Lead lifecycle stage definitions
Most teams can recite MQL, SAL, and SQL but cannot say what moves a lead from one to the next, so each team defines them to suit its own number. Marketing counts MQLs nobody accepted, sales ignores them, and the funnel report cannot be reconciled. Stages only work when each one has a written entry rule, an exit rule, an owner, an SLA, and a timestamp that never gets overwritten.
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What you get
- Definitions for each lifecycle stage from known contact through opportunity, including recycled and disqualified
- Entry and exit rules for every stage written as testable conditions, not intentions
- SLAs for acceptance and follow-up with what happens when an SLA is missed
- A list of the timestamp fields to capture so conversion rates and velocity can be measured
- Recycle reasons and re-entry rules so leads do not disappear after a 'not now'
Who it's for
- Marketing ops teams defining MQL, SAL, and SQL with sales
- SDR managers who need clear acceptance and recycle rules
- RevOps teams fixing funnel conversion reports that do not reconcile
What's inside
6 sections, each listed with its own size. The first is previewed below; the remaining 5 come with the download, with blank rows ready to fill in.
| Section | Size | Previewed |
|---|---|---|
| Lifecycle stage definitions | 5 columns, 7 worked example rows | Below |
| SLAs | 4 columns, 4 worked example rows | In the download |
| Timestamp fields to capture | 3 columns, 5 worked example rows | In the download |
| Rejection and recycle reasons | 4 columns, 5 worked example rows | In the download |
| Implementation checklist | 10-point checklist | In the download |
| Where lifecycle definitions usually break | Guidance notes | In the download |
Preview of section 1
Lifecycle stage definitions
Replace score thresholds and criteria with your own. Each rule should be buildable as a report filter.
| Stage | Definition | Entry rule | Exit rule | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Known contact | A person with a valid email and consent status | Record created with email | Meets MQL rule, or disqualified | Marketing ops |
| MQL | Fits the ICP and has shown enough intent to warrant sales follow-up | Fit score at or above threshold and behavior score at or above threshold, or a hand-raise (demo request, contact sales) | Accepted (SAL), rejected, or recycled by the assigned rep | Marketing |
How to use it
1. Get marketing and sales to sign the same page
Hold one working session with marketing ops, the SDR manager, and a sales leader. Walk through each stage and do not leave until every entry rule is a condition you could build as a report filter. Put the names of who agreed in the document.
2. Make acceptance an explicit action
SAL should mean a person clicked accept or reject, not that a lead was assigned. Without an explicit action you cannot measure acceptance rate, and marketing and sales will argue about leads nobody looked at.
3. Stamp the first time, never overwrite
Create a 'date entered' field for each stage and set it only when blank. Recycled leads that come back get a new cycle, not a rewritten date. Overwritten timestamps are the most common reason funnel conversion reports cannot be trusted.
4. Require a reason on every rejection and recycle
Rejected and recycled leads must carry a picklist reason. Those reasons are the feedback loop for scoring: if most rejections say 'wrong persona', the scoring model is the problem, not the SDRs.
5. Report SLA misses weekly, by owner
An SLA that nobody measures is a suggestion. Build a weekly report of MQLs not accepted or rejected within the SLA and review it in the marketing and sales sync.
Frequently asked questions
What are the lead lifecycle stages?
A common set is known contact, MQL (marketing qualified), SAL (sales accepted), SQL (sales qualified), opportunity, and customer, with recycled and disqualified as side paths. The names matter less than having a written entry and exit rule for each.
What is the difference between MQL, SAL, and SQL?
An MQL meets marketing's fit and intent threshold. A SAL is an MQL that a sales rep has reviewed and agreed to work. An SQL is a lead the rep has spoken with and confirmed has a real need, a relevant buyer, and a reason to act.
What does it mean to recycle a lead?
Sending a lead that is a fit but not ready back to marketing nurture with a reason and a cooldown period. It can re-enter as an MQL when it shows new intent, and the recycle count shows how many cycles it took.
What is a good MQL to SQL conversion rate?
It varies too much by lead source, ICP, and MQL threshold for a general number to be useful. Measure your own rate from first-entered timestamps, split by source, and track the trend after each scoring change.