How Siemens Uses LinkedIn’s Deep Sales Platform to Achieve a More Efficient Sales Cycle

During the pilot run, sales team members that had Sales Navigator were able to shorten their sales cycle by at least 3 to 6 weeks, on average.

Another advantage realized by the sales team was the ability to reach a greater number of decision-makers. “In today’s sales environment,” explains Nixon, “there's upwards of 10 individuals that are going to decide on that one sale. So we needed to understand who those individuals are.”

Ultimately, the Siemens sales professionals using Sales Navigator were bringing in new opportunities at a rate of at least 2-fold more than those who didn't have Sales Navigator.

Digital selling isn’t just about making connections across a social platform. It’s about utilizing the information volunteered by individuals to tailor the person-to-person conversations you have with customers.

As Powers explains, “Ahead of a meeting, I like to see all of the people that will be in attendance and then do research through LinkedIn Sales Navigator. What are the roles that are going to be in the room? What are the different areas of the company that are being represented? This way I ensure I’m offering real value to each of them. It pays dividends to make sure you’re speaking to every persona that's in the room.”

Powers utilizes Sales Navigator for relationship mapping ahead of meetings, to great effect. “I was able to see that the CEO of a company had actually gone to the same university I went to around the same time I did. Later, when I was in the lobby of that company and saw him walk by, I was able to introduce myself and leverage that relationship.” Going into the meeting with that foreknowledge ultimately resulted in a multi-million dollar deal.

Sales Navigator is an essential tool for Siemens, which enables access to readily available data and information that allows Siemens to build strong relationships with leads and prospects.

The real-time data available through Sales Navigator has been instrumental in enabling rapid action on sales activities within Siemens.

Nixon has observed team members accelerating outreach the moment they are granted a Sales Navigator license. “A member of our inside sales team was having trouble gaining traction with the Vice President of another company. As soon as that sales rep got his license, he used TeamLink to surface that this individual had a first-degree connection with one of our other Vice Presidents. By leveraging that connection for a warm introduction, he was able to open this new opportunity, and ultimately close a deal with that company.”

Another way Siemens leverages Sales Navigator is by tracking when fellow connections move jobs. Powers shares, “You get to see career updates, and then you immediately have a warm entry into another company.”

Powers sees the future-proofing potential of Sales Navigator. “If you’re not already using Sales Navigator now to drive your sales, you’re going to be behind everyone else.”