How to get the most out of LinkedIn Sales Navigator

For companies invested in maximizing the outcomes of their sales initiatives, working with sales enablement tools is an essential practice. That’s because leaders these days are being asked to do more with less–a tough equation that results from leaner sales teams and a demanding sales landscape. Hiring for sales teams is down 7% because of the pandemic, but quotas are staying the same. Working with technology that boosts prospecting efforts grants companies the competitive edge they need to succeed in these challenging times.

LinkedIn Sales Navigator’s robust capabilities across sales verticals make it a must-have tool. Sales reps with access to a paid account can gain targeted insights for personalized outreach. Leadership benefits from these enhanced prospecting results and the tool’s reporting abilities, which enable strategic conversations and a visionary approach to their job. Marketing can cross-strategize with sales through the tool’s account-based marketing capabilities, while also cultivating key partnerships. Lastly, sales enablement will find that the tool’s list-building capabilities positively impact sales outcomes. All these benefits add up to a more efficient sales process distinguished by higher quality leads, aligned sales and marketing teams, and an agile and dynamic sales process–especially when used in tandem with other tools like LeadIQ.

Here’s a breakdown of how everyone in your organization can get the most out of LinkedIn Sales Navigator–and what you should know for each role.

How sales reps can get the most out of LinkedIn Sales Navigator

Sales reps who use LinkedIn Sales Navigator to prospect will find that it greatly enhances their efforts. That’s because the paid version of this tool cuts to the quick of a sale’s reps workday through a variety of features, including:

• Advanced filters and search: users can conduct tailored searches based on specific criteria in order to find the most qualified and up-to-date leads possible. A wide variety of filters allow users to narrow down their search results based on relevancy. Users can toggle options such as industry, company size, geography, and more. Users can organize and personalize their outreach–resulting in time savings and better outcomes.
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• List building: One search can yield hundreds of results. LinkedIn Sales Navigator allows users to save those searches so that they can be consulted at any time without having to repeat the process. Users will also receive alerts on the leads that they saved, such as when they switch jobs or make another update.
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• InMail access: InMail is LinkedIn’s message center; Sales Navigator users with a paid subscription can send and receive up to 20 messages each month–a handy complement to regular email.
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Another great benefit of the tool is its “network effects,” meaning that users have access to any profile that is connected to someone on their team. If Bill is connected to Sue on LinkedIn, then Andy will be able to see Sue’s profile and contact her if he desires. The tool will also make algorithm-sourced suggestions of leads based on a user’s vertical and audience. And while it’s easy to forget that LinkedIn is a social network first and foremost, LinkedIn Sales Navigator can bring that purpose back into focus, by providing insights that help reps create content and engage with the right accounts. While reps will benefit from the features discussed, there’s more to learn than what’s written here–especially when using LinkedIn Sales Navigator with other tools like LeadIQ.

How sales leaders can get the most out of LinkedIn Sales Navigator

Sales leaders that provide their teams with the paid version of LinkedIn Sales Navigator open the door to exponential growth. That’s because the tool is designed to help sales reps prospect smarter, by granting them insights they wouldn’t have otherwise. Specifically, users can apply filters to their searches based on key criteria such as company growth, position, skills, etc. These customized searches yield detailed results that users can save into lists, freeing them of having to perform the same search multiple times. What’s more, each list provides a blueprint for the user’s workday, meaning they can easily go about contacting prospects, using the information found on the LinkedIn profile to conduct personalized (and more effective) outreach.

Sales leaders are going to want to be able to guide their teams in the effective use of LinkedIn Sales Navigator. Read up on its capabilities in order to understand key features, such as:

• Advanced filter options: The tool provides granular search results that allow users to home in on the best people to contact at an organization (as well as find the right organizations to contact).
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• More search results per page: Users can see up to 25 search results per page, resulting in less legwork in order to connect to leads.
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• Finding referrals: Users have access to profiles that are outside of their immediate network because the tool allows them to see contacts of anyone in the organization.
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Sales leaders will also want to take advantage of insights provided by the tool’s reporting features, which can help them strategize on their goals for each quarter and provide guidance on where to focus a sales team's efforts. The ROI reporting is key here, as it grants access to key metrics such as the number of connections made, profiles viewed, accounts viewed and saved number of InMail messages, and the numbers on public engagement by category (likes, comments, and shares). By acting as the single source of truth, LinkedIn Sales Navigator streamlines a sales leader’s research efforts while also allowing them to integrate those insights with other tools.

