LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with over 800 million members. For sales professionals, LinkedIn can be an invaluable tool for finding new leads, closing deals, and building your professional brand. However, LinkedIn offers several subscription options and it can be difficult to determine which is the best choice for your sales needs and budget.
LinkedIn Free Account
All LinkedIn members start with a free account. This allows you to create a profile, connect with other professionals, join groups, follow companies, and view limited profiles of other members. However, you won’t have access to any of LinkedIn’s premium sales tools. The free account is best for individuals who want to maintain a basic professional presence on LinkedIn.
Key Features of LinkedIn Free Account
- Create a profile with work experience, education, skills, etc.
- Connect with other professionals
- Join groups related to your industry or interests
- Follow companies to receive their updates
- View limited profiles of other members
LinkedIn Premium Career
LinkedIn Premium Career costs $29.99 per month or $239.88 per year. It’s designed for job seekers and professionals who want to enhance their profile, find new opportunities, and get insights on salaries and in-demand skills.
Key Features of LinkedIn Premium Career
- Search profiles with advanced filters like location, company, job title, etc.
- View full profiles of other members, including their contact info
- See who has viewed your profile
- Take skill assessments to showcase your abilities
- Access salary data for specific job titles
- Get insights on skills that can make you more marketable
- Apply filters to only view posts from connections
The Premium Career account has some helpful job search features, but lacks the sales prospecting and lead generation tools that sales professionals really need.
LinkedIn Premium Business
LinkedIn Premium Business costs $59.99 per month or $479.88 per year. This plan adds several sales features like InMail messaging, advanced search filters, and profile branding.
Key Features of LinkedIn Premium Business
- Unlimited InMail messages for contacting non-connections
- See the names of people who view your profile
- Search by industry, job function, seniority level, and more
- Create customized branded background photos
- Access over 90 professional learning courses
- 7x more profile views compared to free accounts
The Premium Business account is LinkedIn’s most popular paid plan. The ability to contact more professionals through InMail and get more profile views helps sales connect with high-value prospects.
LinkedIn Sales Navigator
LinkedIn Sales Navigator costs $79.99 per month or $639.88 per year. This is LinkedIn’s premium tool specifically built for sales professionals. It includes all the features of Premium Business, plus advanced lead and account management tools.
Key Features of LinkedIn Sales Navigator
- See lead recommendations based on your saved searches and relevant criteria
- Save leads and accounts to organize your prospects
- Get notified when your saved leads are mentioned in news or post content
- Identify contact info for leads with missing details
- Access conversation templates and one-click messaging
- See conversation analytics to improve outreach
- Integrate with sales platforms like Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics
Sales Navigator is designed specifically for prospecting, lead management, and sales workflows. The additional tools for organizing prospects and tracking conversations provide robust support for the entire sales process.
LinkedIn Sales Navigator Team
LinkedIn Sales Navigator Team costs $249.99 per month or $1,999.88 per year. This plan includes all the features of Sales Navigator plus collaborative tools for sales teams.
Key Features of LinkedIn Sales Navigator Team
- Share notes, saved leads, and annotated profiles with colleagues
- Optimize territory coverage and account overlaps
- Track team performance and sales conversations
- Get custom sales coaching and training recommendations
- Collaborate on accounts to coordinate outreach
- Manage team settings and permissions from one place
The Team plan allows sales managers to track metrics, customize support, and foster collaboration across the entire sales organization.
Comparing LinkedIn Sales Products
Here is a comparison of key features across LinkedIn’s paid offerings for sales professionals:
Feature | Premium Career | Premium Business | Sales Navigator | Sales Navigator Team |
---|---|---|---|---|
InMail Messages | 15/month | 25/month | 50/month | 75/month |
Saved Leads | None | 25 | 50 | 100 |
Saved Searches | 3 | 5 | 10 | 15 |
Lead Recommendations | No | No | Yes | Yes |
Team Collaboration Tools | No | No | No | Yes |
Conclusion
LinkedIn Sales Navigator is the best choice for individual sales professionals who want to maximize their lead generation and sales efficiency. It provides robust tools for finding prospects, managing leads, and tracking sales conversations.
For sales teams, LinkedIn Sales Navigator Team is worth the additional investment for the management oversight, training resources, and collaborative tools it provides. Premium Business offers some helpful sales features beyond the free account, but lack the lead management and integration capabilities of Sales Navigator.
The best LinkedIn subscription depends on your specific needs and budget. But for dedicated sales professionals, Sales Navigator delivers the specialized tools and integrations to help convert more prospects and close more deals.