How To Use LinkedIn Sales Navigator To Generate Leads (2025 Guide)

Sales Navigator is LinkedIn’s most powerful tool to find and reach the right people.

In this guide, you’ll learn:

• What Sales Navigator is

• What Sales Navigator Plans is the best for you

• How to find qualified leads 

• How to find warm leads quickly

• Best Practices on LinkedIn Sales Navigator

👉 Want the video version instead?

What Is LinkedIn Sales Navigator?

LinkedIn Sales Navigator is a paid tool for to source your leads.

It helps you find, filter, and contact your ideal leads faster than with regular LinkedIn.

What Can You Do With Sales Navigator?

Here’s what makes Sales Navigator useful:

• Search with 30+ advanced filters (location, role, company size, etc.)

• Create a lead list

• Create an account list

• Get alerts when they change jobs or post

• Create Personas

• See who viewed your profile

• Send InMails to people outside your network

Differences Between Free LinkedIn and Sales Navigator

Free LinkedIn is for networking.

Sales Navigator is for sales.

Here’s how they compare:

What Sales Navigator Plan Is Best for You?

LinkedIn offers three plans: Core, Advanced, and Enterprise.

If you're serious about lead gen on LinkedIn, this is the best database out there. Better than any B2B list. 

And most importantly:

1. You have the freshest data on the market with Sales Navigator (99% of the B2B data comes from LinkedIn Sales Navigator)

2. You can leverage intent data to get warm leads

Here are the different Sales Navigator plans.

Sales Navigator Core

Price: ~$99/month

Annual pricing: $959.88/year ($79.99/month)

You get:

• Advanced lead and company search

• Lead and account saving

• Alerts on job changes, posts, etc.

• 50 InMails/month

✅ For 99% of users, Sales Navigator Core is more than enough.

Sales Navigator Advanced

Price: ~$149/month

Annual pricing: $1,679.88/year ($139.99/month)

You get everything in Core, plus:

• Shared lead lists

• CRM integrations

• TeamLink to see shared connections

✅ Sales Navigator advanced is best for sales teams with multiple reps.

Sales Navigator Enterprise

Price: Custom (usually $1,000+ / year per seat)

You get everything in Advanced, plus:

• Enterprise-grade integrations

• API access

• Admin controls and advanced reporting

✅ Sales Navigator Enterprise is ideal for large companies with big sales orgs.

Plan Feature Comparison

👉 If you want more details, you can check the video about the best Sales Navigator plans:

How To Use LinkedIn Sales Navigator To Find High-Quality Leads

Sales Navigator isn't just about more filters. It's about using them smartly.

Here's how to find the exact people you want to sell to:

1. Use the Lead Filters

Sales Navigator gives you 30+ filters to laser-focus your search.

Here are the lead filters:

It's a lot, but most of them are not useful. You will see later what filters are the best to find qualified leads.

How to Identify a CEO or Founder

In the "Current job title" filter, the best way to identify a CEO or founder is to use a boolean search.

You can use this boolean search to use this job title filter trick:

"CEO" OR "Founder" OR "Co-Founder" NOT "Assistant"

✅ This boolean search finds founders whether they write “CEO”, “Founder” or "Co-Founder".

👉 We made a video on how to identify CEO or founder on LinkedIn Sales Navigator:

How to Identify Chief Marketing Officer

In the "Current job title" filter, you can use this boolean in the job title filter to find Chief Marketing Officer:

"Chief Marketing Officer" OR "CMO" NOT "Part Time" NOT "Fractional"

✅ This boolean search finds founders whether they write “CMO”, “Chief marketing officer”.

👉 We made a video on how to identify CMO on LinkedIn Sales Navigator:

How to Identify Head of Sales

In the "Current job title" filter, you can use this boolean in the job title filter to find Head of sales:

"Head of sales" OR "Sales Director" NOT "Marketing"

✅ This boolean search finds founders whether they write “Head of sales”, “Sales Director” or "Co-Founder".

👉 We made a video on how to identify Head of Sales on LinkedIn Sales Navigator:

2. How to Save Your Lead Search

Once you’ve set your filters, don’t lose them. Click on “Save Search to get notified of new results".

