rate on fewer leads.
A low conversion rate is often a lead-quality problem, and quality starts with what you pay for. Reading it against what those leads cost to acquire connects the handoff to spend.
How to improve it.
Align the MQL and SQL definitions between teams, raise lead quality at the source, and tighten the handoff so accepted leads are followed up fast. Most of the gain comes from agreement and quality, not volume.
Leads that arrive already matching your ideal profile convert better at every stage. Organic search and content bring in qualified leads that arrive ready.