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Table of Content
As of April, 2023, LinkedIn has a whopping 922.3 million members. 4 out of 5 of this number are decision-makers in a variety of businesses.
It means LinkedIn has 720 million B2B buyers—people who will make decisions if their company is going to buy your product or service.
So, if you are a B2B seller/marketer in 2023, it’s high time to start LinkedIn prospecting.
LinkedIn is awesome. Even with the basic search filters in LinkedIn Premium, you can make a good lead list. However, if you want to expand your business, LinkedIn Sales Navigator is the tool you need.
If you are reading this article, you have probably made up your mind about buying the Sales Navigator version of LinkedIn. In case you are still in doubt, read till the end to change your mind.
In this blog post, you will find what LinkedIn Sales Navigator is, its subscription plan, why you should buy it, and lastly, how to use it in 2023 to increase ROI.
What is LinkedIn Sales Navigator
LinkedIn Sales Navigator is an advanced version of LinkedIn, suitable for enhanced lead generation/outreach by sales and marketing professionals.
The Sales Navigator comes in two different subscription plans with advanced search features.
- Sales Navigator Core (for individuals)
- Sales Navigator Advanced (for teams)
- Sales Navigator Advanced Plus
The first, Sales Navigator Core, is targeted at individual users. It provides
- InMail messages
- Open Profile
- See who’s viewed your profile
- Unlimited people browsing
- Unlimited search
- 10,000 saved leads
- Custom lead and account lists
- Advanced lead search and account search, etc.
It’s an excellent option for individuals hunting for jobs or recruiters looking for new hires.
The second option is Sales Navigator Advanced. If you are subscribing to the navigator tool for your team’s use, then this is the best option.
Along with all the Core features, it provides
- Real-time alerts on your leads and accounts
- Send Smart Links and track engagement
- Leverage your team’s network with TeamLink
- Shareable custom lead and account lists
- Centralized account management
- Upload and manage your book of business
Sales Navigator Advanced provides features that make lead generation easier on LinkedIn.
Along with all the above features, LinkedIn Sales Navigator Plus provides
• CRM updates with Data Validation
• Integrate CRM contacts
• Advanced enterprise integrations
For a better idea, take a look at the pricing plan comparison table.
Why Should You Subscribe for a Sales Navigator?
If you are reading this article, it means you are considering buying the Sales Navigator version of LinkedIn.
Now, the question: should you?
If yes, why.
According to statistics, around 900 million B2B professionals are using LinkedIn in 2023. Out of this number, 700 million of them are active buyers.
If the statistics say something, then it’s that—LinkedIn is a hotbed of B2B leads.
Now, if you are selling a B2C product or service, don’t buy the Sales Navigator LinkedIn version. You can buy it if you are using LinkedIn to network.
But, if you are selling a B2B software or service, you must try the LinkedIn Sales Navigator. It’s guaranteed to increase your company revenue magically if only you can use it properly.
If you want to be a part of this ROI buffet, hop on the Sales Navigator train as soon as possible.
To increase your ROI using the Sales Navigator, read the “How to Use LinkedIn Sales Navigator in 2023” section.
Benefits of Using Sales Navigator
The Sales Navigator version of LinkedIn is nothing less than a magical tool for B2B marketing and sales teams.
Let’s see why it’s such a hype.
High-Quality Lead Generation
As mentioned above, LinkedIn is a platform where most business owners, decision-makers, and B2B professionals hang out.
So, if you are selling a B2B product/service, you will find the highest quality leads on LinkedIn.
But, how to find them?
With more than 30 advanced features, the Sales Navigator version helps you find these high-quality leads. This is why most B2B salespeople use this version to make a sale.
Social Selling
Unlike LinkedIn Premium, the Sales Navigator has this awesome thing called the “Spotlight” filter.
It has options like
- Posted on LinkedIn for 30 days
- Changed jobs in last 90 days
- Mentioned in news in last 30 days
- With teamlink intro, etc.
With these sub-filters, you can get plenty of information that you can use to send personalized messages as cold prospecting DMs.
Besides helping you break the ice, the “Spotlight” filter provides information to start a professional conversation with your target audience.
The Sales Navigator is the perfect social selling tool. With this version of LinkedIn, you are guaranteed to remain one step ahead of your competitors.
Easy List Building
Be it cold emailing or LinkedIn cold messages, any outbound sales strategy requires a list of leads to start sales prospecting.
