If you’re reading this, you’re probably on the hook for finding more qualified leads, closing bigger B2B deals, or figuring out if you should add another pricey sales tool to your stack. LinkedIn’s Sales Navigator has been hyped as the answer for serious prospecting in 2024. But is it really a must-have, or is it just another subscription you’ll regret?
Let’s break down what Sales Navigator actually does, where it helps, where it falls flat, and whether it’s worth dropping a chunk of your budget on.
What is LinkedIn Sales Navigator—And Who Actually Needs It?
LinkedIn Sales Navigator is LinkedIn’s paid tool aimed at sales teams, recruiters, and anyone trying to get in front of decision-makers at B2B companies. It’s not just “LinkedIn, but with more filters”—though, yes, you get a ton more filters for searching. The idea: you get deeper access to profiles, advanced search, and a few workflow features to help you find and engage leads.
Who actually needs it? - B2B sales reps and SDRs who are tired of scraping for leads or sending cold emails into the abyss - Founders and small teams trying to break into new accounts or verticals - Agencies who sell high-ticket services to businesses - Recruiters who need to target specific roles or companies (though this review is sales-focused)
If you’re selling $99 SaaS plans by the dozen, this probably isn’t for you. But if you’re chasing six-figure deal cycles (or wish you were), keep reading.
What You Get: Features That Matter—And the Ones That Don’t
There’s a laundry list of features, but here’s what actually moves the needle:
The Good Stuff
- Advanced Search & Filters: Search by company size, industry, role, seniority, company headcount growth, posted content—way beyond what regular LinkedIn offers. If you have a clear ICP (ideal customer profile), this is gold.
- Lead Recommendations: Sales Navigator suggests leads based on your saved accounts and activity. Sometimes freakishly accurate, sometimes wildly off—but better than nothing.
- Saved Leads & Accounts: Organize prospects into lists, track updates, and set alerts when they change jobs or post something new.
- InMail Credits: Message people outside your network directly. Useful, though don’t expect all your messages to get replies.
- CRM Integrations: Sync with Salesforce, HubSpot, and a few others. Not perfect, but it cuts down some manual work.
The “Meh” or Overhyped
- TeamLink: Lets you see if anyone at your company is connected to a prospect. Works if you have a big, well-connected team. Otherwise, forget it.
- Smart Links: Track who viewed your shared content. Fine for enterprise sales, but most people won’t bother.
- Notes & Tags: You can add notes to leads, but if you already use a CRM, this is just more data entry.
Real Talk: What Sales Navigator Does Well
1. Cuts Through the Noise
If you’re tired of wading through irrelevant profiles, Sales Navigator’s search is a game-changer. You can zero in on VPs of Marketing at SaaS companies with 200–500 employees in the U.S. who’ve changed jobs in the last 90 days. That’s pretty granular.
Pro tip: Spend time building saved searches and lists. The more specific your filters, the less time you’ll waste on junk leads.
2. Keeps You in the Loop
You’ll get notified when your leads post on LinkedIn, change jobs, or get mentioned in the news. This makes it easy to reach out with something actually relevant, not just, “Hey, thought you might be interested in our demo.”
3. Makes Outbound Less Painful
InMail isn’t magic, but it’s better than cold emails that go straight to spam. If your message is tight and your pitch is on point, you’ll get replies. Just don’t expect miracles—most people ignore cold outreach, no matter how you send it.
Where Sales Navigator Falls Short
Let’s be honest: Sales Navigator isn’t perfect. Here’s where it can let you down:
- Pricey for Solo Users: Starts at around $99/month for a single seat, and higher for teams. That adds up fast.
- Clunky Interface: It’s not the worst, but it’s not intuitive. Expect a learning curve and lots of clicking around.
- InMail Fatigue: Decision-makers get bombarded with pitches. InMail doesn’t guarantee a response—sometimes it even gets ignored faster than email.
- Data Isn’t Always Up-to-Date: People don’t update their LinkedIn profiles as often as you’d expect. You’ll still need to double-check info before you reach out.
- CRM Integration = “Good Enough”: Don’t expect seamless syncing or deep automation. There’s still manual work involved.
Bottom line: It’s powerful, but don’t believe anyone who tells you it’ll do your prospecting for you.
How to Use Sales Navigator for B2B Lead Gen That Doesn’t Suck
Here’s how to actually get value (without burning hours or annoying everyone in your target list):
1. Nail Your ICP Before You Start
Don’t just filter for “CEOs.” Get specific. What’s the company size, industry, location, pain point? The better your target, the better your results.
Example: “VP of Operations at manufacturing companies, 200–1000 employees, Midwest, who’ve recently posted about supply chain.”
2. Build and Save Search Lists
- Use the advanced filters (seniority, department, recent activity, company growth).
- Save the best leads to lists.
- Set up alerts for job changes, company news, or recent posts.
Pro tip: Don’t get lazy. Update your lists regularly. Companies change fast.
3. Personalize, Don’t Spam
- Reference something from the lead’s recent activity or their company’s news.
- Keep messages short. No one wants to read a cold novel.
- Don’t pitch in your first message. Start a conversation.
4. Track What Works (and Drop What Doesn’t)
- Use tags or notes to track which types of outreach get replies.
- Review your connection and response rates every couple of weeks.
- Kill off messaging templates that flop.
5. Sync with CRM (If You Can Stand It)
- Use the integration to push leads and notes into your CRM.
- Don’t double-enter data—it’s a waste of time.
- If the integration is buggy, just export your lists and upload them yourself. It’s not glamorous, but it works.
Is LinkedIn Sales Navigator Worth the Money in 2024?
Here’s the honest answer: It depends on your deal size and workflow.
- If you’re closing big B2B deals (think: $10k+ per contract), even one extra deal a year pays for the tool.
- If you’re a solo consultant or a founder doing everything yourself, it’s a stretch unless you’re hyper-focused on outbound sales.
- If you’re at a company with a sales team and a real process, it’s practically table stakes—if you actually use it.
Don’t expect it to magically fill your pipeline. It’s a tool, not a silver bullet. If your targeting, outreach, or product isn’t dialed in, no amount of filtering will save you.
What to Ignore
- Don’t get sucked into features you won’t use (Smart Links, TeamLink, endless tagging).
- Don’t buy seats for everyone—give it to the people who’ll actually prospect.
- Don’t expect InMail to replace thoughtful, multi-channel outreach.
The Bottom Line
Sales Navigator is powerful—if your sales process calls for targeted outbound and you’re willing to put in the work. It’s not cheap, and it won’t write your pitches for you. But for B2B teams chasing real deals, it can save you hours of grunt work and help you hit the right targets faster.
Keep it simple: define your targets, build your lists, personalize your outreach, and review what’s working. Don’t let the tool run you. Start small, iterate, and don’t be afraid to ditch it if you aren’t seeing real results after a few months. There’s no shame in keeping your stack lean and focused on what actually moves the needle.