SOP-REV-marketing-to-sales-handoff-v0¶
1. Purpose¶
Define the shared qualification ladder, handoff procedure, and email sequence governance that moves a prospect from marketing engagement through sales qualification to Assessment proposal. This SOP exists to solve three problems:
- MQL/SQL misalignment — without shared definitions, marketing and revenue will disagree on what "qualified" means, creating finger-pointing and pipeline friction
- Nurture gap — prospects who engage with content but aren't ready for an Assessment have no structured follow-up path today
- Email sequence ownership — content/messaging and execution/sequencing need clear single-owner-per-activity governance
Structural principle: MQL and SQL are stages on the same qualification ladder, not two teams' separate opinions. MQL criteria are a proper subset of SQL criteria. The handoff is additive ("I verified ICP fit + engagement; now you verify business timing + buying signals"), not subjective ("I think they're qualified" vs "no they're not").
2. Scope¶
- Governs the transition from marketing-engaged prospect to sales-qualified lead
- Applies to all inbound and outbound prospect engagement across LinkedIn, Substack, email, and events
- Cross-department: CMO owns MQL definition + content/messaging; CRO owns SQL definition + execution/sequencing
- Operates upstream of SOP-REV-lead-qualification-v1.0 (which governs Assessment-tier qualification once a lead is SQL)
- Does not govern paid advertising or event marketing (premature at current stage)
3. Shared Qualification Ladder¶
PROSPECT → MQL → SQL → BRIEFING-READY → ASSESSMENT-QUALIFIED → ASSESSMENT-PROPOSED → WON
↑ ↑ ↑ ↑
CMO CRO CRO CRO
owns owns owns owns
3.1 Prospect (Default)¶
A company or contact exists in the Monday.com Prospects or Contacts board with minimum data fields per SOP-REV-lead-qualification-v1.0 Section 5.
Owner: sales.ops (board hygiene) No qualification claim. Prospect is a name on a list.
3.2 MQL — Marketing Qualified Lead¶
A prospect is MQL when it meets ALL of the following:
| Criterion | Description | Verified by | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| ICP Gate Pass | Passes all 5 mandatory gates (G1-G5) from SOP-REV-lead-qualification-v1.0 Section 3.1 | sales.ops (data), category.positioning (ICP research) | Monday.com Prospects board fields |
| Engagement Signal | At least ONE of the following engagement signals observed in the trailing 90 days | category.positioning (content signals), mining.mind (LinkedIn signals) | Signal Note per SOP-REV-lead-qualification Section 7 |
Engagement signals (any one qualifies):
| Signal | Description | Detection source |
|---|---|---|
| E1 — LinkedIn content interaction | Liked, commented, shared, or saved an eco | monetize LinkedIn post |
| E2 — Substack subscription | Subscribed to eco | monetize Substack |
| E3 — Direct message | Sent a LinkedIn DM or email to Rick referencing eco | monetize content |
| E4 — Briefing request | Explicitly requested an Ecosystem Revenue Architecture Briefing (free 45-min) | Gmail MCP, LinkedIn DM, website form |
| E5 — Content download | Downloaded a whitepaper, framework doc, or diagnostic tool | Website analytics (when available) |
| E6 — Event interaction | Attended a webinar, conference session, or roundtable featuring eco | monetize |
| E7 — Referral | Introduced by a mutual connection or existing contact in the network | Rick's direct report, email thread |
What MQL means: "This prospect fits our ICP and has shown interest. Marketing's job is done — this person is worth sales attention."
What MQL does NOT mean: "This prospect is ready to buy." MQL is a fit + interest signal, not a buying signal.
3.3 SQL — Sales Qualified Lead¶
An MQL becomes SQL when it meets the MQL criteria PLUS:
| Criterion | Description | Verified by |
|---|---|---|
| 3+ Signal Indicators | Passes 3 of 5 signal indicators (S1-S5) from SOP-REV-lead-qualification-v1.0 Section 3.2 | CRO (qualification call), sales.ops (data enrichment) |
The 5 signal indicators (from the existing SOP, not redefined here): - S1 — Partner Revenue Dependency (>20% partner-influenced revenue) - S2 — GTM Restructuring (new CRO, sales reorg, partner realignment) - S3 — Ecosystem Complexity (3+ hyperscaler partnerships, co-sell, marketplace) - S4 — Performance Pressure (missed plan, earnings miss, cost discipline) - S5 — Accessibility (LinkedIn connection depth, open profile, posting)
What SQL means: "This prospect fits our ICP, has shown interest, AND has business timing/buying signals. Ready for Briefing scheduling and Assessment proposal."
What SQL does NOT mean: "This prospect will close." SQL is fit + interest + timing. Close probability is a separate judgment the CRO makes during deal execution.
