Product-qualified lead (PQL) in marketing

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One of the best ways to convince a person of the benefits of a product is to give them the opportunity to use it themselves. The “try before you buy” concept allows you to identify potential customers, focus on their profile and increase engagement. In this case, the sales department does not waste time on making cold calls, but works with already warmed up leads.

If you work in the B2B niche, the priority for the company is the inbound sales funnel. Many companies offer a free or trial version of their product, usually with a certain limitation of functions. This way, a potential client who has tested the basic functions or is convinced of the value of your services is more likely to purchase the full version.

However, questions arise: how senegal cell phone number list to identify a PQL among thousands of other customers? How to turn an ordinary user into a PQL, who will eventually turn into a customer? What advantages and disadvantages does this approach have for the company as a whole? We suggest you read the answers to these and other questions in this article.



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PQL - Who is he and where did he come from?
PQLs are potential customers who have used the product and have already decided on its value. These leads may have used a free trial or engaged in some other way.

Unlike marketing qualified leads (MQL), which are based on arbitrary factors (opening an email, downloading technical documentation, and visiting a web page), PQLs are tied specifically to the product's significant value. This simplifies the sales process, since the user is not so strongly attached to the final cost.

But where did this concept come from, and what preceded it? For years, B2B and SaaS companies relied on marketing qualified leads that theoretically seemed like a good fit for the business. However, the assumptions turned out to be inaccurate, causing sales teams to waste time acquiring customers who had no intention of paying for the product.

The focus on PQL has changed the way companies market their products: most customers aren’t interested in blatant marketing ploys. They’re more interested in experiencing the product themselves before making a purchase decision.

The results are impressive: on average, only13%MQLs convert to SQLs. Of those who become qualified leads, only 6% eventually convert. Meanwhile, PQLs convert 5-6 times more often than MQLs.

Why your business needs PQL:
PQLs represent the ideal customer profile. They do not need to be convinced of the importance of the purchase, because they have already felt the value of the product.
Shorter sales cycle. You don't have to take the customer through all the sales stages, such as introduction, conveying the value of the product, etc. You attract potential customers, give them the opportunity to try the product, and then all that's left to do is wait for feedback.
If a customer has had a great experience with a product, they are less likely to abandon their purchase. As a result, retention rates in the PQL model are usually high.
How to define PQL?
Before we dive into how to identify PQL, there are a few important points to note:

PQLs are not the kind of users who periodically renew free plans and offers;
It is important to distinguish PQL from MQL. The MQL model analyzes only basic actions, without any interaction with the product;
Not all users who sign up for free trials are PQLs.
Qualified leads can be a competitive advantage for your business. The criteria for determining PQL are specific to each individual company, as they are based on data collected while using the product. Here are some general factors that can be used to determine PQL:

the user interacts with the product frequently and for a long time;
the behavior pattern indicates a high level of interest in the product (use of additional functions, contacting support, etc.);
quick adaptation to the product;
behavior indicates that conversion is imminent (viewing tariffs, adding to cart).
It's important to understand who your users are, what they do on your site, why they wanted to sign up in the first place, and what goals they are trying to achieve.

Product-qualified lead (PQL) in marketing