Let’s call it: the “MQL” is a relic.
A lead downloads a whitepaper, gets a 60-point score in your CRM, and suddenly sales is supposed to treat them like they’re demo-ready?
We’ve all seen how that goes. Sales ignores the lead. Marketing says they hit their goals. And your funnel leaks.
It’s time for a new model—one powered by AI, driven by behavior, and aligned across the entire GTM team.
The Problem with MQLs
The traditional Marketing Qualified Lead is based on:
- Email opens
- Form fills
- Webinar sign-ups
- Pageviews
Here’s the issue:
- Not all engagement is intent
- Not all intent is equal
- Not all scores reflect real buyer readiness
MQLs are static, gamed, and often misaligned with what sales actually wants: a human with a real problem they’re ready to solve.
What GPTs and AI Do Differently
Instead of checking off arbitrary boxes, GPT-powered lead qualification focuses on:
1. Behavioral Patterns Over Point Scores
- GPTs can summarize CRM activity, site visits, and replies
- They can surface “next best actions” based on intent signals—not pageviews
2. Real-Time Contextual Scoring
- Adjust lead scores based on what content they consumed, how often, and in what sequence
- Flag high-fit prospects even if they haven’t filled out a form (yet)
3. Human-Like Summarization for Sales
Prompt GPT to output:
“Summarize this lead’s journey and suggest the best CTA based on current engagement and persona.”
Now sales knows exactly who they’re talking to—and why it matters.
A Smarter Way to Qualify Leads
Step 1: Define Buyer-Led Signals
What do your best customers do before they convert?
- Read 2+ use case articles
- Click a pricing link
- Attend a workshop or reply to a nurture email
Let AI watch for those, not just surface-level interactions.
Step 2: Train GPT on Win/Loss Notes
Upload 20 recent deal reviews. Prompt:
“What common behaviors or triggers led to a closed-won vs. a closed-lost outcome?”
Now you’ve got a model that learns from actual results—not assumptions.
Step 3: Build an AI-Powered Lead Review Loop
Every Monday, GPT audits the week’s inbound and outputs:
- Top 5 leads worth immediate outreach
- Deals at risk
- Patterns emerging in qualified but unconverted leads
That’s how you replace MQLs with a real-time qualification engine.
What to Do This Week
- Export your current lead scoring criteria
- Prompt GPT: “Which of these metrics actually reflect buying intent based on our last 20 closed-won deals?”
- Rebuild your qualification model using behavioral triggers
- Create a GPT prompt for weekly lead summary + CTA suggestions
- Measure what sales actually works—and what gets ignored
You don’t need more “qualified” leads.
You need better-qualified conversations.
And GPT is your new ops partner in making that happen.
