How to Collaborate with Your Sales Team Using LinkedIn Sales Navigator Notes and Tags

If you’ve ever had a lead slip through the cracks or watched two reps accidentally pitch the same prospect, you know how messy sales collaboration can get. Sales Navigator is supposed to help, but only if you use its features right. This guide is for anyone who actually wants to keep their sales team on the same page—without wasting time on useless admin or overcomplicated systems.

Why Bother with Notes and Tags?

LinkedIn Sales Navigator is packed with features, but most teams barely scratch the surface. Notes and tags let you:

  • Keep track of what’s actually happening with prospects—no more “Who last talked to this person?” mysteries.
  • Avoid duplicate outreach (and embarrassing “We already spoke” emails).
  • Give everyone a fighting chance to pick up where someone else left off.

But be honest: Most sales teams either ignore these tools or overcomplicate them. The trick is to keep it simple and make it part of your regular workflow.

Step 1: Get Your Team on the Same Page (Literally)

Before you even touch notes or tags, you need a quick team agreement on how to use them. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a mess of random notes and tags only one person understands.

What to Do

  • Set ground rules: Decide what goes in a note (e.g., call summaries, objections, next steps) and which tags matter (e.g., “Hot,” “Demo Scheduled,” “Do Not Contact”).
  • Keep it simple: You don’t need 20 different tags. Three to five is plenty for most teams.
  • Agree on tone: Notes should be clear, concise, and not embarrassing if a manager or another rep reads them later.

Pro Tip

Don’t overthink this. If your team is arguing over tag colors or debating whether to use “VIP” or “High Value,” you’re wasting time.

Step 2: Set Up a Tag System That’s Actually Useful

Tags are basically sticky notes for your leads: quick labels you can filter and sort later. But if you have too many, or they’re too vague, they’re useless.

How to Set Up Tags in Sales Navigator

  1. Open a lead or account page.
  2. Find the “Tag” option (usually near the top).
  3. Click to create a new tag or select an existing one.

What Works

  • Keep tags action-oriented: Use tags that tell you something actionable—like “Needs Follow-Up” or “Competitor User.”
  • Limit tags to the basics: For most teams, tags like “Warm,” “Hot,” “Customer,” and “Nurture” are enough.
  • Use tags for hand-offs: Mark leads as “Ready for Demo” or “Hand to AE” so everyone knows what’s next.

What to Ignore

  • Don’t bother tagging every little detail (“Likes Golf,” “Met at Expo 2018”). That’s what notes are for.
  • Skip tags you’ll never filter by. If it’s not helping you sort or act, don’t use it.

Step 3: Make Notes That Don’t Suck

Sales Navigator’s notes let you attach context to leads and accounts. But if your notes are cryptic, outdated, or just a data dump, no one will read them—least of all you.

How to Add Notes

  1. On any lead or account page, find the “Notes” section.
  2. Add your update—keep it short and clear.
  3. Save. That’s it.

What Makes a Good Note?

  • Be specific: “Left voicemail on June 10 about proposal. Said to follow up next week.”
  • Mention blockers: “Decision-maker on vacation until July. No point pushing this week.”
  • Flag next steps: “Will send case study if no reply by Friday.”

What to Avoid

  • Walls of text. No one’s going to read your essay on why you think the VP is a jerk.
  • Vague updates. “Touched base” is pointless. What happened? What’s next?
  • Out-of-date info. If the situation changes, update the note.

Step 4: Use Notes and Tags for Real Collaboration

Now that your tags and notes are set up, use them for actual teamwork—not just as a digital diary.

Real-World Ways Teams Use These Features

  • Handoffs: When SDRs book meetings for AEs, tag the lead as “Demo Scheduled” and add a note with call highlights and objections.
  • Account coverage: If someone’s out sick, another rep can check recent notes and pick up without missing a beat.
  • Avoiding overlap: Before reaching out to a lead, filter by tags or check recent notes to see if someone else is already working them.
  • Pipeline reviews: Managers can filter by tag (“Hot,” “Needs Nurture”) and skim notes to get a real snapshot, not just what’s in the CRM.

Pro Tip

Don’t rely on Sales Navigator alone for collaboration. It’s great for context, but it’s not a full CRM. If your team is already using Salesforce or HubSpot, sync notes and tags where possible—or at least make sure important updates get copied over.

Step 5: Make It Part of Your Routine (or It’ll Never Stick)

The best system is the one you actually use. If notes and tags feel like extra work, everyone will stop using them after a week.

How to Build the Habit

  • Add notes and tags immediately after each call or email. Don’t wait until Friday to “catch up”—you’ll forget the details.
  • Review notes before reaching out. Make it routine to check a lead’s notes and tags before you pick up the phone.
  • Do a quick team review weekly. Ten minutes to skim new notes and review tags can catch issues before they snowball.

What to Ignore

  • You don’t need to turn this into a chore or another meeting. The goal is to save time and avoid mistakes, not add busywork.

Step 6: Handle Common Problems (and What to Do About Them)

Let’s be real: Even with a good system, things go sideways. Here’s what to watch for:

Problem: Notes and Tags Get Out of Date

  • Fix: Set a calendar reminder for the team to review and tidy up once a month. Archive leads that are dead, update tags as deals move, and delete anything that’s just noise.

Problem: Everyone Tags Differently

  • Fix: Agree on a cheat sheet for tags and pin it in Slack or your sales wiki. Standardize on “Hot” vs “High Priority” vs “Urgent” (pick one and stick to it).

Problem: People Forget to Use Notes

  • Fix: Make it clear that if it’s not in Sales Navigator, it didn’t happen. Lead by example and call out wins when good notes help close deals.

Step 7: Don’t Try to Make Sales Navigator Do Everything

Sales Navigator’s notes and tags are great for quick collaboration, but they won’t replace a real CRM or project management tool. Here’s what it’s good for:

  • Jumping into a lead’s history without digging through email
  • Quick handoffs and updates
  • Avoiding duplicate outreach

Here’s what it’s bad at:

  • Detailed reporting
  • Workflow automation
  • Tracking complex sales cycles across teams

Use it for what it’s good at, and don’t force it to do more.

Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Keep It Moving

Sales collaboration doesn’t need to be complicated. If you set up a handful of useful tags, write quick, clear notes, and make it a habit, you’ll avoid most of the classic sales team headaches. Start small, tweak as you go, and skip anything that feels like busywork. Sales Navigator is a tool—use it to make your job easier, not harder.