You're generating leads, but they're not converting. The problem isn't your marketing—it's the handoff. Here's how to fix the critical gap between marketing qualified leads (MQLs) and sales qualified leads (SQLs).

The "Black Hole" Between MQL and SQL

You've seen it happen: marketing generates a lead, celebrates the win, and passes it to sales. Then... nothing. The lead disappears into a black hole, never to be heard from again. This isn't a sales problem or a marketing problem—it's a handoff problem.

Studies show that 79% of marketing leads never convert to sales. The primary reason? Poor handoff processes. When marketing and sales aren't aligned on what makes a lead "qualified," leads fall through the cracks.

The Cost of Poor Handoffs:

• Lost revenue: Each lost lead represents $1,000-$10,000 in potential revenue
• Wasted ad spend: You're paying for leads that never convert
• Team friction: Marketing blames sales, sales blames marketing

Defining the Handoff: When Does Marketing Let Go?

The handoff point is critical. Too early, and sales wastes time on unqualified leads. Too late, and you lose momentum with hot prospects.

Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL) Criteria

An MQL has shown interest but may not be ready to buy. Common MQL signals include:

Downloaded a gated resource (ebook, whitepaper, calculator)
Attended a webinar or event
Visited pricing page multiple times
Engaged with multiple pieces of content
Fits your ideal customer profile (ICP)

Sales Qualified Lead (SQL) Criteria

An SQL is ready for a sales conversation. They've shown buying intent:

Requested a demo or consultation
Filled out a "Contact Sales" form
Viewed case studies and pricing pages
Has budget authority (confirmed through lead scoring)
Timeline matches your sales cycle

The Handoff Rule:

Marketing hands off when a lead becomes an SQL, not when they become an MQL. This means marketing should nurture MQLs until they show clear buying intent.

The SLA Template: What Sales Needs from Marketing

A Service Level Agreement (SLA) between marketing and sales ensures both teams know exactly what to expect. Here's what sales needs from marketing:

1. Lead Quality Standards

Sales needs leads that meet specific criteria. Your SLA should define:

Company fit: Industry, company size, revenue range
Role fit: Job title, decision-making authority
Behavioral signals: Specific actions that indicate buying intent
Lead score threshold: Minimum score required for handoff

2. Complete Lead Information

Sales can't work with incomplete data. Every handoff must include:

Full contact information (name, email, phone, company)
Lead source and attribution data
Engagement history (what content they've consumed)
Lead score and qualification reasons
Any notes from marketing interactions

3. Response Time Expectations

Speed matters. Your SLA should specify:

Hot leads: Sales responds within 5 minutes
Warm leads: Sales responds within 1 hour
Cold leads: Sales responds within 24 hours

4. Feedback Loop

Sales must provide feedback on lead quality:

Which leads converted and why
Which leads didn't convert and why
What information was missing
Suggestions for improving lead quality

Automating the Handoff in Your CRM

Manual handoffs are slow and error-prone. Automation ensures no lead falls through the cracks.

Setting Up Automated Handoff Rules

In your CRM (HubSpot, Salesforce, etc.), create workflows that automatically:

Score leads in real-time based on behavior and firmographics
Assign leads to sales reps when they hit SQL threshold
Send notifications to sales when a hot lead comes in
Create tasks for sales reps with all lead context
Track handoff metrics (time to first contact, conversion rates)

Example Automation Workflow

Trigger: Lead score reaches 75+ OR lead requests demo
Action 1: Add tag "SQL - Ready for Sales"
Action 2: Assign to sales rep based on territory/round-robin
Action 3: Send SMS to sales rep with lead details
Action 4: Create task: "Call [Lead Name] - Hot Lead"
Action 5: Send automated email to lead: "Thanks for your interest, [Sales Rep] will call you shortly"

How to Re-Engage "Lost" Leads

Not all leads are ready immediately. Many need nurturing. Here's how to re-engage leads that went cold:

1. Identify Why They Went Cold

Before re-engaging, understand what happened:

Did sales contact them? (Check activity logs)
What was their last engagement? (Content, email opens)
Did they show buying intent but then stopped? (Pricing page views, demo requests)
Are they still in your ICP? (Company size, industry changes)

2. Segment by Re-Engagement Strategy

Different leads need different approaches:

Hot Leads That Went Cold

These showed strong buying intent but didn't convert:

Send personalized email from sales rep
Offer a different solution or approach
Provide case study relevant to their industry
Invite to exclusive webinar or event

Warm Leads That Need Nurturing

These engaged but weren't ready:

Add to educational email sequence
Share relevant blog posts and resources
Retarget with display ads
Re-qualify after 30-60 days

3. Use Behavioral Triggers

Set up alerts for when "lost" leads re-engage:

Visits pricing page again → Notify sales immediately
Opens multiple emails → Re-add to sales sequence
Downloads new resource → Re-qualify lead
Visits website from retargeting ad → Send personalized message

Measuring Handoff Success

You can't improve what you don't measure. Track these key metrics:

MQL to SQL conversion rate: Target 20-30%
Time to first contact: Target under 5 minutes for hot leads
Sales acceptance rate: Target 80%+ (leads sales accepts as qualified)
Lead response time: Target under 1 hour
Revenue per lead: Track which lead sources convert best

Conclusion

The marketing-to-sales handoff is where revenue is won or lost. By defining clear criteria, automating the process, and maintaining a feedback loop, you can turn your lead generation into revenue generation. Start by creating your SLA, then automate the handoff in your CRM, and finally, set up systems to re-engage lost leads. The result? More closed deals and better alignment between marketing and sales.