3.4 Why This Prevents Finger-Pointing¶
| Scenario | Under this SOP |
|---|---|
| Marketing sends 50 MQLs, sales says "these aren't qualified" | Impossible — MQL definition is shared. If they pass G1-G5 + engagement signal, they're MQL by definition. The question becomes "do they have buying signals?" which is sales's job to verify, not marketing's job to predict. |
| Sales says marketing isn't generating enough leads | Measurable — MQL count is objective (ICP gates + engagement signals). If MQL count is low, the diagnosis is either (a) content isn't generating engagement or (b) ICP pool is too narrow. Both are actionable. |
| A deal doesn't close and someone blames qualification | The ladder shows exactly where the prospect was qualified and by whom. MQL = marketing verified fit + interest. SQL = sales verified timing + signals. If the deal fails after SQL, it's a deal execution issue, not a qualification issue. |
| Marketing and sales disagree on ICP definition | Impossible — both reference the same G1-G5 gates from SOP-REV-lead-qualification-v1.0. One definition, one source of truth. |
4. MQL→SQL Handoff Procedure¶
4.1 Signal Detection (Continuous)¶
- mining.mind monitors LinkedIn engagement and surfaces signals per SOP-REV-lead-qualification Section 7 (Signal-Note format)
- category.positioning monitors Substack subscriptions and content engagement metrics
- Both file Signal Notes to sales.ops via
#agent-handoffsper Section 9 Rule 6
4.2 MQL Classification (sales.ops, within 1 business day of signal)¶
- sales.ops receives Signal Note
- sales.ops verifies ICP gate pass (G1-G5) using Monday.com Prospects board data
- If gates pass + engagement signal confirmed: sales.ops updates Monday.com status to MQL and tags the contact with the engagement signal type
- If gates don't pass: signal is logged but prospect stays at Prospect stage
- sales.ops posts MQL classification to
#cro-updates(daily batch, not per-lead)
4.3 SQL Qualification (CRO, within 2 business days of MQL)¶
- CRO reviews new MQLs in the daily pipeline sweep
- CRO verifies signal indicators (S1-S5) using Apollo enrichment, Monday.com data, and LinkedIn research
- If 3+ signals confirmed: CRO updates status to SQL and the lead enters the Briefing scheduling queue
- If <3 signals: lead stays MQL and enters the email nurture sequence (Section 5) to build signal over time
- CRO carries SQL conversions in daily check-in per Section 3 cadence
4.4 Handoff Report¶
The MQL→SQL transition does NOT require a full Section 6C Handoff Report (it's a status change within the same pipeline, not a change of ownership). However:
- The MQL classification (who verified, which signals, date) must be logged in Monday.com item Comments
- The SQL qualification (which signal indicators confirmed, date, CRO notes) must be logged in Monday.com item Comments
- Both are auditable by chief.staff in the daily cadence sweep
5. Email Sequence Governance¶
5.1 Ownership Bisection¶
Per R&R Matrix v1.0 cross-department rows C6a/C6b:
| Activity | Owner (R) | Accountable (A) | Consulted (C) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Email sequence content and messaging (templates, copy, brand voice, value propositions) | category.positioning | cmo | cro (sales context) |
| Email sequence execution and cadence (send timing, recipient selection, response tracking, sequence logic) | sales.ops | cro | category.positioning (brand compliance) |
Single-R, single-A per activity. category.positioning writes what the emails say. sales.ops decides when they send and to whom. CRO approves the overall sequence strategy. CMO approves the messaging stays on-brand.
