Three versions of MQL
Sales calls MQL something different from marketing, and marketing something different from ops. The funnel looks different to everyone, and nobody notices until someone compares the numbers.
TRAINING AND ADOPTION
A leadership team that sees the same funnel, and still steers on it three months later.
When MQL, SQL and attribution mean three different things in your steering meeting, the RevOps discussion goes in circles. We bring sales, marketing and ops leadership to the same table with your own lifecycle data, until everyone sees the same funnel. Then we build the steering cadence that prevents things from slipping back after a quarter. No RevOps concepts on slides, just KPI discipline in your own steering meeting.
What do you deliver?
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01
Leadership sessions on your own lifecycle data No RevOps concepts on slides
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02
Shared definitions of MQL, SQL and deal stages Three versions of the funnel reduced to one
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03
Attribution choice that fits your sales cycle First-touch, last-touch or multi-touch, substantiated
The observation
Most leadership teams steer on gut feel, and mistake that for data.
RevOps is often seen as a tooling question. In practice it is a definition question and a rhythm question. Sales and marketing each have their own MQL, attribution is never properly documented, and the monthly steering meeting discusses numbers that not everyone reads the same way. Start with the maturity scan to get a clear baseline. These are the four patterns we encounter.
Attribution as religion
First-touch, last-touch, multi-touch. None of the choices have been made, so every month the steering meeting turns into channel politics.
Steering meeting on gut feel
The numbers are there, but leadership steers on anecdotes. Reporting is neglected, nobody asks about stage conversions or cost per lead.
No cadence, so regression
Training can produce shared definitions. Without a leadership cadence to steer on them monthly, things slide back to old habits within a quarter.
Approach
From three funnel versions to a steerable cadence.
Four to six weeks, with sessions at leadership level plus a follow-up after 8 to 12 weeks. We approach this differently from a classic RevOps training: we embed the work in your CRM architecture, not in a workbook that ends up in a drawer.
01
Week 1
Baseline with leadership
Separate conversations with the sales lead, marketing lead and ops lead. Three versions of MQL and attribution placed side by side, plus an honest picture of what your steering meeting currently runs on.
Wat je krijgt
baseline document with open definition conflicts and steering questions
02
Week 2-3
Sessions on shared definitions
Sales, marketing and ops at the same table. Redefine lifecycle stages, define MQL and SQL, make the attribution choice. On your own funnel data, not on slides.
Wat je krijgt
shared definitions, attribution choice, scoring model, all documented
03
Week 4-5
Leadership cadence and KPI discipline
The cadence the leadership team runs itself. Monthly steering meeting with fixed KPIs, quarterly retrospective for recalibration. Plus the rituals around deviations that you do not negotiate away.
Wat je krijgt
steering meeting template, KPI set, retrospective format for the quarter
04
Week 8-12
Follow-up session
After a quarter we join your steering meeting. Is the cadence still running, are definitions being respected, is everyone steering on the same numbers. We recalibrate where needed.
Wat je krijgt
evaluation report plus recalibrated KPI set, optional Adoption routing
Which modules we cover
Not everything at once, just what your steering meeting needs.
We choose the content based on the intake. Some teams have their definitions in order but no cadence. Others have a good cadence but attribution that cannot be explained. We address what is currently a gap.
Lifecycle and funnel discipline
Shared definitions of lifecycle stages, MQL and SQL. How to read a funnel report, when to steer on a stage conversion and which deviations you do not negotiate away.
Lead and deal scoring
How scoring works, which signals count, why sales trusts or distrusts a score. With adjustments on your own model and a review moment each quarter.
Attribution without religion
First-touch, last-touch, multi-touch. Which model fits your sales cycle, how to read an attribution report without it becoming channel politics.
Steering meeting cadence
The monthly meeting in which leadership steers on shared KPIs. Fixed agenda, fixed reporting, fixed owners. Plus the quarterly retrospective in which you recalibrate.
KPI discipline
A KPI set that your leadership team members can read themselves, with benchmarks and exit criteria. Not a hundred numbers, just the seven that matter for your funnel stage.
Connection to the operating model
How sales quota, marketing targets and CS goals reinforce rather than contradict each other. With an operating cadence the leadership team runs without us.
What your team can do afterwards
Steering on data, not on gut feel.
Concrete actions for your leadership, not just understanding of the concept. A shared MQL definition that both sales and marketing stand behind is usually the first tangible outcome.
What your team can do afterwards
- Read and challenge lifecycle reports
- Interpret a lead or deal score
- Substantiate attribution choices in the leadership meeting
- Trace a funnel conversion back to its cause
- Run a steering meeting on fixed KPIs
- Facilitate a quarterly retrospective without us
Who delivers the training
Yoni designs, Kim guides.
For RevOps training you work with Yoni and Kim. Yoni facilitates the leadership sessions, Kim works out scoring, attribution and cadence cases on your own data and returns for the evaluation after a quarter.
Case
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B2B mid-market
Read more cases
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Steering on data, not on gut feel
A shared MQL definition that both sales and marketing stand behind is usually the first tangible outcome of the engagement. After that come the steering meeting template, a workable attribution choice and a KPI set the leadership team reads themselves.
After four to six weeks, leadership can read and challenge lifecycle reports, interpret lead and deal scores, substantiate attribution choices in the steering meeting, trace funnel conversions back to their cause and run a steering meeting on fixed KPIs. Facilitating a quarterly retrospective without us, that is the end state we work towards.
B2B mid-market
Training Lead, ~100 employees
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B2B client
4-6 wks
training engagement
1
MQL definition both sides stand behind
8-12 wks
follow-up session
Questions
What clients usually ask.
Honest answers to the questions we hear before every leadership engagement. For the ongoing rhythm afterwards, clients usually look at our Adoption programme.
Who is RevOps training intended for? +
Sales leads, marketing leads, ops leads and directors. Not end-users, who follow CRM training or a role track within the team trainings. This is leadership work: understanding the system well enough to steer it.
What is the difference from the Adoption programme? +
RevOps training aligns leadership on shared definitions and KPI discipline. Adoption is the ongoing rhythm underneath, with champions in the team and a dashboard that makes drift visible. Many clients combine them: leadership sessions first, then a retainer for adoption.
How long does an engagement take? +
On average 3 to 5 sessions spread over 4 to 6 weeks. Online sessions are 2 hours, on-site sessions a half day of 3 to 4 hours. Followed by a follow-up session after 8 to 12 weeks to check whether the cadence is still in place.
What does an engagement cost? +
Our services are tailored. A complete leadership engagement of 4 to 6 weeks is usually part of a RevOps-as-a-Service retainer where strategy and execution come together. Book a call for a quote based on your situation.
What if sales and marketing disagree on MQL? +
That is exactly the work. We use the sessions to surface shared definitions, based on your own funnel data. An MQL definition that both sides stand behind is often the first tangible outcome of the engagement.
Do I receive materials afterwards? +
Yes. In addition to recordings you receive a workbook with the outcomes of the sessions: shared definitions, scoring model, attribution choice and the leadership cadence. Plus a KPI overview for your steering meeting. So it is documented as a reference.
Can the training be delivered in English? +
Yes. We facilitate in Dutch or English and deliver materials in the language your team requires.
How do we ensure it sticks after the training? +
Half the work sits in the cadence afterwards. We build a monthly steering meeting template and a KPI overview that lives in your own reporting. For clients who want to maintain the rhythm internally without us, we deliver a retrospective format. For those who want to keep it running we build the Adoption programme on top of it.
Ready to start?
Ready for a leadership team that sees the same funnel?
Book a short intake. We listen, outline which modules are useful and provide a fixed-scope price.