5 Ways the New Sales Navigator Transforms Relationships

 

Relationships matter in sales, and everyone knows it. A recent study found that 98% of top sales professionals believe that relationships are the most important part of generating new business. (Which leaves us wondering – what were the other two percent thinking?)

Today’s buyer seeks deeper relationships with those they buy from, where both sides work to deliver constant value and trust.

You’ll need to better understand the factors that drive modern buyers toward sales, and be vigilant about the latest changes with client accounts.

To succeed in modern sales relationships, today’s representatives must:

• Focus on the right people and companies
• Stay informed on key updates with target accounts
• Build trust with prospects and customers

This combination of sales skills helps to establish long-lasting relationships, and it is the driving force for Sales Navigator -- LinkedIn’s prospecting suite for sales professionals.

Sales Navigator makes it easier to grow your relationships by combining these factors with LinkedIn’s massive professional database.

Here are 5 ways that Sales Navigator can help transform your existing sales relationships -- and help generate new ones:

1. Customized recommendations

It can be time consuming to manually search for new prospects, so let Sales Navigator take the searching off your hands.

Sales Navigator drives insights and makes prospect recommendations collectively from three key inputs:

1. Data from the LinkedIn network, via Premium Search and Extended Network Visibility
2. Relevant news from around the web
3. Your accounts, leads and preferences

LinkedIn pulls these inputs together and filters based on your personal preferences – whether you’re seeking certain roles at your prospect company or people similar to other leads you've saved – ensuring top-quality prospects that align well with your business goals.

 2. Stay up-to-date on contacts and accounts

When you’ve identified your target prospects, you’ll want to stay up-to-date with their actions. Sales Navigator makes this simple with regular Sales Updates and Saved Leads, organized into a folder on your dashboard. Whenever your Saved Leads post updates, you’ll be able to see them on your homepage, Account Page or prospect profile.

With the Saved Leads folder, you can quickly prioritize leads based on current connections, geographic location, or company. Wherever you first found the lead, you’ll be able to track their future updates through Sales Navigator.

 3. Deeper CRM/Salesforce integration

In today’s mobile business world, you’ll want to research prospects regardless of where you are. Even if you’re not in the office, Sales Navigator offers the CRM and email tools to maintain your sales relationships.

Automatically bring your accounts and contacts from Salesforce. Your data will will sync daily from Salesforce to LinkedIn, keeping your data fresh.

Sales Navigator also offers deeper integration with Salesforce through CRM Widgets. These features search for people on LinkedIn from within your CRM, and uncover hidden connections when paired with TeamLink.

4.    Building your professional reputation

A robust personal profile is crucial for sales success on LinkedIn – but it’s just the first step. Building trust with your prospects requires a thoughtful profile that shows them who you are and how you can help them.

LinkedIn’s new Premium Profiles, available with Sales Navigator, expand on the profile template to provide greater personalization opportunities. You can add a personal touch to your Premium Profile with a large background image, and look your best with a 30% larger profile picture. Premium Profiles are also prominently placed in LinkedIn search results with targeted keyword optimization.

 5.    Leverage your extended network to reach prospects

Even if you cast a wide net for potential prospects, there are always going to be some hidden connections under the surface. Sales Navigator and TeamLink work to unearth these connections with the help of your company’s network.

TeamLink automatically expands your LinkedIn network, showing you which colleagues can help connect you with prospects and accounts.

As your company grows, your network expands as well – and you can tap into that extended network for warm introductions. No need for cold calling anymore – Sales Navigator offers the warm paths that lead to better sales.

Buyer priorities have changed in the social era, and you’ll need to adapt to these changes to achieve sales success. By maintaining focus, staying informed and building trust, you can better position yourself for sustainable sales relationships.

Learn more about Sales Navigator, and follow with us @LinkedInSelling for more sales strategies.