Do you really need LinkedIn’s Sales Navigator? (Guide included)

We have been generating leads using LinkedIn for almost 4 years. While running more than 300 campaigns for businesses from different locations and industries, we have tried different strategies with or without Sales Navigator.

Right now, using Sales Navigator is a must-have for every campaign we run. It is a great measure of how beneficial Sales Navigator really is.

We now have a lot of new clients who keep asking us whether they really need LinkedIn Sales Navigator. In this article, we will outline all the benefits Sales Navigator has, as well as provide you with some guidelines on how to work with it.

Introduction

For you to be able to assess the real value of Sales Navigator, you have to be aware of some specificities LinkedIn has.

First of all, you need to understand that LinkedIn works hard to keep its ecosystem pure and focused on mutually-beneficial B2B communication. That is why there are several limitations for users. Among them are:

• Search limitations. Depending on the current number of your connections, the age of profile and the acceptance rate (ratio of the invites you have sent to the invites that were accepted) you have — your search will display different results. This limitation influences how many profiles would you be able to see.
• Impression limitations. As a default, LinkedIn will show you profiles of your 1st and 2nd connections. When it comes to all the third connections — you will only be able to see one’s name, title, and some basic information from the profile.
• Invite limitations. Moreover, there is a certain number of requests you can send daily (there is no official information about that, but our experience shows it ranges from 40 to 100 requests). If you exceed this limitation — your profile will be reviewed by LinkedIn as a suspicious one. As a result, it may be suspended or even banned.

These limitations influence your campaign on every its stage, from research to outreach. Learn more about the stages of Lead Gen.

How can LinkedIn Sales Navigator help?

Besides making these limitations broader (notice: Sales Navigator does not eliminate these limitations), there are some features that are really helpful during the LeadGen campaign.

Here’s the list of benefits you receive when buying a Sales Navigator:

• You are able to see 3rd connections.

This one is crucial if you want to grow your network outside your current connections’ list. If you need to connect with someone from another industry or location — you will not be able to do that in the short term without LinkedIn Sales Navigator.

This feature is also super important during research. Just from reading people’s profiles, you can get a lot of insights about the industry as a whole.

• Better filters.

With Sales Navigator, you are able to filter your search using more detailed filters. Here’s a list that might be useful for you:

- Keywords. It is one of the most widely used filters. Basically, it finds you only profiles containing the keyword.

- Geography. Basic Geolocation targeting filter.

- Relationship. Here you can adjust your search. You can choose between 1st, 2nd, and 3rd connections.

- Company. The search will come up with the company page, as well as the list of employees of a certain company.

- Industry.

- Company headcount.

- Title. This filter allows you to make your targeting more specific. Usually, people not only include their current position, but also some other features like “Speaker” or “Investor”.

- Seniority level.

• More requests allowed.

This option enables you to scale your campaign faster. Without Sales Navigator, LinkedIn will eventually blur profiles as soon as you exceed the limit. If you consider automating your LinkedIn activity — SN is a must-have for you. Otherwise, you will have your account banned soon.

How to use LinkedIn Sales Navigator?

You need to implement a simple 4-step strategy to make the most benefit from using Sales Navigator:

1. Set up the software. You will need to pay for the “Sales” package on LinkedIn Premium. It will cost you $80.

2. Target your audience. Here, you will experience the benefits right away. LinkedIn Sales Navigator has plenty of search filters to make your targeting as precise as possible.

3. Create a list of prospects. In order for you to optimize time expenses, you will have to create a list of connections according to your filters. The best thing about this is that you are able to segment your audience right away.

4. Use it as a CRM. Among other functions, Sales Navigator provides you with a “tags” field. Be sure to use them to mark the progress of a certain lead.

Contact us if you have any questions.