MQA (Marketing Qualified Account)

What is MQA (Marketing Qualified Account)?

A Marketing Qualified Account (MQA) is a target account that has demonstrated sufficient engagement signals and fit criteria to warrant direct sales attention within an account-based marketing (ABM) strategy. Unlike individual lead scoring, MQAs evaluate engagement at the account level by aggregating signals across multiple contacts, touchpoints, and buying committee members.

MQAs represent a fundamental shift from lead-centric to account-centric qualification in B2B SaaS go-to-market strategies. Rather than qualifying individual contacts based on their actions, MQA frameworks assess the collective engagement and intent of an entire organization. This approach recognizes that B2B purchasing decisions involve multiple stakeholders and that engagement from various roles within an account provides stronger buying signals than isolated individual activity.

The MQA framework bridges the gap between marketing's account-focused campaigns and sales' need for timely, qualified opportunities. When an account reaches MQA status, it signals that marketing has successfully generated awareness and engagement across key stakeholders, making the account ready for targeted sales outreach. This qualification methodology has become essential for companies running ABM programs, where coordinating marketing and sales efforts around high-value accounts drives more efficient pipeline generation and higher win rates.

Key Takeaways

• Account-Level Qualification: MQAs evaluate collective engagement across multiple contacts and buying committee members within a target account, rather than scoring individual leads in isolation

• ABM Alignment: Marketing Qualified Accounts serve as the primary handoff mechanism between marketing and sales in account-based marketing strategies, replacing traditional MQL workflows for strategic accounts

• Multi-Signal Scoring: MQA models aggregate diverse signals including firmographic fit, technographic indicators, engagement breadth, account-level intent, and buying committee coverage to determine qualification status

• Sales Readiness Indicator: MQA designation signals that an account has demonstrated sufficient interest and matches ideal customer profile criteria, making it appropriate for direct sales engagement

• Revenue Efficiency: Organizations using MQA frameworks typically see 20-30% higher conversion rates compared to traditional lead-based qualification for strategic accounts

How It Works

The MQA qualification process operates through systematic account-level signal aggregation and scoring. Marketing teams first establish comprehensive MQA criteria combining firmographic fit scores with engagement thresholds that measure activity across the entire account rather than individual contacts.

Signal collection happens continuously across multiple channels and touchpoints. The system tracks website visits from different employees, content downloads across various roles, event attendance by account representatives, email engagement from multiple contacts, and product evaluation activities. Unlike traditional lead scoring that evaluates individuals, MQA frameworks attribute all activity back to the parent account, creating a comprehensive engagement profile.

Account scoring models then apply weighted values to different signal types based on their correlation with closed-won deals. Firmographic characteristics like company size, industry, and revenue typically contribute 30-40% of the score, while engagement signals comprise the remaining weight. Engagement scoring often weights breadth (number of unique contacts engaging) more heavily than depth (frequency from single contacts), recognizing that buying committee coverage indicates stronger intent.

Once an account's aggregated score crosses the predefined MQA threshold, automated workflows trigger to alert sales teams and update the account status in the CRM. The handoff typically includes a summary of key engagement activities, identified contacts, and specific signals that triggered the qualification. Sales development representatives or account executives then prioritize these accounts for outreach, using the engagement data to personalize their approach.

Throughout the process, continuous monitoring ensures accounts maintain their qualified status. MQA frameworks often include decay mechanisms that reduce scores over time if engagement decreases, preventing sales from pursuing accounts whose interest has waned. This dynamic approach keeps the qualified account pipeline fresh and aligned with current buying intent.

Key Features

• Aggregated Engagement Tracking: Consolidates all activities across multiple contacts within an account into a unified engagement score

• Buying Committee Coverage: Evaluates engagement across different roles and departments to assess decision-maker involvement

• Firmographic and Engagement Fusion: Combines ideal customer profile fit criteria with behavioral signals for comprehensive qualification

• Dynamic Score Decay: Automatically reduces qualification scores over time to reflect diminishing intent and maintain pipeline quality

• Multi-Channel Attribution: Tracks engagement across website, email, events, content, social media, and sales interactions at the account level

Use Cases

Enterprise ABM Programs

Technology companies running one-to-one or one-to-few ABM programs use MQA frameworks to identify when target accounts show sufficient engagement to warrant expensive, personalized sales campaigns. When a Fortune 500 account reaches MQA status, it triggers coordinated plays involving field marketing events, executive briefings, and dedicated sales engineering resources.

SaaS Expansion Plays

B2B SaaS companies use MQA scoring for existing customers to identify expansion opportunities. When usage signals and engagement from new departments within a current customer account reach MQA thresholds, customer success and sales teams coordinate upsell conversations, recognizing that the account is actively evaluating additional products or increased usage.

Channel Partner Qualification

Software vendors working through channel partners apply MQA frameworks to identify which of their partners' accounts warrant co-selling resources. When a partner's customer account demonstrates high engagement with vendor content and matches ICP criteria, the vendor assigns overlay sales resources to support the partner in closing the deal.

