If you are looking to use LinkedIn sales navigator for managing your lead generation and conversion activities, you might be already wondering –
“How do I choose the right LinkedIn sales navigator plan for my business?”
“What are the unique features of different sales navigator plans?”
“What are the LinkedIn sales navigator costs for different plans?”
“What is the ROI of these plans?” and more.
If these questions are on your mind then you have hit the right place.
This blog will give you a comprehensive overview of LinkedIn Sales Navigator: its cost, features, value for businesses of all sizes, and ROI.
By the time you finish reading this article, you will be able to:
- Gather knowledge on all the LinkedIn Sales Navigator plans
- Compare the different LinkedIn Sales Navigator plan costs
- Have a perspective on the ROI of Sales Navigator
- Figure out the right Sales Navigator plan for your business needs
So, let’s dive in.
First things first.
‘LinkedIn Sales Navigator’ is a paid sales management tool created for businesses to tap into LinkedIn’s extensive network of potential leads. It offers a suite of features for LinkedIn prospecting – boosting your ability to find, connect, and engage with your ideal set of clients. You get advanced search filters, lead recommendations, social selling insights, and even real-time sales triggers – all designed to turn cold leads into hot prospects.
For B2B Sales professionals, recruiters, and marketers, Sales Navigator brings the following:
– Laser-targeted prospecting
LinkedIn sales navigator provides pinpointed searches based on company, job title, and even keywords in someone’s profile. You can also use Boolean operators to create more complex searches. So, recruiters, sales reps, and marketers can find the right person without wasting longer time on this.
– Relationship building on autopilot
Sales Navigator integrated with third-party tools such as sales engagement platforms automates tasks like lead follow-ups and engagement tracking, freeing up your time for meaningful conversations. Build connections and nurture relationships effortlessly.
– Data-driven insights
LinkedIn Sales Navigator provides shared connections, recent job changes, and even company news – all valuable information for personalized outreach.
– Streamlined sales pipeline
Track prospects through every stage of the funnel, analyze performance metrics, and identify bottlenecks. Sales Navigator gives you clear visibility and control over your entire B2B sales process.
Based on your selling needs LinkedIn offers 3-tier solutions:
- Sales Navigator Core (Professional use)
- Sales Navigator Advanced (Teams use)
- Sales Navigator Advanced Plus (Enterprise use)
Sales Navigator Core is the basic package of the LinkedIn sales navigator.
It enhances individual prospecting efforts by harnessing the power of LinkedIn data. It enables users to discover new buyers, communicate with leads via InMails, receive notifications about key changes in their accounts, and more.
Here are the features, costs, and benefits of the LinkedIn Sales Navigator Core plan at a glance:
| LinkedIn Sales Navigator Core (Professional) |
| Features | Benefits |
| Advanced search filters | Enables you to perform detailed searches and save them for future reference |
| Lead capacity | Allows you to save up to 10,000 leads per month |
| Free InMail messages | Provides 50 free InMail messages each month |
| Custom lists | Helps you track leads and prioritize your business |
| Custom alerts | Keeps you informed about actionable and newsworthy events impacting your leads and accounts (e.g., Mentioned in the News, Lead Recommendations, A Lead has changed jobs) |
| Lead profiles and account pages | Assists you in learning about accounts, identifying commonalities, and noting icebreakers |
| Account map | Facilitates the construction of your buyer circle and the identification of gaps |
| LinkedIn Sales Navigator Cost for Core Plan | $99.99/month or billed $959.88 annually |
| Suitable for | Freelancers, solopreneurs, small agencies, etc. |
LinkedIn Sales Navigator Advanced is ideal for non-CRM syncing users. It enhances team collaboration with features like Shared Lists and Buyer Intent insights. The Smart Links feature allows content sharing and provides customer interest insights.
In essence, It has all the features of a sales navigator core plan with a focus on collaborative features for sales teams.
Here are the features, costs, and benefits of the LinkedIn Sales Navigator – Advanced plan at a glance:
| LinkedIn Sales Navigator Advanced (Team) |
| Features | Benefits |
| Embedded profile integrations (SNAP) | Integrates with your sales tech stack and CRM, allowing teams to access Sales Navigator information throughout their workflows. |
| Book of business upload | Enables you to upload your book of business to Sales Navigator via CSV |
| Smart links | An advanced outreach tool that lets users package content in a single link and track engagement to understand buying interest better |
| Buyer intent signals | Provide alerts on buyer intent and engagement, along with aggregated insights into an account’s interest in your company. |
| Team collaboration tools | Users can easily share lists and searches. |
| TeamLink and Team Link extend | highlight coworkers who can provide a warm introduction to a lead. |
| Detailed usage reporting | Offers detailed reports to monitor the performance of campaigns |
| Lead capacity | Save up to 10,000 leads |
| Free InMail messages | Get 50 InMail messages each month |
| Cost | $149.99/month or billed $1799.88 annually |
| Suitable for | Small to medium-sized sales teams, large agencies, etc. |
This is the most expensive sales navigator plan that offers the most advanced features with customization options for enterprise-level functionality. It’s the perfect solution for large sales teams who want to integrate their social selling efforts with an active CRM sync.
