The MQL-to-SQL handoff is where most B2B funnel efficiency is lost — not because sales won't work the leads, but because there's no consistent framework for deciding which MQLs are actually ready for a sales conversation. This stack puts a scoring layer between marketing qualification and sales acceptance. Run each MQL through a Claude prompt that evaluates fit, intent, and sales-readiness against a defined SQL threshold. Leads that pass get stage-updated in Salesforce with context attached. Leads that don't go back to nurture with a specific reason — so the loop is closed and marketing learns what sales actually wants.
The Stack
The Prompt
This stack is built around the Lead Quality Scoring Prompt. Here's the abbreviated version — the full prompt with all variables and usage notes is on its own page.
You are a B2B demand generation analyst evaluating MQL readiness for sales acceptance. Review the MQL record below against the SQL acceptance criteria provided. Evaluate: company size fit, industry fit, buying title and seniority, behavioral intent signals, and engagement recency. Assess sales-readiness: is there a business trigger? Does the engagement pattern suggest active evaluation? Output: SQL verdict (Accept / Return to Nurture / Disqualify), confidence level (High / Medium / Low), and a 2-sentence rationale. For Accepted leads, include a suggested first-call opener based on the lead's specific engagement signals.[ ... continued — see full prompt ]
The Workflow
-
Pull new MQLs from Marketo
Export MQLs created in the past 24–48 hours from Marketo — including behavioral data (pages visited, content downloaded, emails clicked) and any enrichment data already in the record.
-
Enrich with Salesforce account data
Cross-reference each MQL against the Salesforce account record: existing relationships, current pipeline, prior deals, and account engagement history.
-
Define the SQL threshold
Before running the prompt, document your SQL criteria: target company size ranges, qualifying job titles, required behavioral signals, and any hard disqualifiers. This definition goes into the prompt as the scoring rubric.
-
Run the SQL scoring prompt
Paste each enriched MQL record and the SQL criteria into the Lead Quality Scoring prompt. Claude evaluates readiness and outputs a verdict, confidence level, and reasoning summary.
-
Route and communicate
Accept-verdicted leads: update Salesforce stage to SQL, attach the Claude reasoning note to the record, and alert the assigned rep in Slack with the engagement context and suggested opener. Return-to-Nurture leads: push back to Marketo with the reason logged.
What This Replaces
- Inconsistent SQL definitions that shift based on which rep is reviewing the queue
- MQLs sitting in limbo because sales hasn't worked them and marketing doesn't know why
- MQL-to-SQL rate optimizations that improve volume without improving downstream deal quality
Related Stacks
New stacks drop weekly.
Each one includes the tools, the Claude prompt, and the workflow logic. Free — built for in-house B2B demand gen managers.