If you’re running a B2B sales team, you’ve definitely heard about LinkedIn Sales Navigator. It’s talked up as the must-have tool for prospecting and outreach on LinkedIn. But when you actually try to pick a plan, the options can get confusing—fast. Do you really need the “Team” tier? Is “Advanced Plus” just a fancy upsell? And what features actually move the needle for real sales teams?
This guide is for sales leaders and ops folks who want straight answers about picking a Sales Navigator plan. We’ll break down what matters, what’s fluff, and how to keep your budget in check.
Step 1: Know What LinkedIn Sales Navigator Actually Does
Before you compare plans, let’s be honest about what LinkedIn Sales Navigator brings to the table:
- Advanced search: Much deeper filters for finding leads than regular LinkedIn.
- Lead recommendations: The platform tries to serve you up potential contacts based on your target accounts.
- Saved leads and accounts: Organize your outreach and watch for job changes or updates.
- Integration: Some CRMs sync directly with Navigator, but not all.
- InMail credits: Message people even if you’re not connected.
If your sales team lives in LinkedIn, this tool is helpful. But it’s not magic. It won’t write your outreach or close deals for you. It’s a database with some workflow perks.
Step 2: Understand the Three Main Plans (And Who They’re For)
Sales Navigator comes in three main flavors:
1. Core (Formerly “Professional”)
- Who it’s for: Solo sellers, consultants, or very small teams.
- Features: All the search filters, lead/account recommendations, saved lists, and a basic number of InMail credits.
- Key limits: No real team features. You can’t see what your teammates are doing. Integrations are minimal.
2. Advanced (Formerly “Team”)
- Who it’s for: Small to medium teams that want to share info, get a bit more reporting, and link up with a CRM.
- Features: Everything in Core plus:
- Shared lead/account lists
- Basic team analytics (who’s reaching out, pipeline activity)
- CRM integrations (Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, and a few more)
- More InMail credits per user
3. Advanced Plus (Formerly “Enterprise”)
- Who it’s for: Large sales orgs with a big tech stack and security needs.
- Features: Everything in Advanced plus:
- Enterprise-grade integrations (think: syncing with custom CRMs or complex systems)
- Advanced admin controls (SSO, SCIM provisioning)
- More customization and reporting
- Downside: You’ll need to talk to sales for pricing. This tier is usually overkill unless you’re managing dozens or hundreds of seats.
Pro tip: If you’re just “trying out” Sales Navigator, don’t let a rep rush you into Advanced or Advanced Plus. The extra bells and whistles only matter if you’re deep into sales ops and have a mature sales process.
Step 3: Map Features to Actual Team Needs
Here’s where most teams get tripped up—they buy for what they might need, not what they actually use.
Ask yourself (and your team):
- How many people will use Sales Navigator?
- Solo or 2-3 people? Core is probably enough.
- More than that? Team features make sense.
- Do you need to see team activity?
- If you want to avoid duplicate outreach or track who owns which account, Advanced is your floor.
- Do you use Salesforce or Dynamics as your CRM?
- If yes, Advanced pays off (with CRM sync and activity logging).
- Otherwise, integration might not matter.
- How many InMails do you send per month?
- If most outreach happens via email or phone, you might not need extra InMail credits.
- Security and compliance headaches?
- Only a real concern for large orgs or highly regulated industries. Everyone else can ignore this.
What to ignore:
- “Smart Links,” “PointDrive,” and other branded features sound cool, but most teams barely touch them.
- Overly detailed analytics—if you’re not managing a big inside sales org, you’ll probably never check these dashboards.
Step 4: Price Reality Check
LinkedIn keeps pricing behind a “request a demo” wall for teams, but here’s what you’re probably looking at (as of early 2024):
- Core: ~$99/month per user (billed annually), give or take.
- Advanced: ~$149/month per user (billed annually). Sometimes you can negotiate a little.
- Advanced Plus: Custom pricing—usually $1,600+ per user per year, often only for large orgs.
Hidden costs to watch for: - Annual contracts: LinkedIn will push for a full-year commitment, even if you want to test. - Minimum seats: For Advanced and up, you may have to buy at least 5 seats. - Add-ons: Want more InMail, or a data connector? That’ll cost extra.
Pro tip: Don’t be afraid to push back on pricing. LinkedIn’s sales team does negotiate—especially at quarter-end.
Step 5: Evaluate Integration Claims
LinkedIn likes to say that Sales Navigator “integrates” with your CRM. Sometimes that just means you can push a lead over with a button—not a real sync.
- Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics: These are the only CRMs with real integration—lead sync, activity logging, and some automation.
- Other CRMs: You’re probably just getting a Chrome plugin or a simple contact push.
- Email integration: You can log InMails to Outlook or Gmail, but it’s clunky and not a replacement for true CRM sync.
If your team lives in HubSpot, Pipedrive, or something else, check what “integration” actually means. For many, it’s a letdown.
Step 6: Pilot, Don’t Commit Blindly
It’s tempting to just buy a bunch of seats and hope for the best. That’s usually a waste.
Instead: - Start with a small group: Pick your most active prospectors and have them use Navigator for a month or two. - Track usage: Are they actually using saved leads, advanced search, and InMails? Or just poking around? - Ask for feedback: What’s saving them time? What’s getting ignored? - Measure impact: Did it help book more meetings, or just add another step?
After a real test, you’ll know if upgrading (or downgrading) makes sense. Don’t get locked into a big contract before you’re sure.
Step 7: Watch Out for Common Pitfalls
Here’s where teams usually trip up:
- Overbuying seats: It’s easy to add everyone “just in case.” Start small; you can always add more.
- Ignoring training: Navigator isn’t hard, but it’s not intuitive. Without a quick walkthrough, people revert to old LinkedIn habits.
- Assuming data is always up-to-date: LinkedIn profiles aren’t always accurate. Cross-check key info before you pitch.
- Letting Navigator become a silo: If your team’s not logging activity to the CRM, you’ll lose visibility. Make it part of the workflow, not a side project.
Step 8: Revisit Every 6-12 Months
Sales processes and teams change. So do LinkedIn’s features (and prices).
- Check usage stats: Are all those seats being used? If not, trim back.
- Review new features: Sometimes LinkedIn quietly adds upgrades—sometimes they just rename things.
- Ask the team: What’s helping, and what’s just noise? Cut what’s not working.
Bottom Line: Start Small, Stay Skeptical, and Iterate
Don’t let the marketing or a pushy sales rep convince you to buy more than you need. Sales Navigator can be a real asset—if you stick to the features your team will actually use. Start simple, check in regularly, and save your budget for tools that move the needle.
You can always upgrade later, but you can’t get your time (or money) back if you buy into the hype. Keep it practical.