Is LinkedIn Sales Navigator Worth It?

Welcome to The Social Lab! This blog will not only help you navigate your social media but also investigate marketing trends and examples of great social media work. Do you have something we should talk about? Make sure to send us an email.

If you own a company or are an influencer, the desire to find new leads and prospects can be overwhelming. Businesses need to survive, and the only way to flourish in the market is to constantly have a stream of leads that will keep your company afloat. Many people resort to email marketing, which in many ways has been ruined by the swarm of marketers that cold email everyone on Earth. Another option is to use a social media platform to outreach, and there isn't a platform better right now than LinkedIn.

We all know LinkedIn is meant more for the professional crowd, so why not outreach on there? We have seen much success thanks to individuals connected with the right people and sending personal messages that cut through the sea of spam that exists. What about going to the next level, though, and paying for something like Sales Navigator? This program allows you to search and filter your way to a list of individuals, whether connected to or not, that fits the profile. You can then connect with them, send LinkedIn InMail (messages to people you have yet to connect with), and begin to schedule meetings for business opportunities.

LinkedIn Sales Navigator comes with a pretty costly price tag. At $79.99 per month (at the time of this blog), many small businesses and individuals will have difficulty swallowing that cost when technically they could connect with people on their free LinkedIn. While Sales Navigator helps you search, a dedicated individual could still search on LinkedIn native and take the time to make some spreadsheets or connect with as many people as possible and then send messages. So, should someone splurge for the Sales Navigator?

In our experience, Sales Navigator is worth it, but only if you go into it with the right mindset. The program doesn't allow you to do nothing and essentially generate leads. It simply allows you to find particular people to make connections within a short amount of time. It is still up to you to connect with them and then create a thoughtful message that will get the individual's attention. We have seen countless marketing agencies use this program on behalf of clients and then send out scripted messages that are robotic. In the end, as with any program, please don't get caught up in the technology of it all. Instead, use the power of Sales Navigator to supplement your already humanistic and empowering voice.

How many leads can you expect when paying for Sales Navigator? Well, that is entirely up to your work ethic and ability to create excellent copy. Connecting with many people isn't going to result in actual leads. Instead, you will need to send out messages. We have had clients generate 3-4 meetings per week with the help of Sales Navigator, along with other outreach methods. Depending on your field, it is reasonable to book at least one weekly meeting that could result in a client. It may not seem like a lot, but depending on your field, it can be a huge game changer.

What about you? Do you already use Sales Navigator? Let us know with an email.