From MQL to MQI (Marketing Qualified Interaction): A New Funnel Framework

Published July 29, 2025By Pavitra Paul

Subscribe Now

In a world where AI Conversational Marketing is reshaping buyer expectations, the term “MQL” has long been a staple in the modern marketer’s lexicon. For years, demand gen teams have obsessed over capturing leads, assigning scores, and passing them to sales once they hit an arbitrary threshold. But today, the game has changed. Your buyers aren’t filling out forms and waiting for your SDRs to call. They’re clicking your ads, attending your webinars, visiting your booth at events, and replying to nurture emails. They’re interacting—and expecting a response in real time.

It’s time we reframe the funnel. And at the center of this evolution is the Wyzard Marketing Copilot. By shifting from a “lead” mindset to an interaction-based qualification model, we’re not just tracking who filled a form. We’re engaging the right person, at the right time, across any channel they show intent.

This is the move from MQL to MQI: Marketing Qualified Interaction.

Why MQLs Alone No Longer Cut It

The shift to AI Conversational Marketing is one of the key drivers behind this change. A CMO of a high-growth SaaS company isn’t struggling to generate leads. She’s wrestling with how to prioritize them. Every campaign brings in clicks and conversions, but how many are truly sales-ready? Traditional scoring models still rely heavily on static rules: form fills, page visits, email opens. But buyer journeys have grown far more fragmented and fast-moving.

In this new era, the most valuable signal isn’t just a form submission. It’s the quality, timing, and intent behind a lead’s interaction.

Consider this:

A prospect replies to a nurture email with a product question.
Another clicks through a LinkedIn ad and stays for six minutes on your pricing page.
A third scans your booth QR code at a trade show and watches a demo on the spot.

In a legacy MQL model, none of these may get fast-tracked. But in a MQI model, they’re gold.

What Defines a Marketing Qualified Interaction?

A Marketing Qualified Interaction happens when a prospect exhibits intent-rich behavior and receives a contextual response in the moment.

The core difference? MQI is about engagement, not just interest. It shifts the focus from passive scoring to active, real-time conversations—whether that interaction happens on your website, over email, in a virtual event, or on social.

Let’s break it down:

Criteria	MQL	MQI
Trigger	Static score threshold	Real-time, behavior-based signal
Channel	Primarily form-based	Omnichannel (web, email, events, ads, webinars)
Engagement	Logged, then routed	Responded to in the moment
Sales Handoff	Delayed (batch-based)	Instant (live qualification)
AI Role	Minimal	Critical for real-time execution

Why CMOs Are Embracing MQI

Because pipeline doesn’t wait.

CMOs are increasingly being held accountable for revenue, not just reach. And they know that generating demand is only half the battle. Converting it, quickly and intelligently, is where competitive advantage lives.

The Wyzard Marketing Copilot was built precisely for this shift. By turning AI Conversational Marketing into an always-on function, it ensures every high-intent action gets met with smart, human-sounding engagement across any GTM channel.

For example, Wyzard Marketing Copilot can:

Identify when a visitor engages with your LinkedIn ad and route them to a contextual chat follow-up.
Follow up with leads who asked a question during your webinar and invite them to book a call.
Respond instantly when someone scans a QR code at your event booth, continuing the conversation over email.

In short, the Wyzard Marketing Copilot transforms fragmented signals into unified, qualified interactions.

From Lead Scoring to Engagement Scoring

The evolution toward AI Conversational Marketing has accelerated the shift from static lead scoring to dynamic, behavior-based evaluation. The MQI model replaces traditional lead scoring with engagement scoring. Instead of arbitrary point values, you evaluate how meaningfully a prospect is interacting with your brand.

A few key metrics:

Response Depth: Are they just clicking, or are they asking product-specific questions?
Channel Consistency: Are they engaging across multiple touchpoints?
Response Velocity: How quickly do they re-engage when you respond?

All of this feeds into a more accurate picture of readiness—and it’s all powered by the Wyzard Marketing Copilot.

MQI in Action: A Real-World Scenario

This is where AI Conversational Marketing truly demonstrates its strength.

Let’s say a VP of Product attends your webinar and asks a question during the Q&A. They later click on a follow-up email and visit your integrations page.

In a classic MQL model? They’d likely be scored, added to a batch list, and (maybe) get a follow-up three days later.
In the MQI world? Wyzard Marketing Copilot recognizes the interaction, responds via email within minutes, and qualifies them based on intent shown. A meeting is booked before your SDR even sees the lead in Salesforce.

That’s the power of interaction-based qualification.

Redefining MQL is Not Optional Anymore

As AI Conversational Marketing continues to shift how prospects engage, marketers who stick to legacy lead models risk leaving high-intent buyers unengaged and competitors with a faster funnel will win. The shift to MQI isn’t just a tactic. It’s a transformation in how we treat modern buying behavior.

By focusing on marketing interaction metrics, you ensure every channel becomes an opportunity to qualify and convert—not just collect contacts.

And with the Wyzard Marketing Copilot, you don’t need to overhaul your tech stack or rewire your GTM. It fits in, activates your existing workflows, and closes the interaction gap.