LinkedIn Sales Navigator is a powerful sales tool that allows you to find new leads, get contact information, see who knows your prospects, and more. Integrating it with Salesforce gives you access to all of this valuable data directly in your CRM.
Salesforce users can connect their LinkedIn Sales Navigator and Salesforce accounts to bring LinkedIn lead and account data directly into their Salesforce records. This integration eliminates manual data entry and ensures your CRM contains up-to-date information from LinkedIn.
In this guide, we’ll walk through how to connect LinkedIn Sales Navigator to Salesforce and access LinkedIn data in your Salesforce account.
Benefits of Integrating LinkedIn Sales Navigator and Salesforce
Integrating LinkedIn Sales Navigator with Salesforce provides many benefits, including:
- Saves time by eliminating manual data entry between systems
- Keeps Salesforce account, contact, and lead records up-to-date with LinkedIn information
- Gives sales teams access to LinkedIn lead and account data directly within Salesforce
- Allows Salesforce users to view LinkedIn profiles without leaving Salesforce
- Syncs bi-directionally so changes made in one system automatically update the other
- Prioritizes leads based on LinkedIn engagement and lead recommendations
- Lets you track LinkedIn activity and engagement from within Salesforce
With this integration, your sales teams will gain powerful insights to engage with prospects and close more deals faster. All LinkedIn Sales Navigator data will be easily accessible directly in Salesforce for increased productivity.
Requirements for Integration
To integrate LinkedIn Sales Navigator with Salesforce, you need:
- An active LinkedIn Sales Navigator account
- Access to a Salesforce account with one of these editions:
- Essentials
- Professional
- Enterprise
- Performance
- Unlimited
- LinkedIn Sales Navigator Lead Recommendations enabled
- Salesforce admin permissions to install the LinkedIn Sales Navigator app and complete setup
As long as you meet these requirements, the integration process is straightforward. Both LinkedIn and Salesforce provide options to connect the two platforms.
Method 1: Install the LinkedIn Sales Navigator App
The easiest way to integrate LinkedIn Sales Navigator with Salesforce is by installing the LinkedIn Sales Navigator app from the Salesforce AppExchange store.
Here are the steps to install the LinkedIn Sales Navigator app in Salesforce:
- Log into your Salesforce account.
- In the sidebar menu go to “AppExchange”.
- In the AppExchange search bar, search for “LinkedIn Sales Navigator”.
- Click on the LinkedIn Sales Navigator app listing.
- Click “Get It Now” to install the free version of the app.
- Follow the on-screen prompts to complete installation.
Installing the app creates an integration and connects your LinkedIn Sales Navigator and Salesforce accounts.
However, additional setup steps are required within LinkedIn and Salesforce to enable syncing of data.
Complete Setup in LinkedIn
After installing the LinkedIn Sales Navigator app in Salesforce, you need to complete setup in LinkedIn.
Here are the steps to complete setup in LinkedIn Sales Navigator:
- Go to the LinkedIn Sales Navigator portal.
- Click on “Settings” in the top toolbar.
- Select “Apps & Integrations” from the sidebar menu.
- Under “Installed Apps”, click on “Setup” next to the Salesforce app.
- Review the permission information and click “Authorize”.
- Select which LinkedIn data you want to sync with Salesforce, such as Accounts, Leads, Profiles, etc.
- Click “Install” to complete setup.
This will enable syncing of LinkedIn data to Salesforce.
Complete Setup in Salesforce
The final setup step is enabling syncing in Salesforce:
- In Salesforce, go to “Setup” in the top toolbar.
- Select “Apps” from the sidebar menu.
- Click on “LinkedIn Sales Navigator” under connected apps.
- Click “Edit” to view sync settings.
- Enable the objects you want to sync, such as Accounts and Contacts.
- Click “Save” to complete setup.
Once setup is complete in both LinkedIn and Salesforce, the two systems will automatically sync data. This keeps information up-to-date in real-time.
Method 2: Use LinkedIn Sync from Salesforce
The second way to integrate LinkedIn Sales Navigator and Salesforce is by using LinkedIn Sync, which is included with some Salesforce editions or available as an add-on.
Here is an overview of how to use LinkedIn Sync for integration:
- In Salesforce, go to “Setup” and select “Integrations” from the sidebar menu.
- Click the “LinkedIn” integration.
- Select “Enable LinkedIn Integration”.
- Click “Connect to LinkedIn” and log into your LinkedIn Sales Navigator account.
- Select which LinkedIn objects to sync with Salesforce.
- Configure any sync filters based on LinkedIn data.
- Click “Save” to complete setup.
This will enable automated syncing from LinkedIn Sales Navigator to Salesforce.