But, there’s this problem—how to build a lead list?
The traditional way is to use list-building tools on the website and make a list. But, this can take months.
This is where the LinkedIn Sales Navigator comes in. With this service, you can make custom lists in minutes.
The process is so convenient that you can convert the lead list into a . csv file with just a click.
Track Prospecting Efforts
If you are using a CRM or any other software to monitor your sales performance or prospect position, then great.
But, many new businesses don’t use such tools. This is where the Sales Navigator version comes in handy.
Besides tracking your prospecting efforts, it also captures prospects’ emails and phone numbers at different events.
How to Use LinkedIn Sales Navigator in 2023
The primary use of LinkedIn Sales Navigator is B2B lead generation. In 2023, marketers can use the Sales Navigator to generate 10x leads from this networking platform. If done properly, this subscription alone can increase your ROI rapidly.
Here’s a detailed step-by-step process of generating B2B leads using LinkedIn Sales Navigator.
- Search leads
- Create a list of potential leads
- Export lead list to CSV files
- Send cold messages
- Follow-Up
Step 1: Search Leads
The highlight of the LinkedIn Sales Navigator tool is its advanced search filters. It provides as many as 30 search filters to ease the lead searching process for B2B marketers and sales reps.
The best part is you can manipulate the filters and search leads in many ways. Here are some of the most industry-proven ways of searching leads using Sales Navigator.
Direct Search
One of the most popular lead-hunting methods is using the company, job, and experience filters, such as company size, headcount, headquarters, job title filter, years of experience, etc.
Undoubtedly, this is the simplest method. If you are new to using Sales Navigator, you can search leads in this manner.
Use “View Similar”
If you don't like all the search results using the company, job title, and experience filters, that’s okay.
If there’s even one potential lead on the results, you can use the “view similar” option to find similar leads.
Use Boolean Search Filters
A LinkedIn Boolean Search is a lead searching method that allows you to find relevant leads by combining keywords with operators such as OR, NOT, or AND.
For example:
“Content marketer,” NOT writer
Owner NOT “product owner”
Sales manager or head
The LinkedIn Boolean search helps you get specific results.
Use Spotlight Filters
Direct search is easier, but searching leads using the spotlight filters brings high-quality leads.
It has options like
- Posted on LinkedIn on 30 days
- Changed jobs in last 90 days
- Mentioned in news in last 30 days
- With teamlink intro, etc.
These sub-filters are an excellent tool for finding relevant prospects. Also, you get plenty of information to personalize the LinkedIn cold messages.
For instance, if your potential lead has appeared in the news in the 30 days, you can write a personalized connection request like this:
Hi Brad!
I see you have recently appeared in the news. You are clearly the talk of the town.
It's really inspiring how you have established yourself as a thought leader in the industry.
Huge fan!
Can we connect?
Rajnish
Search Recently Posted Content
We all know B2B prospecting boils down to one and only thing—social selling. Gone are the days when a cold call or a plain ad sold a B2B product/service.
Currently, aware marketers (basically, the majority of them) rely on social media platforms—LinkedIn—to make a buying decision.
This is where searching leads using the filter “posted on LinkedIn” comes so handy. It provides you the perfect opportunity to start a discussion on the area of your product and slowly convert them into warm leads.
You can send a cold message referring to a post they have uploaded recently:
Hi Meredith!
I liked your post on {so-and-so topic}. I especially liked the section where you listed down the problems faced by B2B marketers while prospecting on LinkedIn.
I found a Smartlead article that lists the solution to these problems.
Let me know what you think about it.
Pam
Group Search
You can simply type your niche on the search bar and look for groups related to it on LinkedIn. You don’t need the Sales Navigator for that.
However, if you subscribe to the Sales Navigator, you will have the awesome option of searching for people inside the group.
For instance, there’s a group called LinkedIn Lead Generation. You can use the Navigator version to find CEOs or even the sales managers in the group.
Later, use the “group” reference to start a conversation.
Hey Ross,
I am Vaibhav, founder of Smartlead. I see you're a member of the "LinkedIn Lead Generation" group, too. I have been an active member since 2021.
I assume you're interested in LinkedIn prospecting too.
Can we connect?
Vaibhav
LinkedIn Group Scraping
Group scraping on LinkedIn is an automated lead-generation process using an AI-based LinkedIn scraper. It’s an easy method of finding the best leads with minimal effort.