When new leads match your criteria, Sales Navigator notifies you.

You can manage your saved searches by clicking on "Manage saved searches".

📺 If you want an in-depth video on how to save your search on LinkedIn Sales Navigator, you can check this video:

3. How to Use Boolean Search

One of the best ways to target your leads with Sales Navigator is to use the boolean operators.

You can use Boolean operators in:

• Job title

• Keywords search

Here's how they work:

👉 You can see a video tutorial on how to use boolean operators on LinkedIn Sales Navigator:

4. How to Create a Lead List

You’ve found good leads? It's time to save them in a list.

You can save specific leads in a list by clicking on the box next to the lead:

Or you can click on "Select all" to select the 25 leads of the page:

Then, you click on "Save to list", "Create new list":

To create a lead list, choose a List name, list description and click on "Create and save":

If you want to add leads in the list, you just need to select the leads and select your list.

You will have the number of leads in it.

You have to go on the next page to add the next 25 leads.

Unfortunately, you have to repeat this process page by page :/

👉 If you want to have a video tutorial on how to create a lead lists, you have this video:

5. How to Export Your Competitors' Leads

On Sales Navigator, you can target people connected to your competitors.

Here's how:

1. Use the “Connections of” filter

2. Add your competitor’s profile

3. Add filters like "Current job title" or "Geography"

⚠️ Pro tip: You must be 1st-degree connected with the competitor. Otherwise, it won’t work.

👉 If you want to have a video tutorial on how to create a list of leads from your competitors, you can watch this video:

6. How to Export Your Profile Viewers

Sales Navigator can show you who viewed your profile recently (last 90 days). These are warm leads because they might have a good idea of who you are and what you do.

If you want to identify them:

1. click on "Viewed your profile recently"

2. Add filters like "Current job title"

Oh and by the way, it's one of the quickest way to book sales calls with qualified leads.

👉 If you want to have a video tutorial on how to export your profile viewers, you can watch this video:

7. How to Exclude Clients & Competitors From Search Results

You want a clean lists? A best practice is to exclude people you already work with. Or your competitors.

Here’s how:

1. Create a list with your clients or competitors

2. When searching, click “Exclude from lists”

3. Select the list you created

👉 If you want to learn how to exclude your competitors or clients, you can watch this video:

How to Export Leads From Sales Navigator

You can check our article "How to export leads from Sales Navigator".

Here is a quick recap of it.

First, you need to sign up for GiveMeLeads:

1. Go to GiveMeLeads

2. Click the "Get 10 leads for free" button

   
   

   

   
   

3. Enter your email and create a password

It takes less than two minutes to create your account.

Define Your Target

Now it's time to find the right prospects:

1. Log in to LinkedIn Sales Navigator

2. Use the search filters to narrow down your target audience (industry, company size, job title, location, etc)

3. Check your results to ensure it matches your target criteria

Choose Your Data Sources

GiveMeLeads lets you select what data sources you want to use.

You can select:

• Sales Navigator

• Your 1st degree connections

• Competitors’ network

• Profile viewers

• Company followers

Then, you can choose which sources you prioritize.

For example, you can say you want more leads from the source “1st degree connections” than “Competitors’ network”.

Finally, you click on “Save Target”:

Launch the Leads Export

Time to start the export process:

1. Click "New Leads Export" in the GiveMeLeads dashboard

2. Select the number of leads you want

3. Check if you want to get the leads once or on a regular basis (you can select the day of the week you want to receive your file)

4. Confirm and start the extraction

5. Wait while GiveMeLeads processes your request

Most exports finish in less than 2 hours, depending on list size.

Download Your List

The final step is getting your lead file:

1. Once processing is complete, you'll get a notification

2. Go to your GiveMeLeads dashboard

3. Find your export

4. Click "Open in Sheets" to get your file

   
   

   

   
   

5. Get access to your file

Your leads are now ready to use.

👉 If you want to have a video tutorial on how to export your leads from LinkedIn Sales Navigator, you can check this video:

Best Practices on LinkedIn Sales Navigator

Here are the top strategies to get qualified leads from LinkedIn Sales Navigator.

