Do I need a LinkedIn Premium account to be successful on LinkedIn ? A question that I get asked all the time… which is why I wrote this Review of the LinkedIn Sales Navigator Account.
Over the past several years, LinkedIn has evolved from a networking platform for recruiters and job seekers into a powerful revenue generating machine. With over 500 million active users and a variety of tools and features that help businesses and professionals build strategic relationships, LinkedIn has positioned itself as the most productive social selling platform on the market.
One such tool is Sales Navigator, a feature that allows sales professionals to tap into the power of LinkedIn and improve their social selling.
But, at $79.99 per month, one can’t help but wonder: is it really worth the hefty costs?
Let’s find out.
So, What Is the LinkedIn Sales Navigator and Why Should I Care?
One of the first things you need to understand is that the LinkedIn Sales Navigator isn’t just another premium account. Instead, it’s a stand-alone subscription-only service that allows you to use LinkedIn as a lead generation and social selling tool. Moreover, LinkedIn recently added a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) sync functionality, which will make it easier for salespeople to tap into the network and connect with prospective buyers.
Here are some of the features that you can benefit from when you sign up for a LinkedIn Sales Navigator account:
- Unlimited search and profile views;
- Custom lead recommendations based on your business’ needs;
- Seamless integration with Salesforce;
- Real-time updates on your prospects and customers;
- Reach out to any LinkedIn member without inMail;
- Team management and analysis
- Leverage the network of your salespeople with TeamLink;
Terminology
Don’t let the terminology confuse you. Although some of the features have been renamed, they serve the same functionality as with your traditional LinkedIn account. For example, “leads” refers to people; “lead builder” is just a more sophisticated way of saying “advanced search,” and “account” means “company.”
Once you get used to the new terminology, you will quickly find out that Sales Navigator isn’t as complicated as you had initially thought.
The main features and What I like or dislike about them
Lead Builder
One of the things you’ll love about this function is the variety of filters and real-time numbers it offers. The more precise your search is, the greater the chances of finding an exact match. However, in my Social Selling class I teach the participants a few work-arounds with the free account that will provide pretty much the same features on its advanced search function tool, although not as user-friendly.
Accounts & Leads
One of the things that make Sales Navigator a useful tool is that it allows you to organize your prospects better. For example, you can save leads within an account or individually. You can also filter and message them based on your needs and preferences. The same goes for the accounts (companies.) You can save them and monitor their activity closely. That way, you can stay up-to-date with your contacts and accounts and know when to reach out to them with timely and accurate information.
Social Listening
Sales Navigator is a service designed to improve your social selling. So, obviously, social listening plays a key role. You can get insights that will allow you stay on top of your prospects’ needs in a much more focused way than with the free account because your newsfeed is not that cluttered and you will only see updates from your prospects. Sales Navigator also allows you to reach out to leads and accounts and initiate meaningful conversations that can help you build brand trust.
‘Sarah, do you have a LinkedIn Sales Navigator account’ ?
I have a free account – most of the time 🙂 Whenever I give a Social Selling class I will take the Sales Navigator account for 2 months so I can show my participants how to use it.
In Conclusion – Who Should Get the LinkedIn Sales Navigator Account ?
To summarize, I think you (the Small Business Owner or coach) can do well on LinkedIn even with the free plan (start with my Recipe for LinkedIn Success). I recommend the LinkedIn Sales Navigator to clients who work in a team (Sales Teams) or who only rely on LinkedIn to get clients. The more you put in (to LinkedIn), the more you get out of it.