If you’re in B2B sales, you know the pain: too many leads, not enough real buyers. You want to spend your time on people who actually might buy—not just folks who clicked a post or updated their job title. This guide is for reps, founders, and anyone who’s tired of guesswork and wants to use LinkedIn Sales Navigator to track buyer intent signals that actually matter.
No fluff, no magic tricks—just what works, what’s a waste, and exactly how to cut through the noise.
What Are Buyer Intent Signals—And Why Should You Care?
Buyer intent signals are the clues that someone is getting serious about buying. On LinkedIn, these might look like:
- Viewing your company profile or employees
- Engaging with your posts or company updates
- Changing jobs or getting promoted (hello, new budgets)
- Following your company or saving posts
- Searching for products or services you offer
But be real: Not all “signals” matter. Someone hitting “like” on a meme isn’t the same as checking out your pricing page. LinkedIn Sales Navigator gives you more signals than regular LinkedIn, but you have to know which ones are worth your time.
Step 1: Set Up Sales Navigator for Real Buyer Signals
First things first: If you haven’t used LinkedIn Sales Navigator before, it’s an upgraded version of LinkedIn for sales teams. It gives you advanced search filters, alerts, and the ability to track leads and accounts. The catch? It’s not cheap, so make it count.
Here’s how to get set up:
- Define your ideal customer profile (ICP): Don’t just wing it. Nail down the company size, industry, region, and job titles that actually convert for you.
- Set up lead and account lists: Use Sales Navigator’s search to create lists based on your ICP. Add both companies (accounts) and decision-makers (leads).
- Customize your Sales Preferences: In your settings, tell LinkedIn which industries, functions, and locations matter to you. This fine-tunes your feed and alerts.
Pro Tip: Don’t add everyone under the sun to your lists. Quality beats quantity every time.
Step 2: Know Which Intent Signals Actually Matter
Sales Navigator throws a lot of “signals” at you. Some are gold; most are noise. Here’s an honest breakdown:
Signals Worth Tracking
- Job Changes: Someone just got promoted or switched companies? They’re probably open to new solutions.
- Engaged with Your Posts: If a prospect likes, comments, or shares something genuinely related to your offering, that’s a good sign (ignore generic likes).
- Viewed Your Profile or Company Page: Not perfect, but if it’s a key contact or account, it’s worth noting.
- Company Growth or Layoffs: If Sales Navigator tells you a target account is hiring, raising money, or restructuring, timing might be right.
- Mentioned in the News: Recent press or funding rounds often mean new priorities—and budgets.
Signals to Ignore (Mostly)
- Random Likes on Non-Relevant Posts: Just noise.
- Endorsements for Skills: Flattering, but not a buying signal.
- Generic “Congratulations” on Work Anniversaries: Courtesy, not interest.
Bottom Line: Focus on actions that suggest research or change—those are your best bets for real intent.
Step 3: Set Up Alerts and Filters for Buyer Activity
Here’s where Sales Navigator actually saves you time—if you set it up right.
How to Do It:
- Create Saved Searches
- Use filters like company size, seniority, and geography to build saved searches for your ICP.
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Set alerts so you get notified when new leads match your criteria.
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Turn on Real-Time Alerts
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For each lead and account, Sales Navigator can alert you to:
- Job changes at the company
- Leads viewing your profile
- Leads engaging with your content
- Company news or funding
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Monitor the “Insights” Section
- On each account page, there’s a section summarizing recent company changes, news, and employee activity.
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Scan this weekly for signs of budget changes, new leadership, or strategic shifts.
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Use “Account Mapping”
- See who else at the target company is connecting with your team or engaging with your company page.
Pro Tip: Don’t drown in notifications. Start with a handful of high-value accounts and expand as you get comfortable.
Step 4: Interpret the Signals—Don’t Just React
Not every signal is a green light to pitch. Here’s how to read between the lines:
- Job Change: If your contact just got promoted, send a congrats note—don’t launch into a pitch. Wait a week, then reference their new role’s challenges.
- Viewed Your Profile: If it’s a target decision-maker, reach out with something relevant (“Saw you checked out my profile—happy to share insights on X if you’re exploring solutions.”)
- Recent Funding or News: Reference the news in your outreach. Show you’re paying attention and can help them with new priorities.
- Engagement with Content: If a lead interacts with a case study or product post, follow up with a related resource or question—keep it consultative.
What Not to Do: Don’t chase every single notification. Use the signals to prioritize, not to spam.
Step 5: Build a Real Workflow (So You Actually Use This)
Sales Navigator is only useful if you work it into your daily or weekly routine. Here’s a no-nonsense workflow:
- Daily (10-20 min):
- Check alerts for your top 10-20 leads and accounts.
- Note any major signals (job changes, profile views, company news).
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Jot down who to follow up with and why.
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Weekly (30-60 min):
- Review your wider lead and account lists for overlooked signals.
- Update your notes and CRM with any changes.
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Prune your lists—ditch leads who are going nowhere, add new prospects.
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Monthly:
- Refresh your saved searches and filters as your ICP evolves.
- Review which signals actually led to conversations or deals. Adjust your focus.
Pro Tip: Don’t rely on Sales Navigator alone. Cross-check with email opens, website visits, and actual conversations.
What Sales Navigator Gets Right—and Where It Falls Short
What Works
- Strong for identifying warm leads (especially with job changes and profile views)
- Customizable alerts keep you focused (if you set good filters)
- Deep company insights give you conversation starters
What Doesn’t
- Not all signals are intent signals. LinkedIn wants you to think every notification is gold. They’re not. Be picky.
- No direct buying signals (like pricing page views or proposal requests)—you’ll need other tools for that.
- Expensive if you’re not using it daily. Don’t pay for it just to build lists you never call.
A Few Mistakes to Avoid
- Treating every signal like a hot lead. Most aren’t. Prioritize.
- Over-automating outreach. LinkedIn users can smell a canned message a mile away.
- Ignoring your gut. Sometimes a lead looks cold on paper but is worth a direct ask—don’t be afraid to try.
Keep It Simple, Iterate, and Don’t Get Sucked In
Sales Navigator is powerful—if you use it to track real buyer intent, not just activity. Start with a few high-value accounts, pay attention to signals that actually predict deals, and adjust your filters as you learn what works.
Don’t let LinkedIn’s endless notifications distract you from real conversations. Use what helps, ignore the noise, and keep refining your approach. That’s how you get from “just another connection” to real opportunities.