It helps you stay on top of opportunities identifying promising opportunities when past customers move to new companies. It also alerts you when contacts leave an open deal, helping you stay proactive and prepared.
Moreover, it automatically surfaces new prospects based on your sales history. This means you’re always in the loop and ready to seize new opportunities.
It also supports CRM sync ( Data ingestion and Writeback) and other sales tools to automate your selling process.
Please note that the CRM integrations are exclusively available to customers of Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics 365.
With a Sales Navigator Advanced Plus account, you’ll have access to all the features of Sales Navigator Advanced, plus additional features that enhance CRM integration.
The sales navigator advanced plus features, cost, and benefits are presented below for your convenience:
| LinkedIn Sales Navigator Advanced Plus (Enterprise) |
| Features | Benefits |
| Auto-save leads & accounts from CRM | Saves time and ensures that relevant leads and accounts from your CRM are automatically saved in Sales Navigator |
| Include/Exclude matched leads in Sales Navigator searches | Provides flexibility in search results by allowing users to include or exclude matched leads |
| View CRM opportunity information | Allows users to view CRM opportunity information directly in Sales Navigator, providing a seamless experience. |
| Auto-generated lists of opportunities and risks | Help users stay updated with auto-generated lists of opportunities and risks in their accounts. |
| CRM-powered lead recommendations | Provide lead recommendations powered by your CRM data, helping users target the right leads. |
| Log InMails, messages, notes, and Smart Links back to CRM | Ensures that all your communication and notes are logged back to your CRM, keeping all information in one place. |
| CRM lead and contact creation | Streamlines users’ workflow by allowing them to create CRM leads and contacts directly from Sales Navigator. |
| Direct CRM leads and contact update | Allows you to update CRM leads and contacts directly from Sales Navigator, ensuring your CRM data is always up-to-date. |
| Data validation and CRM badges | Help maintain data hygiene by flagging out-of-date CRM data. |
| ROI reporting | Provides ROI reporting to measure the revenue impact of using Sales Navigator, helping you understand its effectiveness. |
| CRM Sandbox support | Allows users to test CRM features with CRM Sandbox support, ensuring a smooth implementation. |
| Assign seats based on CRM roles | Provides flexibility in seat assignment based on CRM roles, ensuring the right people have access to Sales Navigator. |
| Lead capacity | Save up to 10,000 leads |
| Free InMails messages | 50 free InMails each month |
| Cost | They offer customized pricing keeping unique business needs in mind. Contact Here for detailed pricing. |
| Suitable for | Large-scale sales teams using Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics 365 |
LinkedIn Premium and LinkedIn Sales Navigator are both powerful tools for generating leads. Both offer unique features tailored to different needs.
But which one should you choose?
Let’s compare them to get a detailed overview of both these tools to determine which is the best fit for you.
| LinkedIn Premium v/s LinkedIn Sales Navigator (Detailed Comparison) |
| Features | LinkedIn Premium | LinkedIn Sales Navigator |
| Advanced Search | Limited | Extensive filters based on job title, company, skill, etc. |
| Lead Recommendations | Basic list of leads | Personalized lead & account recommendations based on sales triggers and preferences |
| Saved Leads/Accounts | Unlimited | Unlimited + custom lists & alerts for potential leads and existing accounts |
| Who Viewed Your Profile | Last 90 days (Premium Career & Business only) | Unlimited access + insights into viewers’ roles and companies |
| InMail Credits | Limited (Premium Business plan only) | Unlimited InMail messages to connect with key decision-makers directly |
| Sales Tools | None | Email Templates, TeamLink for collaborative outreach, SNAP integration for CRM sync |
| Target Audience | Professionals from all backgrounds & Job Seekers | Sales Professionals |
| Focus | Personal Branding, Networking, Career Development | Lead Generation, Prospecting, Sales Pipeline Management |
| Pros | Increased profile visibility & discoverability, Access to exclusive content & insights, Advanced networking tools, Who’s Viewed Your Profile insights (Premium Career & Business only) | Powerful advanced search filters & lead recommendations , Unlimited saved leads & accounts with custom lists & alerts, Unlimited InMail credits to connect with decision-makers, Sales-specific tools & integrations (email templates, TeamLink, SNAP) |
| Cons | Limited sales-oriented features, Higher cost for Premium Business plan for InMail credits, Lack of in-depth profile activity insights | Powerful advanced search filters & lead recommendations, Unlimited saved leads & accounts with custom lists & alerts, Unlimited InMail credits to connect with decision-makers, Sales-specific tools & integrations (email templates, TeamLink, SNAP) |
| Pricing | $59.99-$119.98/month | Lacks career-oriented features a significantly higher cost than basic LinkedIn Premium |
From the above information, we may observe that LinkedIn Premium enhances your professional brand, connect with new people, and gain insights into your profile activity. It may not be the best tool for a sales rep.