The 5 Best Filters to Use

These five filters give you the most qualified results, fast:

1. "Company Headcount"
   Target companies based on size.
   You won’t pitch a 10-person startup the same way you pitch a 500-employee enterprise

   
   

   

   
   

2. "Current job title"
   This is your go-to for finding decision-makers.
   Pro tip: use Boolean logic to catch all job title variations (like “VP Sales,” “Head of Sales,” etc.)

   
   

   

   
   

3. "Posted on LinkedIn"
   Want leads that are active and responsive?
   This filter shows people who’ve posted in the last 30 days.

   
   

   

   
   

4. "Geography"
   Useful for local prospecting or targeting specific regions with better buying power.

   
   

   

   
   

5. "Company Industry"

   Not all industries are created equal. Some are cash-rich. Others aren’t.

   
   

   

Target Leads Who Have Money

If you're tired to reach out to leads who don't have money, it's time to target leads who can afford your product or service.

Here’s the best LinkedIn Sales Navigator filters to find them:

• "Current job title":
  C-level execs = decision-makers + budget holders.
  Also target professions with high income (lawyers, dentists, consultants).

  
  

• "Geography":
  Focus on countries or regions with higher average salaries (e.g., US, UK, Switzerland).

  
  

• "Company Headcount":
  Bigger companies tend to have bigger budgets.

  
  

• "Company Industry":
  Some industries just pay better. Like finance, insurance, legal, tech or banking.

For that, select these filters on the "Lead page":

Then, select this filter on the "Account page":

The idea: Don’t just look for leads. Look for leads with money.

👉 If you want to watch a tutorial on how to target leads who have money, here is a video:

Target Companies That Have Money

Sometimes it’s not about the person. It’s about the company.

Here’s how to spot companies that are likely to spend:

• "Company Headcount"
  Larger orgs often have more budgets and resources to buy.

  
  

• "Company Industry"
  Target cash-rich industries: banking, insurance, tech, law, healthcare.

  
  

• "Company Headcount Growth"
  If the company is growing fast, chances are they’re investing heavily. So it means they have money.

  
  

• "Job Opportunities (Hiring on LinkedIn)"
  If a company is actively hiring, they’re scaling. And likely open to buying new tools or services.
  
  

  

These signals = these companies have money.

👉 If you want to watch a tutorial on how to target companies who have money, here is a video:

Leverage Intent Data

Here’s where Sales Navigator becomes a game-changer.

It's one of the only place where you can real intent data.

Use these filters and alerts to catch leads at the right moment:

• "Following your company"
  Someone’s showing interest. Maybe they’re interested by what you do.
  
  

• "Viewed your profile recently"
  They checked you out. Time to check them out. These are warm leads.

  
  

  

  
  

• "Connections (1st-degree network)"
  Your existing connections are more likely to reply.
  You can also leverage mutual connections for warm intros.

  
  

  

  
  

• "Connections of [a person]"
  A killer way to mine your competitor’s network or a past client’s contacts.

  
  

  

  
  

• "Changed jobs recently"
  When people start new roles, they often have budget and are open to change.

  
  

  

  
  

• "Posted on LinkedIn"
  If they’re active, they’re more likely to see your message.
  Engage with their post before sending a DM for a natural entry point.
  
  

  

Use these triggers to send messages at the perfect time.

It’s not just about who you reach out to. It’s when you do it.

FAQ

Is LinkedIn Sales Navigator worth it?

Yes. If you're sourcing leads regularly.

The advanced filters, saved searches, and alerts make it the best tool for find qualified leads.

If you’re serious about outbound, it’s a the best investment.

How much does LinkedIn Sales Navigator cost?

It depends on the plan:

• Core ($99/month or $959.88/year)

• Advanced ($149/month or $1,679.88/year)

• Enterprise (Custom but usually $1,000+ / year per seat)

💡 Good news: You can start with a free 1-month trial to test it out.

How can I export leads from Sales Navigator?

LinkedIn doesn’t let you export leads directly.

But you can use GiveMeLeads to extract your lead lists in seconds. And get the verified emails of your leads.

👉 Click here to export your leads from LinkedIn Sales Navigator