What Sales Navigator Actually Gives You
LinkedIn Sales Navigator costs $99.99/month (annual) or $139.99/month (monthly). Here's what you get that free LinkedIn doesn't offer:
Advanced Search Filters
Free LinkedIn search is basic — job title, location, company. Sales Navigator adds:
- Company headcount — target companies by exact employee count
- Revenue range — filter by company revenue
- Technologies used — find companies using specific tools
- Recent job changes — people who just started a new role (great timing for outreach)
- Posted on LinkedIn recently — active users who are more likely to respond
- Years in current position — find decision-makers who've been established
InMail Credits
You get 50 InMail credits per month. InMail lets you message anyone — no connection required. Average response rates:
- Cold InMail: 10-15%
- Warm InMail (after profile view/engagement): 20-30%
Open Profile Access
Sales Navigator lets you enable "Open Profile" — meaning anyone can message you for free. More importantly, you can identify other Open Profile users and message them without using InMail credits.
This is a massive advantage for outreach. See our guide to Open Profile campaigns for the full strategy.
Lead Lists and Alerts
Save prospects to lists and get alerts when they:
- Change jobs
- Post content
- Get mentioned in the news
- Their company raises funding
Buyer Intent Data
Sales Navigator shows "buyer intent" signals:
- Which companies are researching topics related to your product
- Which prospects are engaging with competitor content
- Growth signals (hiring, expansion, funding)
When Sales Navigator Is Worth It
Worth it if:
- You're an SDR/BDR doing 50+ connection requests per week. The advanced search pays for itself by improving targeting quality.
- Your deal size is $5,000+/year. One closed deal from better prospecting covers years of Sales Nav.
- You target specific company sizes or industries. The filters are transformative.
- You run Open Profile campaigns. Free messaging to Sales Nav users is incredibly valuable.
Not worth it if:
- You send fewer than 20 connection requests per week. The free tier is sufficient.
- You already have your prospect list. If you're working from a CRM list, you don't need Sales Nav search.
- You're on a very tight budget. $100/month matters when you're bootstrapping.
The Alternative: Rent Accounts With Sales Navigator
Here's something most people don't consider: instead of paying $100/month for Sales Navigator on your own account, you can rent a LinkedIn account that already has Sales Navigator included.
On LinkedVelocity, accounts with Sales Navigator typically cost $145-180/month — but you get both the account (with its established connections and history) and Sales Navigator in one package. For teams running multiple accounts, this is often more cost-effective than adding Sales Nav to each of your own accounts.
Sales Navigator ROI Calculator
| Monthly Cost | Meetings Needed to Break Even | Deal Size for Positive ROI |
|---|---|---|
| $100/month (own account) | 1 meeting | Any deal >$1,200/year |
| $150/month (rented account + Sales Nav) | 1 meeting | Any deal >$1,800/year |
| $750/month (5 accounts with Sales Nav) | 2-3 meetings | Any deal >$2,000/year |
Key Takeaways
- Sales Navigator's advanced search filters are its most valuable feature
- Worth it for active prospectors doing 50+ outreach actions per week
- InMail and Open Profile messaging are powerful but underutilised
- Consider renting accounts with Sales Nav included for multi-account strategies
- The ROI is positive for virtually any B2B team with deal sizes above $2,000
Want Sales Navigator without the separate subscription? Browse accounts with Sales Nav on LinkedVelocity — pre-warmed and ready for prospecting.