Alternatively, LinkedIn Sales Navigator is better for you if you’re a salesperson actively prospecting for leads, building pipelines, and closing deals.
Bonus Tip: If you’re unsure, start with a free trial of both platforms to see which one better suits your needs.
For sales leaders and other key decision makers who are still unsure if buying the subscription plan of LinkedIn Sales Navigator is worth it or not, let me give you an ROI perspective of using it for your lead generation and sales purposes.
According to A Total Economic Impact Study conducted by Forrester Consulting in 2023, LinkedIn Sales Navigator successfully yielded a 312% ROI over 3 years and paid for the cost in less than 6 months.
That’s not all.
Infosys, a global leader in consulting, technology, and outsourcing, used LinkedIn Sales Navigator to create an ROI of 1,000x in Industry Decision Making.
By using Sales Navigator, their Enterprise Sales team was able to uncover deep insights about their target customers, which led them to an expansion of LinkedIn connections, new meetings, and ultimately, new business.
Key Drivers of ROI
- Targeted Lead Generation: LinkedIn Sales Navigator’s advanced search features allow you to pinpoint high-quality leads based on specific criteria, leading to a higher conversion rate.
- Relationship Building Insights: Gaining insights into prospect activity and connections lets you personalize your approach and build stronger relationships.
- Data-Driven Sales Strategies: Real-time industry and company data helps you tailor your messaging and pitch to specific needs and pain points.
- Increased Sales Efficiency: Streamlined workflows, automated tasks, and improved lead qualification saving time and resources, and boosting overall efficiency.
LinkedIn Sales Navigator has the potential to deliver a significant ROI for B2B sales teams.
The evidence from studies and case studies is clear: investing in Sales Navigator can lead to increased revenue, improved efficiency, and reduced costs.
However, success requires careful consideration of your specific needs, choosing the right subscription tier, and ensuring proper adoption within your sales team.
The answer in short is – It depends.
For sales teams serious about lead generation and conversion, LinkedIn Sales Navigator offers a powerful toolkit that can deliver significant ROI.
However, it’s not a magic bullet.
To truly unlock its potential, you need a clear understanding of your sales goals, a commitment to using its features effectively, and a willingness to invest time in learning and refining your approach.
So, weigh the costs, consider your needs, and take advantage of the free trial. If you’re ready to amplify your prospecting and build genuine relationships with ideal clients, then LinkedIn Sales Navigator might just be the missing piece in your sales puzzle.
Remember, the cost of inaction can be far greater than the price tag of this platform.
Also, since you are planning to try Sales Navigator for lead generation, you should pair it with SmartReach, a leading sales engagement tool that has helped over 3,000 businesses all over the world with automated sales outreach.
We neither ask for your credit card nor your immediate commitment.
Give it a try for free for 14 days.
Frequently Asked Questions (F.A.Q)
LinkedIn Sales Navigator is not a full-fledged CRM. However, it can enhance your existing CRM system by enriching data, qualifying prospects, managing relationships, and visualizing the sales pipeline. It essentially acts as a powerful supplement to your CRM.
LinkedIn Sales Navigator is a powerful tool that can help small businesses enhance their sales and relationship workflow. However, the pricing of Sales Navigator can be quite steep compared to other sales prospecting tools. It may not be the most suitable option for small businesses or startups with limited budgets.
Sales Navigator offers free trials to users for 30 days for their core and advanced plans. However, for their Advanced Plus plan, they don’t offer a free trial currently.
No, LinkedIn Sales Navigator is not free forever. Sales Navigator is free for 1 month for the core and advanced plans only.
The cost of a LinkedIn sales navigator varies by different tiers. The basic plan(core tier) starts at $99.99/month or $959.88/annually.
| Plans | Core | Advanced | Advanced Plus |
| Monthly | $99.99 | $149.99 | Customized |
| Annually | $959.88 | $1799.88 | Customized |
Yes, there is a limit to the number of leads or accounts that you can view on your search results page, both in LinkedIn Sales Navigator as well as LinkedIn.com. You can now view up to 2,500 lead results across 100 pages or 1,000 account results across 40 pages on your Sales Navigator search results page. The limits for LinkedIn Free or Premium are much lower.
This limit is set to ensure the accuracy of your 1st-degree connections and streamline your 2nd and 3rd-degree connections.