5.2 Sequence Types¶
| Sequence | Target | Goal | Cadence | Content owner | Execution owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nurture — MQL | MQLs not yet SQL (missing buying signals) | Build awareness, share relevant content, surface buying signals over time | 1 email per 2 weeks, 6-touch max | category.positioning | sales.ops |
| Activation — SQL | SQLs ready for Briefing | Book a free 45-min Ecosystem Revenue Architecture Briefing | 1 email per week, 3-touch max then CRO direct outreach | category.positioning (initial), cro (follow-up) | sales.ops (initial), cro (direct) |
| Re-engagement | Stale MQLs (no engagement in 60+ days) | Resurface with new content or event invitation | 1 email, then 30-day wait, then 1 more, then archive | category.positioning | sales.ops |
| Post-Briefing | Briefing completed, Assessment not yet proposed | Move to Assessment proposal | CRO direct (not templated) | cro | cro |
5.3 Email Sequence Content Requirements¶
All email sequence content must meet these standards before sales.ops executes:
- Brand voice compliance — reviewed by category.positioning per SOP-MKT-content-approval-workflow (when authored)
- No pricing in nurture emails — Assessment pricing ($2,500) only appears in Activation sequence after SQL qualification
- Trademark compliance — all 7 canonical terms used correctly per brand guidelines
- Personalization fields — company name, contact first name, relevant industry/ecosystem context (not generic blast)
- Unsubscribe/opt-out — every sequence email includes opt-out mechanism (CAN-SPAM compliance per COO/legal.exec)
- Value-first framing — lead with insight (framework, research finding, industry trend), not product pitch
5.4 Sequence Template Approval Flow¶
category.positioning drafts template → CMO approves messaging → CRO approves sales narrative → sales.ops loads into execution tool → CRO approves recipient list → sales.ops executes
Templates are versioned at /Claude/content/campaigns/email-sequences/ with naming:
5.5 Execution Tools¶
Email sequences execute through: - Gmail MCP — primary send channel (Rick's email, personalized) - Apollo.io MCP — sequence automation, open/reply tracking, cadence management - Monday.com MCP — recipient selection, status tracking, sequence stage logging
5.6 Response Handling¶
| Response type | Handler | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Positive reply (interest, question, Briefing request) | CRO | Engage directly, move to SQL or Briefing stage |
| Neutral reply (acknowledgment, "not now") | sales.ops | Log in Monday.com, continue sequence |
| Negative reply (not interested, wrong person) | sales.ops | Remove from sequence, log reason, archive if permanent |
| Opt-out / unsubscribe | sales.ops | Immediate removal, flag in Monday.com, never re-add |
| Auto-reply / OOO | sales.ops | Pause sequence, resume after OOO date |
| No response (sequence complete) | sales.ops | Move to Re-engagement sequence after 60-day cool-down |
6. Reporting and Metrics¶
6.1 MQL/SQL Pipeline Metrics (Weekly)¶
| Metric | Owner | Reported in |
|---|---|---|
| New MQLs this week | sales.ops | CRO Friday Weekly Close |
| MQL→SQL conversion rate | sales.ops | CRO Friday Weekly Close |
| SQL→Briefing conversion rate | CRO | CRO Friday Weekly Close |
| Email sequence open rate | sales.ops | CRO Friday Weekly Close |
| Email sequence reply rate | sales.ops | CRO Friday Weekly Close |
| Time from MQL to SQL (median days) | sales.ops | CRO Friday Weekly Close |
6.2 Shared Dashboard¶
A Monday.com view showing all prospects by qualification stage (Prospect / MQL / SQL / Briefing-Ready / Assessment-Qualified) is maintained by sales.ops. Both CRO and CMO have visibility. Chief of Staff audits weekly.
7. Escalation¶
| Condition | Action |
|---|---|
| MQL definition dispute (marketing says qualified, sales disagrees) | Resolve against this SOP's Section 3.2 criteria — if gates + engagement signal are met, it's MQL by definition. If dispute persists, chief.staff mediates. |
| Email content doesn't match brand voice | category.positioning flags to CMO; sequence paused until resolved |
| Sequence sends to an opted-out contact | SEV2 incident, immediate investigation, CAN-SPAM compliance review by legal.exec |
| MQL volume drops below threshold for 2 consecutive weeks | Joint CMO/CRO review — is content engagement declining or ICP pool exhausted? |
| SQL conversion rate drops below 20% for 4 consecutive weeks | CRO reviews signal indicator calibration — are S1-S5 thresholds right? |
8. Relationship to Existing SOPs¶
| SOP | Relationship |
|---|---|
| SOP-REV-lead-qualification-v1.0 | This SOP's MQL/SQL definitions build on and reference (not replace) the gates and signals from lead-qual. Lead-qual governs Assessment-tier qualification; this SOP governs the upstream marketing→sales handoff. |
| SOP-REV-assessment-handoff-v0 | Downstream — once SQL→Briefing→Assessment-Qualified→Won, the assessment handoff SOP takes over. |
| SOP-MKT-content-approval-workflow | Email sequence content follows the same approval flow as all marketing content. (SOP not yet authored.) |
| SOP-EXEC-council-review-v1.0 | Council review applies to this SOP itself (cross-department, affects customer-facing communication). Individual email templates do not require council review. |
Change log¶
| Version | Date | Change |
|---|---|---|
| v0 | 2026-04-20 | Initial draft by CRO (Marcus). Covers shared MQL/SQL qualification ladder, handoff procedure, email sequence governance with bisected ownership. Pending CMO co-review, council review, and CEO approval before promotion to v1.0. |
Owner: sales.ops (execution), category.positioning (content) Executive sponsor: cro (Marcus) Co-sponsor: cmo (Michelle) Chief of Staff governance: chief.staff (Eva) — audits shared dashboard weekly Approved by: pending Effective: TBD Version: 0