🔥 Tier 1 - Must KnowID: b2bLeadGenFunnel
B2B Lead Gen Funnel (MQL to Revenue)
The multi-stage qualification journey from initial website visitor to closed-won revenue
In Simple Words (Zero Jargon):
The multi-step process where marketing captures contact info, verifies the company is a good fit, hands it to sales reps for a demo, and negotiates a contract before making money.
Why It Is Critical
In B2B, generating a lead is just step 1. The funnel path is: Visitor $\to$ Raw Lead $\to$ MQL (Marketing Qualified) $\to$ SQL (Sales Qualified) $\to$ Opportunity (Pipeline) $\to$ Closed-Won Revenue. Optimizing only for raw lead volume without tracking SQL conversion wastes sales rep capacity.
Calculation Example & Benchmark Matrix
| Funnel Stage | Owner | Core Qualification Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| Visitor $\to$ Lead | Marketing Ads / Organic | Submits contact info (email/phone) on a form or gated guide |
| Lead $\to$ MQL | Marketing Automation | Crosses fit threshold (right company size, industry) + engagement score |
| MQL $\to$ SQL | SDR (Sales Development Rep) | Vetted on a discovery call as having real budget, authority, and need |
| SQL $\to$ Opportunity | AE (Account Executive) | Active evaluation with formal price quote or POC stage |
| Opportunity $\to$ Closed-Won | Sales Leadership | Signed contract and booked ARR / revenue |
What You Get: A shared, end-to-end view of how marketing spend converts into booked revenue, replacing vanity lead counts with pipeline accountability.