Implementation Example

MQA Scoring Model

Account Qualification Workflow

Account Enters Target List → Continuous Monitoring → MQA Threshold → Sales Handoff
         ↓                          ↓                    (75pts)           ↓
   ICP Match +              Signal Collection +      Qualification +   SDR/AE
   Enrichment              Engagement Tracking      Status Update    Assignment
         ↓                          ↓                                     ↓
   [Fit Criteria]          [Multi-Touch Signals]                  [Prioritized
    • Size                  • Website Activity                     Outreach with
    • Industry              • Content Downloads                    Context]
    • Technology            • Email Engagement
    • Revenue               • Intent Data
                            • Buying Committee

HubSpot MQA Workflow Configuration

Trigger: Account score reaches 75 points
Actions:
1. Update account lifecycle stage to "Marketing Qualified Account"
2. Create task for assigned SDR: "Review MQA: [Account Name]"
3. Send internal notification with engagement summary
4. Enroll account in ABM nurture sequence
5. Add account to sales prioritization dashboard
6. Log MQA qualification event with timestamp

Qualification Summary Include:
- Top 5 engagement activities with dates
- List of engaged contacts with roles
- Intent topics identified
- Firmographic overview
- Recommended first-touch messaging

Related Terms

• Account-Based Marketing: The overarching strategy framework where MQAs serve as qualification checkpoints

• Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL): Individual lead qualification that MQAs complement or replace in ABM programs

• Account Engagement Score: The aggregated metric used to determine MQA status

• Buying Committee: The group of stakeholders whose collective engagement contributes to MQA qualification

• Sales Qualified Lead (SQL): The next stage after MQA when sales validates account qualification

• Intent Data: Third-party signals that contribute to MQA scoring models

• Account Prioritization: The process of ranking MQAs for sales focus based on fit and engagement

• Pipeline Generation: The outcome metric that MQA processes are designed to improve

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between MQA and MQL?

Quick Answer: MQAs qualify entire accounts based on aggregated engagement across multiple contacts, while MQLs qualify individual leads based on personal actions and fit criteria.

The fundamental difference lies in the unit of analysis and go-to-market strategy. MQLs work well for transactional, high-velocity sales models where individual buyers make purchase decisions independently. MQAs are essential for complex B2B sales where multiple stakeholders influence purchasing decisions. An account might have several MQLs within it, but only becomes an MQA when the collective engagement and fit criteria meet predefined thresholds that indicate organizational-level buying interest.

How do you calculate an MQA score?

Quick Answer: MQA scores combine firmographic fit criteria (company size, industry, revenue) with aggregated engagement signals (website visits, content downloads, event attendance) across all contacts within the account.

Most MQA scoring models weight firmographic fit at 30-40% and engagement at 60-70%. Engagement scoring typically values breadth (number of unique contacts) more than depth (frequency of actions), as buying committee coverage correlates more strongly with closed deals. Advanced models also incorporate intent data, technographic signals, and engagement recency with decay functions that reduce scores over time. Thresholds typically range from 60-80 points on a 100-point scale, calibrated based on historical conversion data.

When should a company use MQAs instead of MQLs?

Quick Answer: Companies should use MQAs when pursuing enterprise or mid-market accounts where multiple stakeholders influence buying decisions and average deal sizes warrant account-focused strategies.

MQAs make sense when your sales cycle involves 3+ decision-makers, deals exceed $20,000-$50,000 annually, and sales cycles extend beyond 30 days. Organizations running ABM programs, targeting named account lists, or focusing on expansion within existing customers benefit most from MQA frameworks. Conversely, companies with transactional sales models, self-service products, or single-decision-maker purchases should maintain MQL-based qualification.

How long does it take for an account to become an MQA?

Timeframes vary significantly based on account engagement patterns and scoring thresholds. In high-intent scenarios with active evaluation, accounts can reach MQA status within 2-4 weeks through consistent engagement across multiple touchpoints. For slower-burn opportunities, the qualification period might extend to 2-3 months as the account gradually accumulates engagement points. Companies typically set score decay parameters to ensure accounts don't remain in qualified status indefinitely without sustained engagement.

Can existing customers be MQAs?

Yes, many B2B SaaS companies apply MQA frameworks to existing customers for expansion opportunities. When product usage signals, engagement from new departments, or attendance at advanced product webinars indicate expansion interest, customers can be scored and qualified as MQAs for upsell or cross-sell motions. This approach helps customer success and sales teams coordinate expansion efforts and prioritize accounts most likely to expand their investment.

Conclusion

Marketing Qualified Accounts represent a critical evolution in B2B SaaS qualification methodologies, shifting focus from individual lead activity to comprehensive account-level engagement assessment. By evaluating firmographic fit alongside aggregated signals across entire buying committees, MQA frameworks enable more precise identification of high-value opportunities ready for sales engagement.

For marketing teams, MQAs provide clear success metrics aligned with revenue outcomes rather than vanity metrics like raw lead volume. Sales teams benefit from higher-quality handoffs with richer context about account engagement and stakeholder involvement. Revenue operations teams gain a standardized framework for orchestrating account-based strategies across marketing and sales functions, with platforms like Saber providing the account intelligence and engagement signals that power effective MQA models.

As B2B buying becomes increasingly complex with larger buying committees and longer evaluation cycles, MQA frameworks will become standard practice for companies pursuing enterprise and mid-market segments. Organizations that implement sophisticated MQA scoring, integrate it seamlessly with their CRM and marketing automation platforms, and continuously refine thresholds based on conversion data will maintain competitive advantages in pipeline quality and sales efficiency.

Last Updated: January 18, 2026