Some of the best LinkedIn scraper tools are Phantombuster, Dripify, Dux-Soup, etc.
After scraping the list of people from relevant groups, you can use a LinkedIn automation tool like Smartlead to send personalized, bulk messages to them.
Step 2: Create a List of Potential Leads
After searching for leads with relevant keywords and filters, it’s time to make a list out of them. The easiest method to do this is using the LinkedIn feature “Save to list”.
Click on the checkboxes as shown in the image and click on the “Save to list” option. Next, click on the + sign to name the list.
Features like this make LinkedIn such a perfect platform for B2B prospecting. One click, and you are left with a list full of potential buyers.
What’s next?
Step 3: Export Lead List to CSV File
For new marketers, words like “exporting” or “CSV” files might be a little intimidating. But, hey, don’t worry.
This step is the easiest in the entire process.
CSV is a file format with text/data that uses a comma to separate values. Each line of the CSV file is a data record with one or more company fields, separated from one another by commas.
Here’s what a CSV file looks like:
It’s super easy to export leads from Linkedin Sales Navigator to a CSV file. Just click on the 'Export' tab at the top of the search results page, and you have the list in . csv format.
You can use this list to integrate the leads into your CRM or other LinkedIn automation tool.
Step 4: Send Cold Messages
Writing individual messages to 10, 20, or even 100 people is still a viable option. But, once you decide to expand your business, your lead list might contain even 1000 profiles.
It’s quite impossible to create and send LinkedIn messages individually to all of them.
In such cases, you need an automation tool like Smartlead, which will send personalized, cold messages on LinkedIn in bulk.
Step 5: Follow Up
The key to bagging responses from LinkedIn cold messages is following up. Even if the prospecting doesn't reply to your two/three messages, follow up.
Maintain a healthy interval between your follow-ups, and don’t forget to write value-adding messages.
But, how do you follow up to 1000s of leads?
Following up manually isn’t an option. The automation tool that you will use to send cold messages on LinkedIn will do the follow-ups too.
All you have to do is create sequences of multiple follow-up messages and schedule them beforehand.
The next step is to sit back and relax; watch your LinkedIn lead generation reach another level.
Common Sales Navigator Filter Issues You Need to Know
The advanced search filter of the Sales Navigator version is, hands down, the best thing ever. However, it does have some minute issues that you need to know before starting to generate leads on LinkedIn.
If you are not careful with these “filter” problems, you might end up sending direct messages to totally irrelevant leads.
#1 Showing Wrong Job Title
If you search with the keyword “Cold Email Marketing”, it will show profiles with any mention of cold email marketing.
It means it will show cold email marketing interns, salespeople, managers, marketers, business owners, etc. The scariest part is that the once cold email marketing intern might be in a different industry altogether.
So, you are not only DM-ing people with the wrong job titles but also different industries.
If you are not specific in the filters, you might end up making a lead list full of random people.
#2 Showing the Wrong Company
LinkedIn is crowded with millions of business/corporate professionals, and the majority of them change jobs frequently.
Many times LinkedIn users often forget or neglect to change their current position or the company details.
Sometimes, you will find two or three company names in their headlines. As efficient as a search on Sales Navigator can get, it still can’t judge where the person is currently working.
It is your task to go through the prospect’s profile in private mode and check their current company details before including them in the list.
Final Thoughts
Now that you have read till the end, I hope you have changed your mind. If you are in B2B business, the LinkedIn Sales Navigator is a powerful tool.
Using this version of LinkedIn will help you
- Get specific search results
- Find high-quality prospects
- Get relevant information about the prospects
The highlight of using this tool is the lead list.
New marketers go to lengths for a good list of prospects. Half of them even end up buying good-for-nothing lists from random places. And the rest half spend months waiting to create a via their website using pop-ups and other measures.
This Sales Navigator will save you from this endless headache. If you follow the above steps, you can create a lead list of 1000s of active and potential customers matching your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP).
With just an automation tool, you can connect with 1000 prospects and start the lead nurturing process.
All the best for your future LinkedIn prospecting!
FAQs
How does the sales navigator work on LinkedIn?
The Sales Navigator is a version of LinkedIn that provides advanced filters making lead generation easier for B2B sales and marketing teams.