The main difference with this method is the integration setup is contained within Salesforce, rather than requiring install of the LinkedIn Sales Navigator app.
However, you still need to make sure sync is enabled on your LinkedIn Sales Navigator account under the Apps & Integrations settings.
Accessing LinkedIn Data in Salesforce
Once your LinkedIn Sales Navigator and Salesforce accounts are integrated using either method, LinkedIn data will automatically sync to related records in Salesforce.
Here are some of the ways you can access LinkedIn data directly within your Salesforce account:
- The LinkedIn widget on lead, contact, and account records – See profile pictures, company info, mutual connections, and view the full LinkedIn profile.
- LinkedIn related list – View information synced from LinkedIn like social selling index, shared connections, etc.
- Lead recommendations – Prioritize LinkedIn leads based on relevance.
- LinkedIn activity tracking- See LinkedIn profile views, InMail messages, and page visits.
- Custom LinkedIn fields – Map LinkedIn data to custom fields in Salesforce to track metrics like social selling index.
Having the ability to view LinkedIn data directly in Salesforce saves sales teams from constantly having to switch between systems. Everything they need to engage prospects and move deals forward is available right within Salesforce.
Troubleshooting LinkedIn and Salesforce Integration Issues
In most cases, the integration between LinkedIn Sales Navigator and Salesforce works seamlessly. However, issues can sometimes prevent proper syncing of data.
Here are some common problems and troubleshooting tips:
Data Not Syncing Between Systems
If LinkedIn data is not syncing to Salesforce as expected, check the following:
- Ensure sync is enabled in both LinkedIn and Salesforce under the integration settings.
- Salesforce edition supports syncing. Some editions may require an additional license.
- Objects like leads or contacts are enabled for syncing in both systems.
- Integration is configured for bi-directional or Salesforce to LinkedIn sync.
- LinkedIn rate limits are not preventing regular syncing. This may happen if Salesforce reach API call limits.
Adjusting the settings above usually resolves issues with missing or incomplete data sync.
Error When Installing LinkedIn Sales Navigator App
Users may receive an error when trying to install the LinkedIn Sales Navigator app from the AppExchange listing.
Some common reasons for install errors:
- Salesforce edition does not support the app. Make sure you have a Professional, Enterprise, Performance, or Unlimited edition.
- User does not have required Salesforce admin permissions.
- AppExchange is experiencing technical issues. Try installing again later.
- Reach out to Salesforce and LinkedIn support for troubleshooting.
Confirm you meet the edition and admin permission requirements for the app install. You may need to temporarily enable higher permissions or involve someone who has these.
Sync Conflicts Between LinkedIn and Salesforce
If the same record is updated in both LinkedIn and Salesforce before syncing, this can cause conflicts that prevent record saves.
To avoid and resolve sync conflicts:
- Setup a sync schedule to limit how frequently changes are pushed between systems.
- In Salesforce, access the sync log under the integration settings to identify conflicts.
- For individual record sync conflicts, resolve by re-syncing the record or manually overriding values.
By default, LinkedIn data takes priority when resolving sync conflicts during integration.
Best Practices for LinkedIn and Salesforce Integration
Follow these best practices to get the most value from integrating LinkedIn Sales Navigator and Salesforce:
- Sync selectively – Only enable sync for LinkedIn objects you need in Salesforce. Too many can impact performance.
- Customize sync settings – Use sync filters to limit data volumes and avoid irrelevant records.
- Take advantage of all integration features – Use lead recommendations, LinkedIn widgets, tracking, etc.
- Clean up data beforehand – Delete irrelevant records in both systems first to avoid syncing unnecessary data.
- Add custom LinkedIn fields in Salesforce – Track metrics like social selling index that provide insights.
- Train sales team on using integration – Make sure reps understand the benefits and how to access LinkedIn data.
Properly optimizing your configuration helps boost sales productivity and ensures reps adopt the integration fully.
Conclusion
Integrating LinkedIn Sales Navigator and Salesforce is a highly valuable investment for sales teams. By bringing LinkedIn lead, account, and contact data directly into Salesforce records, reps can save significant time while increasing sales effectiveness.
The integration process is straightforward using either the LinkedIn Sales Navigator app or Salesforce’s built-in LinkedIn sync functionality. Once connected, Salesforce users gain access to LinkedIn information like profiles, company pages, lead recommendations, and tracking insights without ever having to leave Salesforce.
Setting up selective, bi-directional sync and taking advantage of all integrated features is key to maximizing value. With some optimization and training, sales teams can significantly boost productivity and have more success engaging prospects. The Salesforce and LinkedIn integration provides the information sales reps need to connect with leads and close deals faster.