In mid-2016, Microsoft made a bold move, acquiring LinkedIn for more than $26 billion. The acquisition made for bold headlines, but it left many people wondering what this would mean for the LinkedIn platform they love so much. How will the millions of sales and marketing professionals who use the platform be impacted by the influence of Microsoft, and how will Microsoft’s enterprise platforms benefit?
The Benefits of The LinkedIn Acquisition
LinkedIn has an extremely valuable data network. It knows where 433 million users work, what their skills are, what their goals are, who they know, who they went to school with, what their interests are, and what types of content they consume. This type of data is invaluable when it comes to sales and marketing. Sales and marketing teams already utilize LinkedIn to make connections, advertise products and nurture leads. So do the millions of enterprise customers that use Microsoft’s CRM products. Now, the marriage between the two will open new doors for users to leverage even more data, providing better insights.
LinkedIn Sales Navigator will be used with Microsoft’s Dynamics CRM which will allow enterprise salespeople to build a stronger bridge between cold calls and warm leads, which could have massive positive impacts on closing ratios and overall sales efficiency. This could also help Microsoft close the gap between its platforms and market-leading Salesforce and Oracle platforms, finally making it a strong competitor in the CRM and sales management space.
Sales and marketing managers whose teams use LinkedIn, Microsoft CRM or both, would benefit from the training programs available on Lynda.com, LinkedIn’s training arm. There are many Microsoft training programs available on Lynda, and they will become more dynamic over time. In order to get the most of new features available to users on these platforms once LinkedIn and Microsoft are fully merged, forward-thinking leaders should keep tabs on new trainings as they become available and encourage team members to take advantage.
A Platform is Only As Good as Its Users
There could be endless benefits to sales and marketing teams through this acquisition, but the most effective software in the world is only useful if users understand how to get the most from them. Tech-savvy sales and marketing professionals will help companies make the most of the new insights to be gleaned from the LinkedIn acquisition.
In order to stay on the cutting edge, you need to know where to find sales and marketing talent who can help you make the most of your tools. If your organization is looking to attract the best and brightest, contact the sales and marketing recruiting experts at CSS ProSeach today to learn more about connecting with the professionals who will drive your business forward.