Explain the difference between scoring and grading, and how you would use both to define an MQL.

Score is behavioural — it measures engagement, going up when the prospect submits forms, views pages, and clicks email links. Grade is fit — it measures how closely the prospect matches the ideal customer profile, based on criteria such as job title, industry, company size, and region.

Used alone, either is misleading. A high score with a poor grade is often a student or a competitor doing research. A high grade with a low score is a perfect-fit company that has shown no interest yet.

So I define the MQL as a threshold on both axes — for example, grade B- or better AND score above 100 — and implement it with an automation rule that assigns the prospect and notifies the rep. I would then review the thresholds quarterly against actual conversion-to-opportunity data rather than leaving the initial guess in place.