Maximizing Your Sales Navigator Productivity: 4 Essential Actions to Take Every Time You Log In
Have you ever found yourself logging into a sales platform with a to-do list in mind, only to get sidetracked in the labyrinth of features and options? It's a common scenario, but fear not – there's a better way. In this article, we'll explore how you can make the most out of your time on Sales Navigator by focusing on productive and efficient activities that you can replicate every time you log in.
On platforms like LinkedIn Sales Navigator, the possibilities are endless, but not all actions are created equal. Let's delve into the core areas that will help you achieve your goals efficiently.
Once you've properly set up your account, uploaded your book of business, and saved accounts and leads for further prospecting, here are four essential actions to take every time you log in:
#1. Start With the Newsfeed & Key Alerts
Start your journey at home – the Sales Navigator homepage, that is. Here, you'll find a treasure trove of insights waiting for you. From account highlights to the latest updates and alerts, this real-time view provides invaluable information about your priority accounts and leads.
Did a priority account make headlines? Has a key decision-maker been promoted? These nuggets of information present easy wins and opportunities to establish yourself as a trusted advisor. Use this first action as a springboard to engage with accounts and individuals in your book of business. This is where sales intelligence truly starts.
#2. Checking Your Inbox in Sales Navigator Is Essential for Your Success
Among your top priorities upon logging into Sales Navigator should be checking your inbox and any messages received as replies. This simple action can significantly impact your sales success by keeping conversations flowing and facilitating actionable next steps with potential leads or key decision-makers.
It might seem like a no-brainer, but the importance of checking your inbox can easily be overlooked amidst the myriad tasks vying for your attention. However, leaving a prospect waiting for a response can jeopardize the momentum of your interaction and potentially cost you a deal.
Developing the habit of regularly checking your inbox is a proactive approach that can yield tangible results. Make it a positive habit to integrate into your routine so that each time you log into Sales Navigator, you prioritize reviewing and responding to any incoming messages promptly. This commitment to prompt communication demonstrates professionalism and attentiveness, qualities that can set you apart in a competitive sales landscape.
#3. Spend the Majority of Your Sales Navigator Time On Research & Discovery
We want to learn everything we can about the behaviours and habits of the people who are the best at selling. Every time you login to Sales Navigator, you should be developing the habit of spending your time researching and discovering what you need to know about the priority companies and people that you are trying to reach. What does that look like on the platform? Where should you spend your time? How do you find out what you need to know about a company and the decision makers that work there?
Company Research & Discovery
Based on a recent LinkedIn deep sales study, they found that 82% of sellers agree that those who use AI to research prospects and customers will excel in the future and 75% of salespeople who exceeded their quota use AI. Only 25% of those who exceeded their quota didn’t use AI.
Now available on Sales Navigator is a component called Account IQ which simplifies that process by doing the work for you and acting as a curator to easily synthesize and summarize the most relevant parts of business layered with key account and relationship intelligence you can only find on LinkedIn.
This is where I would start my discovery of my priority accounts. Learn more about this new feature here: https://www.linkedin.com/business/sales/blog/product-updates/introducing-account-iq-what-it-is-and-how-to-best-use-it
Account IQ empowers sellers to show up as trusted advisors for their customers, by providing powerful foresights that help you deeply understand your priority accounts.
Rather than spending hours hunting the internet for relevant information, you can get an easy-to-read synthesis right in Sales Navigator that is layered with LinkedIn’s proprietary data. Gain clarity and understanding in their priorities, pain points, and what’s top of mind for their company leaders.
Buyer intent on Sales Navigator can help you cut through the noise in understanding which companies have taken positive actions towards your organization and can be a signal that they are interested in your company/your brand/your products and services.
People Research & Discovery
Once you've wrapped up your company research, the next crucial step is delving into the world of key decision-makers. Who are they? Is there a potential warm introduction waiting to be uncovered? How can you kickstart meaningful conversations with them? Fortunately, Sales Navigator simplifies this process, making it not just efficient but surprisingly enjoyable.
Exploring this facet of Sales Navigator opens doors to invaluable insights, guiding you through the maze of decision-makers with ease. Here's where to focus your attention:
Utilize the Account Page: Navigate to the Account Page and discover the invaluable 'Relationship Explorer' feature. This tool offers top recommendations of individuals who align with your target persona and seniority criteria. It's your gateway to forging meaningful connections within the organization.
Embrace the Relationship Map: Visualize your path to success with the Relationship Map. This feature empowers you to construct a custom org chart, mapping out the key players within the buying circle. By visually representing their roles and connections, you gain clarity on how they fit into the organization's structure.
What becomes incredibly powerful in your people research & discovery is the way that you use the lead filters. With 1 Billion members on the platform, you will need to use the advanced filtering to narrow your search to exactly the type of persona you are looking for with the real-time sales intelligence to go with the results.
Once you've added in your core persona criteria, you can then begin to add in the areas that really change things for you. Here are some amazing filter's to try:
TeamLink Connections - This will generate a list of people your colleagues can refer you to.
Following Your Company - Will show you people who are already aware of your company and potentially interested to hear from an employee
Changed Jobs - People who have changed jobs in the last 90 days, we see in the research that they are 62% more likely to respond to inmails.
Posted on LinkedIn - Shows they have been active on LinkedIn by posting in the last 30 days. The post may reveal intelligence into what they care about
There are many more and depending on your project, you may want to use different filters at different times, this will help you determine who to reach out to, who can help you reach them and give you more around the 'why' now is the best time to reach out to them.
#4. Engage and Send Inmails to Newly Identified Leads
Communication is such an important part of the process and journey to success when using a sales intelligence platform like Sales Navigator. You've done the research, completed your discovery for this session and you can now apply what you've learned to begin a conversation with your newly found priority leads, or request an introduction from a warm pathway in.
There are many articles written around the topic of inmails and the best practices that you should follow. I will mention a couple of my recommendations for sending inmails and what you should always do before hitting the send button.
Create an engaging subject line. This is what people will see first in when they get the notification that they have new mail on LinkedIn. Be thoughtful and intentional in the hopes that it gets their attention.
Be human. In your message, if it sounds like AI wrote the message, they are unlikely to reply or be interested in learning more. Personalize the inmail, try to include any commonalities, whether that is people in common, maybe you went to the same school or used to work at the same company.
Don't immediately go into a sales pitch or include a bunch of links. If an inmail feels like a lot of work is required in reading it, the likelihood of success will be significantly lower.
Include a call to action. This might be asking for a reply, scheduling a meeting with you if you have synced your calendar, asking if they are the right person for you to be contacting.
A well-written LinkedIn InMail makes a lasting first impression
Final Thoughts
Log out of LinkedIn Sales Navigator. Repeat this behaviours and actions when you next login, whether this is daily, three times a week or maybe only once a week. Create habits that lead to success.