It has 30 advanced search filters such as “Spotlight”, “View Similar”, etc. With the filters, you can find specific results and highly qualified leads.
Is the sales navigator a CRM?
No, the Sales Navigator version of LinkedIn isn’t a CRM. It’s a LinkedIn version designed for B2B sales and marketing. It’s a lead generation tool.
However, it is designed in such a way that integrating with other CRMs is super easy.
Author’s Details
Rajnish Das
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Frequently asked questions
What is Smartlead's cold email outreach software?
Smartlead's cold email outreach tool helps businesses scale their outreach efforts seamlessly. With unlimited mailboxes, fully automated email warmup functionality, a multi-channel infrastructure, and a user-friendly unibox, it empowers users to manage their entire revenue cycle in one place. Whether you're looking to streamline cold email campaigns with automated email warmups, personalization fields, automated mailbox rotation, easy integrations, and spintax, improve productivity, or enhance scalability with subsequences based on lead’s intentions, automated replies, and full white-label experience, our cold email tool implifies it in a single solution.
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How does the "unlimited mailboxes" feature benefit me?
Our "unlimited mailboxes" feature allows you to expand your email communications without restrictions imposed by a mailbox limit. This means you won't be constrained by artificial caps on the number of mailboxes you can connect and use. This feature makes Smartlead the best cold email software and empowers you to reach a wider audience, engage with more potential customers, and manage diverse email campaigns effectively.
How does Smartlead as a cold emailing tool can automate the cold email process?
Smartlead’s robust cold email API and automation infrastructure streamline outbound communication by transforming the campaign creation and management processes. It seamlessly integrates data across software systems using APIs and webhooks, adjusts settings, and leverages AI for personalised content.
The cold emailing tool categorises lead intent, offers comprehensive email management with automated notifications, and integrates smoothly with CRMs like Zapier, Make, N8N, HubSpot, Salesforce, and Pipedrive. Smartlead supports scalable outreach by rapidly adding mailboxes and drip-feeding leads into active campaigns Sign Up Now!
What do you mean by "unibox to handle your entire revenue cycle"?
The "unibox" is one of the unique features of Smartlead cold email outreach tool, and it's a game-changer when it comes to managing your revenue cycle. The master inbox or the unibox consolidates all your outreach channels, responses, sales follow-ups, and conversions into one centralized, user-friendly mailbox.
With the "unibox," you gain the ability to:
1. Focus on closing deals: You can now say goodbye to the hassle of logging into multiple mailboxes to search for replies. The "unibox" streamlines your sales communication, allowing you to focus on what matters most—closing deals.
2. Centralized lead management: All your leads are managed from one central location, simplifying lead tracking and response management. This ensures you take advantage of every opportunity and efficiently engage with your prospects.
3. Maintain context: The "unibox" provides a 360-degree view of all your customer messages, allowing you to maintain context and deliver more personalized and effective responses.
How does Smartlead ensure my emails don't land in the spam folder?
Smartlead, the best cold email marketing tool, ensures your emails reach the intended recipients' primary inbox rather than the spam folder.
Here's how it works:
1. Our "unlimited warmups" feature is designed to build and maintain a healthy sending reputation for your cold email outreach. Instead of sending a large volume of emails all at once, which can trigger spam filters, we gradually ramp up your sending volume. This gradual approach, combined with positive email interactions, helps boost your email deliverability rates.
2. We deploy high-deliverability IP servers specific to each campaign.
3. The ‘Warmup’ feature replicates humanized email sending patterns, spintax, and smart replies.
4. By establishing a positive sender reputation and gradually increasing the number of sent emails, Smartlead minimizes the risk of your emails being flagged as spam. This way, you can be confident that your messages will consistently land in the primary inbox, increasing the likelihood of engagement and successful communication with your recipients.
Can Smartlead help improve my email deliverability rates?
Yes, our cold emailing software is designed to significantly improve your email deliverability rates. It enhances email deliverability through AI-powered email warmups across providers, unique IP rotating for each campaign, and dynamic ESP matching.
Real-time AI learning refines strategies based on performance, optimizing deliverability without manual adjustments. Smartlead's advanced features and strategies are designed to improve email deliverability rates, making it a robust choice for enhancing cold email campaign success.
What features does Smartlead offer for cold email personalisation?
