How to Integrate LinkedIn Sales Navigator with Salesforce
Ever wondered how to stop switching between LinkedIn and Salesforce while prospecting? The integration between LinkedIn Sales Navigator and Salesforce creates a powerful alliance that can transform your sales process by bringing social selling capabilities directly into your CRM workflow.
What is LinkedIn Sales Navigator for Salesforce?
LinkedIn Sales Navigator for Salesforce is an integration that connects LinkedIn’s premier sales tool with Salesforce CRM. This integration allows sales teams to leverage LinkedIn’s vast professional network and advanced prospecting features without leaving their Salesforce environment.
The integration synchronizes data between platforms, enriches your CRM records with LinkedIn insights, and streamlines lead management—all while maintaining compliance with data protection regulations like GDPR.
Key Benefits of the Integration
When you connect these powerful platforms, you’ll unlock several advantages:
- Automated data synchronization: Accounts, contacts, and leads from Salesforce are imported into Sales Navigator, eliminating tedious manual entry and reducing administrative burden
- Enriched CRM records: LinkedIn profile data and AI-powered Account IQ overviews appear directly in Salesforce, providing deeper context about your prospects
- Activity tracking: InMail messages and connection requests are automatically logged as activities in Salesforce, creating a comprehensive interaction history
- Real-time insights: Receive notifications about prospect job changes, company news, and other trigger events that create timely conversation opportunities
- Streamlined workflow: Access LinkedIn’s prospecting tools without leaving your Salesforce environment, increasing productivity and focus
One UK-based SaaS company reported a 30% reduction in lead qualification time after implementing this integration—allowing their sales team to focus on building relationships rather than administrative tasks.
Prerequisites for Integration
Before you begin the integration process, ensure you have:
- Salesforce account: Professional, Enterprise, or Unlimited editions (Enterprise or higher recommended for full API access)
- LinkedIn Sales Navigator subscription: Advanced or Advanced Plus plan is required for CRM integration capabilities
- Admin access: Administrative rights in both Salesforce and Sales Navigator platforms
Cost Considerations
The integration requires subscriptions to both platforms:
| Platform | Pricing Tiers | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Salesforce | Essentials (£20/user/month), Professional (£60/user/month), Enterprise (£120/user/month), Unlimited (£240/user/month) | Integration requires Professional or higher |
| LinkedIn Sales Navigator | Core (£69.99/user/month), Advanced (£129.99/user/month), Advanced Plus (£199.99/user/month) | Advanced/Plus tiers offer deeper Salesforce integration |
These investments should be evaluated against the time savings and increased conversion rates that typically result from the streamlined workflow.
Step-by-Step Integration Process
1. Install via Salesforce AppExchange
- Log into Salesforce
- Navigate to Salesforce AppExchange
- Search for “LinkedIn Sales Navigator”
- Click “Get It Now” and follow installation prompts
- Choose which users should have access to the integration
2. Configure Integration Settings
- Access the LinkedIn Sales Navigator Admin settings
- Navigate to the CRM Integration section
- Connect to your Salesforce instance
- Map LinkedIn fields to corresponding Salesforce fields (e.g., LinkedIn “First Name” to Salesforce “First Name”)
- Enable OAuth authentication for secure data sharing between platforms
3. Set Up Data Synchronization
- Define which Salesforce records should sync with Sales Navigator
- Configure sync frequency and parameters
- Set up lead/contact matching rules to prevent duplicates
- Test the sync with a small batch of records to verify accuracy
4. Add LinkedIn Widgets to Salesforce Layout
- Edit your Salesforce page layouts through the Setup menu
- Add the LinkedIn Sales Navigator component to contact, lead, and account pages
- Configure widget settings to display relevant LinkedIn data such as profile information, mutual connections, and recent activity
Best Practices for UK Sales Teams
To maximize your return on investment:
- Data mapping: Carefully align LinkedIn fields with Salesforce fields to prevent duplication and ensure data integrity across platforms
- Training: Conduct workshops to familiarize your team with cross-platform workflows and ensure consistent adoption
- GDPR compliance: Ensure data syncs comply with UK/EU data protection laws by reviewing data handling settings and consent management
- Persona development: Use Sales Navigator’s persona feature to align lead searches with your ideal customer profiles
- Automation: Set up Salesforce Process Builder to automatically assign leads based on LinkedIn activity or trigger follow-up tasks
Common Challenges & Solutions
| Challenge | Solution |
|---|---|
| Duplicate records | Use Salesforce’s “Match Rules” to identify and merge duplicates |
| Field mismatches | Re-map fields during setup (e.g., LinkedIn “Seniority Level” → Salesforce “Job Title”) |
| Sync delays | Check API call limits and adjust sync frequency to avoid throttling |
| User adoption | Create clear documentation and provide hands-on training with real-world examples |
How to Add Leads from Sales Navigator to Salesforce
One of the most valuable features is the ability to export leads:
- Perform a search in Sales Navigator using filters like industry, company size, or location
- Select the leads you want to export
- Click the “Export to Salesforce” button
- Review the mapping of fields
- Complete the export
The leads will appear in your Salesforce instance, complete with LinkedIn profile data, saving significant manual data entry time.
Maximizing Your Integration
To get the most from your integration:
- Leverage shared experiences: Highlight commonalities with prospects (past employers, education) to build rapport in your outreach
- Set up alerts: Configure notifications for job changes or company news to identify timely outreach opportunities when prospects are most receptive
- Use TeamLink: Identify warm introduction paths through your company’s network to increase response rates
- Track engagement: Monitor which prospects are viewing your profile or engaging with your content to prioritize follow-ups with the most interested leads
Consider creating a scoring system that combines LinkedIn engagement metrics with Salesforce opportunity data to help your team focus on the highest-potential prospects.
Take Your Sales Process to the Next Level
The LinkedIn Sales Navigator and Salesforce integration eliminates the barriers between relationship building and data management. By bringing LinkedIn’s powerful prospecting tools directly into your Salesforce workflow, your team can focus on what matters most—connecting with prospects and closing deals.
Want to further streamline your sales process? Sera’s AI-driven solutions can complement your LinkedIn-Salesforce integration by automating lead generation, crafting personalized outreach messages, and intelligently scheduling meetings—all while working seamlessly with your existing tools.
Start with a pilot team to test workflows before rolling out the integration company-wide, and remember that proper training is essential for successful adoption. With the right implementation, this powerful integration can become your sales team’s competitive advantage.