LinkedIn Extends CRM Toolbox, Integrates Sales Navigator with Dynamics, Android

After refreshing its Sales Navigator tool with impressive features last summer, LinkedIn continues to expand its CRM toolbox with newly announced integration of Microsoft Dynamics, and also making Sales Navigator available on Android.

Aimed at sales professionals, Sales Navigator is designed to add sales features to LinkedIn’s business networking service. Drawing from a user’s LinkedIn profile, the program employs an algorithm to sort through saved preferences and settings to generate custom lead recommendations. A dashboard points out how a user is connected to a company and who the key influencers are within that firm at any given time. Instant notifications alert the salesperson about their prospects’ activity.

Like its integration with Salesforce’s CRM system last fall, Sales Navigator’s integration with Microsoft Dynamics CRM will allow users to sync contacts and accounts from within the CRM interface, without forcing them to toggle between the two.

For LinkedIn, the updates come as the next logical step in efforts to encourage companies to drop traditional selling methods and gain prospects primarily through its platform. “Cold calls and emails are much less effective than they were in the past,” Diana Kucer, director of global product marketing at LinkedIn says. “Sales professionals really need to change the way that they approach their job if they are to be more effective.”

LinkedIn cited Accenture research that CRM integrations for Sales Navigator save sales reps up to 30 minutes on average per day while increasing sales productivity by 17 (!) percent.

Also, Sales Navigator is now available in the Google Play store. Updating in real-time, the app promises all of the core functions from Sales Navigator on Android devices, including access to prospects, contacts, account information and InMail, LinkedIn’s messaging service within its professional social network.