While you can use a free version of the LinkedIn Sales Navigator, the premium version is significantly more powerful. As a financial advisor you will want to use the LinkedIn Sales Navigator version, as it is specifically designed for sales professionals.

There are two different schools of thought on this issue. The default setting on LinkedIn is “open connections,” enabling your LinkedIn connections to be perused by anyone to whom you are already connected. Many financial advisors prefer to keep their connections private, preventing other advisors from poaching their prospects. Personally, I think you should keep your connections open. It shows that your work with a lot of centers of influence – you’ve built a robust LinkedIn network, and that’s a great resource to leverage with clients.

The default setting on LinkedIn is to make you fully visible. That means that every time you look at someone’s profile, that person will be notified. In certain cases, for example, such as if you’re doing heavy-duty prospecting on LinkedIn, you don’t want people to know that you’re looking at them. Going into private mode will make it so that people cannot see when you have checked their profile, but, if you’re using the free version, it also means that you will no longer be able to see who has viewed YOUR profile. Upgrading to the paid version allows you to have your cake and eat it too.