Overview
The best salespeople know that prospecting never stops.
Sales Navigator’s Lead Search tools help you find people who not only fit your ideal customer profile but also share meaningful connections with you or your team.
Using advanced filters, TeamLink connections, and saved searches, you can focus on warm leads with the highest potential for engagement, instead of starting every search from scratch.
Accessing Lead Filters
Go to your Sales Navigator homepage.
At the top, click the Lead Filters button beside the search bar.
This opens the Advanced Search panel, where you can apply filters like:
Geography
Industry
Job Title or Function
Seniority Level
Current or Past Company
Years in Current Position
Posted Content Keywords
Using Relationship Filters
Sales Navigator allows you to search leads based on your relationship strength:
1st-degree connections: People already in your network.
2nd-degree connections: People connected to your contacts, often ideal for warm introductions.
TeamLink connections: If your company uses Sales Navigator Team or Enterprise, this shows leads connected to your teammates’ networks.
Tip: Start with 2nd-degree or TeamLink connections to identify prospects you can approach through a mutual connection.
Combining Personas and Filters
If you’ve already defined Personas (e.g., “Marketing Director,” “VP of Sales”), you can apply them directly within Lead Filters.
This automatically loads predefined criteria for job function, seniority, and geography, making searches faster and more consistent.
You can further refine by adding keywords or targeting specific account lists to narrow results to your saved companies.
Finding Leads from Your Network and Past Companies
You can also use relationship pathways to reconnect with people who already know your work:
Under Past Company, search for leads who previously worked with one of your satisfied clients.
Use Current Company + Past Company filters together to identify people who’ve switched roles but remain in your target industry.
These leads often convert faster because they’re already familiar with your value.
Saving and Automating Searches
Once you’ve built an effective search, save it to avoid redoing the setup later:
Click Save Search in the top-right corner of the results page.
Give your search a clear name (e.g., “Marketing Leaders – Europe – SaaS”).
Turn on Search Alerts to receive notifications when new leads match your criteria.
LinkedIn will automatically rerun the search and alert you to new results, ensuring your pipeline is always fresh.
Takeaway
Sales Navigator’s advanced lead filters and saved searches help you find the right people, faster.
By leveraging relationship paths, Personas, and ongoing alerts, you can maintain a continuously refreshed list of high-quality prospects ready for meaningful engagement.