Smartlead enhances cold email personalisation through advanced AI-driven capabilities and strategic integrations. Partnered with Clay, The cold remaining software facilitates efficient lead list building, enrichment from over 50 data providers, and real-time scraping for precise targeting. Hyper-personalised cold emails crafted in Clay seamlessly integrate with Smartlead campaigns.
Moreover, Smartlead employs humanised, natural email interactions and smart replies to boost engagement and response rates. Additionally, the SmartAI Bot creates persona-specific, high-converting sales copy. Also you can create persona-specific, high-converting sales copy using SmartAI Bot. You can train the AI bot to achieve 100% categorisation accuracy, optimising engagement and conversion rates.
Can I integrate Smartlead with other tools I'm using?
Certainly, Smartlead cold email tool is designed for seamless integration with a wide range of tools and platforms. Smartlead offers integration with HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, Clay, Listkit, and more. You can leverage webhooks and APIs to integrate the tools you use. Try Now!
Is Smartlead suitable for both small businesses and large enterprises?
Smartlead accommodates both small businesses and large enterprises with flexible pricing and comprehensive features. The Basic Plan at $39/month suits small businesses and solopreneurs, offering 2000 active leads and 6000 monthly emails, alongside essential tools like unlimited email warm-up and detailed analytics.
Marketers and growing businesses benefit from the Pro Plan ($94/month), with 30000 active leads and 150000 monthly emails, plus a custom CRM and active support. Lead generation agencies and large enterprises can opt for the Custom Plan ($174/month), providing up to 12 million active lead credits and 60 million emails, with advanced CRM integration and customisation options.
What type of businesses sees the most success with Smartlead?
No, there are no limitations on the number of channels you can utilize with Smartlead. Our cold email tool offers a multi-channel infrastructure designed to be limitless, allowing you to reach potential customers through multiple avenues without constraints.
This flexibility empowers you to diversify your cold email outreach efforts, connect with your audience through various communication channels, and increase your chances of conversion. Whether email, social media, SMS, or other communication methods, Smartlead's multi-channel capabilities ensure you can choose the channels that best align with your outreach strategy and business goals. This way, you can engage with your prospects effectively and maximize the impact of your email outreach.
How can Smartlead integrate with my existing CRM and other tools?
Smartlead is the cold emailing tool that facilitates seamless integration with existing CRM systems and other tools through robust webhook and API infrastructure. This setup ensures real-time data synchronisation and automated processes without manual intervention. Integration platforms like Zapier, Make, and N8N enable effortless data exchange between Smartlead and various applications, supporting tasks such as lead information syncing and campaign status updates. Additionally, it offers native integrations with major CRM platforms like HubSpot, Salesforce, and Pipedrive, enhancing overall lead management capabilities and workflow efficiency. Try Now!
Do you provide me with lead sources?
No. Smartlead distinguishes itself from other cold email outreach software by focusing on limitless scalability and seamless integration. While many similar tools restrict your outreach capabilities, Smartlead offers a different approach.
Here's what makes us uniquely the best cold email software:
1. Unlimited Mailboxes: In contrast to platforms that limit mailbox usage, Smartlead provides unlimited mailboxes. This means you can expand your outreach without any arbitrary constraints.
2. Unique IP Servers: Smartlead offers unique IP servers for every campaign it sends out.
3. Sender Reputation Protection: Smartlead protects your sender reputation by auto-moving emails from spam folders to the primary inbox. This tool uses unique identifiers to cloak all warmup emails from being recognized by automation parsers.
4. Automated Warmup: Smartlead’s warmup functionality enhances your sender reputation and improves email deliverability by maintaining humanised email sending patterns and ramping up the sending volume.
How secure is my data with Smartlead?
Ensuring the security of your data is Smartlead's utmost priority. We implement robust encryption methods and stringent security measures to guarantee the continuous protection of your information. Your data's safety is paramount to us, and we are always dedicated to upholding the highest standards of security.
How can I get started with Smartlead?
Getting started with Smartlead is straightforward! Just head over to our sign-up page and follow our easy step-by-step guide. If you ever have any questions or need assistance, our round-the-clock support team is ready to help, standing by to provide you with any assistance you may require. Sign Up Now!
How can I reach the Smartlead team?
We're here to assist you! You can easily get in touch with our dedicated support team on chat. We strive to provide a response within 24 hours to address any inquiries or concerns you may have. You can also reach out to us at support@smartlead.ai
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