Do You Really Need Marketing Qualified Leads?
Columnist Claudine Bianchi doesn’t think so — here’s why MQLs might actually be holding you back.
MQLs are a constraint. They hold marketing back in ways that only someone “at the table” can fully understand — at least in my opinion. In fact, I see my team cringe every time I bring up the topic. Let me explain.
Back in the day…
I’ve been in B2B technology marketing for over 25 years — not that you’d know it from my youthful energy. Back then, marketing was considered more art than science. We were the “color people,” walking around with Pantone books, designing logos and catchy slogans. We staffed booths at trade shows — in the 80s we were even called “booth babes.”
Aside from building a polished brand image with brochures and ads in top PC publications, sales never really credited us for revenue generation. That was sales’ territory. The best salespeople had Rolodexes full of C-level contacts, played lots of golf, entertained clients, traveled first-class, and influenced product development.
Marketing, on the other hand, was rarely seen as strategic — almost always just a cost of doing business. CFOs never understood what we did or why money was spent on something barely measurable. Truly, those were the dark ages of tech marketing.
Then came the internet…
With the rise of the internet as the primary communication channel, things began to change. Social media, e-commerce, and now the Internet of Things have put marketing in the driver’s seat.
Not sales. Not IT. In fact, Gartner predicted that by 2017, CMOs would have more technology purchasing power than CIOs. Communicating with customers has never been easier — Google a product, check the company’s website, or head to a community page to see what real customers are saying.
Buyers now control the sales process. They decide how, when, and what they buy. They tell us what our brands mean. Many buyers don’t even engage sales until they’re well on their way to making a purchase decision. But they do engage with content — from what Google calls the “Zero Moment of Truth” (their very first brand impression), all the way to checkout, product use, and beyond.
Marketing is increasingly being held responsible for the entire customer relationship — from first impression through sale and into the product and service experience. Thanks to technology, we can now track customers and understand what they respond to (and what they ignore).
Every step of the buyer’s journey
Marketing now works hand in hand with sales to win and retain satisfied customers. We are present at every stage of the increasingly complex buyer’s journey.
Yet for most marketers, the MQL still reigns as the most important KPI. Yes, we’re now seen as strategic. Yes, we have a seat at the table and often even influence product development. But at the table, everyone looks at monetary outcomes.
The MQL — a top-of-funnel metric — keeps marketing positioned at the start of the funnel, even though we guide customers throughout their entire journey.
Some marketers even take comfort in that: “We deliver the leads; it’s up to sales to deliver the dollars.” Wrong! Without marketing and sales working together, there are no customers, no revenue, no brand, and ultimately no company.
Marketing must be measured by the same metric as every other part of the business: the almighty dollar. Not just pipeline — I mean sales, upsells, and renewals.
The only way to ensure true alignment between marketing and sales is to give them shared goals — so they face the same challenges together, overcome objections together, and celebrate success together. That’s the real guarantee of alignment.
MQL, Marketing, Sales, B2B, Buyer’s Journey, Revenue, Marketing Strategy, Lead Generation
marketing qualified leads, MQL criticism, B2B marketing, buyer’s journey, marketing and sales, revenue growth, lead generation, marketing strategy
#Marketing #MQL #B2B #Sales #Leads #BuyerJourney #Revenue #Strategy
0 Comments