One of the most common questions we get asked about LinkedIn Sales Navigator is whether it's worth using or not. Our view is that it can be a highly effective tool for sales teams seeking to engage with more prospects and close more deals, but the ROI you get will depend on how you employ it. Let's examine LinkedIn Sales Navigator more closely and discover how you can make it work for you.
Sales Navigator enables companies to engage in social selling by helping them find and build relationships with potential clients on LinkedIn. It also allows them to manage their pipelines, as well as ensure that the information they have about companies and individual contacts is up to date.
There are three plans to choose from:
1) Professional, which is suitable for individuals;
2) Team, which is designed for sales departments within organisations; and
3) Enterprise, which is aimed at sales and marketing companies.
Each plan is available on a monthly or annual contract.
If you aren't on one of LinkedIn's paid subscription plans and haven't taken advantage of any free trial on the platform for twelve months, you can sign up to Sales Navigator for a 30-day trial period free of charge. This lets you work out whether it will suit your needs without obligation. If you sign up, make full use of your trial period; you'll be missing a trick if you don't use your time wisely. Only one person will be able to use the trial version but, if you decide that you want to upgrade later, you can purchase additional 'seats'.
Make sure your expectations are realistic. If you're expecting a rapid return on investment, you'll almost certainly be disappointed, but if you use Sales Navigator on a long-term basis, you could see your sales and profits increase. Focus on making connections and starting conversations, and develop things from there.
If you want to maximise your ROI, you'll need to make the first move in terms of relationship-building and lead nurturing. Initially, you'll need to identify people that you'd like to engage with and send them connection requests. If they respond, follow up with concise, persuasive, and relevant messages that explain how your company can help them, and which include clear calls to action.
Sales Navigator can be integrated with a number of customer relationship management (CRM) platforms, allowing you to sync the data that you hold. If you're a HubSpot user, for example, you can integrate your accounts so that you can send LinkedIn In Mail directly from your company's HubSpot contact record, or enhance your list of leads on Sales Navigator by adding contact details for potential clients that you've discovered using HubSpot's tools. This will enable you to use the data provided by each system in a cost-efficient and practical way.
If you want to learn more about how using LinkedIn Sales Navigator can help you grow your business, or discover how to use it in conjunction with HubSpot and other platforms, we can help. JDR is a Certified HubSpot Platinum Partner Agency with a wealth of inbound marketing expertise. Drop us a line to find out more!
Image source: LinkedIn