Gilroy 6sense strategic partnership

This fundamental shift was a pivotal moment, reflecting the changing nature of buyer behaviour and challenging the status quo that had been in place for over a decade. The traditional MQL model, which once guided marketing and sales alignment, began to fall short as buyers became more autonomous and digital channels grew more complex.

However, despite these shifts, the MQL persists as a prominent metric in many organisations – used out of habit rather than effectiveness. It's time to rethink our reliance on outdated models and embrace a more nuanced approach. This means embracing metrics that matter: sales pipeline volume, lead conversion rates, customer lifetime value, and sales cycle length. It's time to rethink, realign, and revolutionise the way we measure success in B2B marketing, and we will explain why.  

MQLs no longer reflect the buyer journey

The B2B buyer journey has evolved dramatically. Buyers now spend over 70% of their journey conducting independent research before engaging with vendors. And when they do engage, they typically contact multiple vendors but often select the one they first reached out to. This shift in buyer behaviour renders traditional MQL metrics less effective, as they focus on early-stage interest rather than genuine intent or alignment with business needs. Indeed, buyers typically undergo a 7-8 month process before talking to sales, becoming an MQL too early can disrupt this.

MQLs limitations can be narrowed down to three:

1. Lack of alignment: MQLs often focus on superficial engagement metrics such as clicks or downloads, which are poor indicators of a prospect’s actual readiness to buy. This misalignment with sales goals leads to inefficiencies and wasted effort.  

2. Vanity metrics distraction: Many businesses are stuck tracking vanity metrics that have little to no relevance to real business outcomes. This obsession creates a damaging disconnect between sales and marketing teams, preventing them from achieving their shared objectives. 

3. Complex buyer journeys: The traditional MQL model fails to capture the intricate and non-linear nature of today's B2B buying journeys. Buyers engage across multiple channels and touch points, demanding a more nuanced approach to lead qualification and engagement.

As Kerry Cunningham from 6sense points out, buyers are typically 70% through their buying journey before they even speak to a sales representative. And 80% of the time, it’s the buyers who initiate the first contact with the sellers, not the other way round like it used to be in the past. Therefore, measuring success throughMQLs leads to an overemphasis on quantity rather than quality, focusing on prospects who are not yet sales-ready.

Embracing metrics that matter

For sales and marketing to deliver revenue, they need to adopt metrics that better reflect business success and customer engagement throughout the entire buying journey. Here are the key metrics that we think should replace MQLs:

1. Sales pipeline volume: Tracking the volume and quality of opportunities in the sales pipeline provides a more accurate picture of future revenue potential. This metric emphasises the importance of generating leads that align with the company’s target market and sales objectives.

2. Lead conversion rates: Measuring how effectively leads are converted into paying customers reflects the efficiency of the sales process and the effectiveness of marketing strategies in attracting high-quality prospects.

3. Customer lifetime value: Focuses on long-term business success by measuring the total revenue a customer is expected to generate throughout their relationship with the company. This metric encourages businesses to nurture long-term relationships and prioritise customer satisfaction.

4. Sales cycle length: Shortening the sales cycle is crucial for maximising revenue and efficiency. By analysing this metric, businesses can identify bottlenecks and streamline the sales process, improving overall productivity and customer experience.

These 4 metrics don’t just look at endless email lists and they’re not just about quantity over quality; they’re about RevOps and sustainably generating revenue for the business. This is what matters in the end, for both sales and marketing teams.And this leads us to our next topic.

The case for integrated sales and marketing

The traditional marketing-to-sales handoff model is insufficient in a complex B2B environment where buyers expect a seamless experience throughout their journey. That is why it is crucial to integrate sales and marketing together, an idea that’s been around for quite some time now in the marketing space. And there is data to prove it: companies that align sales and marketing teams achieve 24% faster growth rates and 27% faster profit growth.

Not just that, but sharing the same metrics as sales and the broader business brings along further benefits. First, it means a shared, clear vision of success. Second, account teams will be more engaged by integrating and acting on marketing insights. Finally marketing efforts will be communicated to the business in a way that aligns directly with their strategies and metrics. This approach will make programs more appealing for executive sponsorship, participation, and budgeting.

Ditching theMQL in favour of the 4 metrics outlined above is one way to align the sales and marketing teams on shared objectives. The other way is via a Full Funnel B2B growth strategy which requires a more integrated approach, where marketing and sales teams jointly prioritise high-value accounts and tailor strategies to meet their specific needs. This approach not only improves engagement but also aligns efforts with business goals. Finally, incorporating advanced data analytics and technology can further enhance the alignment of sales and marketing efforts. Predictive technology allows businesses to identify and segment Ideal Customer Profiles (ICPs), enabling more effective targeting of in-market accounts.

For instance, at 6sense, marketing and sales teams collaborate closely to identify target accounts using well-defined processes for 6QAs, the 6sense Qualified Accounts. These are accounts that meet specific criteria indicating a high likelihood of conversion or readiness to engage in the sales process. These criteria are usually based on predictive analytics and data insights gathered by 6sense, which help identify accounts that show strong buying intent and are aligned with a company's ideal customer profile (ICP).Once a 6QA is confirmed and followed by the sales team, the marketing team’s role is ensuring engagement with the entire buying group throughout the journey.

Based on our own experience and successes, we can make a few recommendations to our readers, but we’d love to hear your own thoughts about this:

• Shift your focus from the individual buyer to the buying group. Measuring engagement metrics at the group level provides better insights into account activity and readiness to purchase.
• Use technology platforms to create contextualised messages for a smaller set of accounts, ensuring personalised outreach and engagement. This targeted approach increases the likelihood of converting leads into customers.
• Finally, prioritise budget and resources on accounts that demonstrate high engagement and fit the ICP criteria. By focusing efforts on the most promising opportunities, businesses can maximise their return on investment.

Redefining success beyond traditional metrics

The time has come to challenge the conventional reliance on MQLs and adopt a more integrated approach to sales and marketing measurement. By embracing metrics such as sales pipeline volume, lead conversion rates, customer lifetime value, and sales cycle length, businesses can better align their efforts with actual business outcomes. The future of B2B sales and marketing lies in a collaborative, data-driven approach that prioritises meaningful engagement over short-term quantity. By ending the MQL era, businesses can pave the way for a more efficient, effective, and customer-centric sales & marketing process.