How sales enablement managers can get the most out of Sales Navigator

Sales enablement managers can take LinkedIn Sales Navigator to the next level by integrating it with other tools. Keep in mind that sales enablement is all about making the sales process smarter, faster, and more effective. Anything less than a well-thought-out message to a well-qualified lead is arguably a waste of time–and given the competitiveness of today’s sales world, time is something that reps can’t afford to waste. When syncing LinkedIn Sales Navigator with other tools like LeadIQ, users gain back time in their day. Take, for instance, LinkedIn Sales Navigator’s list-building and saving feature. Once a list is saved, LeadIQ helps users export those contacts directly into their CRM so that they can prospect faster and with fewer steps. 

How revenue operation leaders can get the most out of LinkedIn Sales Navigator

LinkedIn Sales Navigator can help revenue leaders bridge the gap between a sales team’s prospecting efforts and the desired outcome by linking users to the right prospects. A LinkedIn study found that users of the tool experienced a 2.8% lift in search results, a 4.6% lift in profile views of decision-makers, and a 2.5% lift in connecting with that same audience. Those increases mean that users are connecting not just with more people, but with the right people. And while we’ve explained LinkedIn Sales Navigator’s capabilities at length elsewhere, for now, we’ll focus on how they relate to revenue.

Specifically, having access to high-quality prospects has distinct benefits. For one, it means that users spend less time wading through low-priority LinkedIn profiles and other information. Their efforts become more efficient, meaning that they can laser in on leads that are more likely to result in a successful exchange and are less likely to become fatigued from the monotony of chasing dead-end connections. That increased efficiency also means that users have more energy to invest in those higher-quality right connections–i.e., the 65+ million business decision-makers that are on LinkedIn. Everyone who’s worth knowing is on LinkedIn, it would seem–a hunch supported by the fact that 4 out of 5 LinkedIn members drive business decisions.

Once users have access to these accounts, they’re enabled to “target the right buyers through access to deeper information around prospective accounts, understand buying committee layouts and key players.” In other words, they have the tools they need to succeed, resulting in more closed deals and overall growth. Revenue leaders that want to excel at their jobs should invest in LinkedIn Sales Navigator’ paid account (read up here on why that’s the case) to keep their sales teams happy and operating at peak capacity.

LinkedIn Sales Navigator’s ability to integrate with CRMs also enables automated account lists and the ability to sync contacts (N.B. without contact information). Its ability to integrate with Outreach and SalesLoft gives reps even more of a boost, by making their research into accounts contact more efficient and streamlined since they don’t have to leave the platform.

How marketers can get the most out of LinkedIn Sales Navigator

Aligning marketing and sales can be notoriously difficult. LinkedIn Sales Navigator can help these two departments bridge that gap in order to increase an organization’s efficiency, harmony, and productivity. The tool’s list-building feature allows the marketing team to create a list of prospects and target accounts, then share that list with sales. Both teams are then able to learn about these accounts, sharing information as necessary and strategizing as the knowledge base grows. The tool’s search capabilities also allow users to identify product champions, as well as detractors who might push back within target accounts. This insight can result in better planning, with a clear understanding of what’s needed from whom in order to close a deal.

When sales and marketing are in closer alignment, they can also use tool-derived insights to collaborate on outreach for partnerships, content creation, and other co-marketing efforts.

To learn more about how LeadIQ works with LinkedIn Sales Navigator–or to learn more about prospecting in general–check out our Blog, where you’ll find resources dedicated to the topic. Want to learn more about LeadIQ? Schedule a demo with one of our experts today.