Lead scoring template for SDR teams: MQL, SAL and SQL rules
Marketing says the leads are good. Sales says they are not. Module 11 Lead Scoring and Nurture in the SDR Programme Playbook covers the scoring side. Module 3, Lead Flow, Routing and SLAs, has P1 to P4 response tiers. It also has an escalation ladder. £29 + VAT. Below is a template you can copy today.
MQL, SAL and SQL in one line each
Agree these three lines with marketing and sales before you score anything.
| Stage | Meaning | Who decides |
|---|---|---|
| MQL | Fits the profile and has acted on interest | Marketing, by score |
| SAL | Sales has accepted the lead and agreed to work it | SDR |
| SQL | A named problem and a next step | AE, after the meeting |
Prospeo describes the SAL as "the most underrated stage". It says rejected MQLs vanish without explanation when a team skips it. Marketing then learns nothing about why they failed.
Record a rejection reason on every lead the SDR refuses. That is the SAL stage doing its job.
The scoring sheet
Copy this table into a sheet or a Notion database. The weights are starting points, tune to your closed-won data.
| Group | Signal | Starting points |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Company size in your target band | +15 |
| Fit | Sector on your target list | +10 |
| Fit | Region you serve | +5 |
| Fit | Job title is a buyer | +15 |
| Fit | Job title is an influencer | +8 |
| Engagement | Visited the pricing page | +10 |
| Engagement | Opened three or more emails | +5 |
| Engagement | Attended a webinar or event | +8 |
| Intent | Asked for a demo or a call | +25 |
| Intent | Replied to an SDR with a problem | +20 |
| Intent | Hiring for the team that uses your product | +8 |
| Negative | Personal email domain | -10 |
| Negative | Competitor or agency | -25 |
| Negative | Student or job seeker | -30 |
| Negative | Unsubscribed | -50 |
Fit tells you who they are. Engagement and intent tell you what they did. Keep the groups separate so you can see which one drives a score.
Score decay
Interest goes cold. Take points off for age.
- Engagement points drop by half after 30 days with no new action.
- Engagement points drop to zero after 90 days.
- Fit points never decay. A good-fit company stays a good fit.
- Intent points drop to zero after 60 days with no reply.
Write your own day counts after you see how long your deals take.
See inside
Set thresholds from your closed-won deals
- Export your last 100 closed-won deals.
- Score each one as it looked at first contact, not at close.
- Sort the scores from low to high.
- Set the MQL line near the score that most of them cleared. A simple start is the 20th percentile score.
- Score 100 lost or stalled deals the same way.
- Check how many of them clear the line. If most do, the line is too low.
Set the hot line near the median score, the 50th percentile, of those closed-won deals. SQL stays the AE's decision after the meeting.
Fewer than 100 deals? Use what you have and label the result as a draft.
The SLA that goes with it
A score without a response time is a number nobody acts on. Pair each band with a deadline from your lead handoff SLA template.
| Band | Action | Response |
|---|---|---|
| Hot (above the hot line) | Call and email | Same working day |
| Warm (MQL line to hot line) | Sequence | Next working day |
| Cool (below MQL line) | Nurture | No SDR time |
Prospeo's guide (checked October 2026) gives a warning sign. A sales rejection rate above 40% suggests the scoring model or ICP needs recalibration. Track yours. The meeting to opportunity rate shows whether the hot line holds up. Put both on your KPI dashboard.
Monthly calibration meeting
Thirty minutes. SDR manager, one AE and one marketer.
- Review the rejection reasons from the last month.
- Pick five accepted leads that went nowhere. What did the score miss?
- Pick five rejected leads that sales later won. What did the score miss?
- Change one weight or one threshold. Never more than one.
- Write the change and the date in a log.
Change one thing at a time so you can see what moved the result. Pair the score with the lead qualification checklist for the human check.
Next step: get the free SDR KPI cheat sheet. It lists the numbers to track alongside your score.
Sources
- Prospeo, SQL vs MQL vs SAL, checked 18 October 2026
- Principled Pitch, lead handoff SLA template
- Principled Pitch, meeting to opportunity rate
Questions
What is the difference between an MQL and an SQL?
An MQL fits your profile and has shown interest. An SQL has a stated problem and an agreed next step. Marketing usually sets the first and sales confirms the second.
How many points should each signal get?
There is no standard figure. Start with the table above, then change weights after you compare scores with your closed-won deals.
How often should we change the scoring model?
Review it monthly and change one thing at a time. Log each change with a date so you can link it to the result.
Also: ideal customer profile template.
Related guides
SDR lead handoff SLA template
Five lines to agree between SDRs and AEs.
SDR meeting to opportunity rate
The formula, public benchmarks and what to check when it is low.
SDR lead qualification checklist
Six questions and a pass, hold or drop rule.
Turn this into a programme you can run
Module 11 covers lead scoring and nurture. Module 3 has response tiers and an escalation ladder. £29, one payment, plus VAT for UK and EU buyers.
Treat benchmarks as starting points. Tune them to your market, deal size and sales cycle. Every figure shows its source and year.