LinkedIn Sales Navigator vs. Emitree
Prospecting tool vs. sustainability sales engine.
The Short Version
Sales Navigator helps you find people on LinkedIn. Emitree runs the full sustainability sales workflow for you.
LinkedIn Sales Navigator
A prospecting tool for finding and researching people on LinkedIn. It provides 50+ search filters and InMail messaging, but no email addresses, no phone numbers, and no outreach automation. You find prospects. You still need 4-6 other tools to reach them.
Emitree
A sustainability sales engine that handles your top-of-funnel workflow. You define how you find and qualify companies based on sustainability criteria. Emitree does the rest: identifying decision-makers, pulling contact data, generating personalized messaging, and running multichannel outreach.
The key point: Sales Navigator is one of the data sources Emitree leverages. You are not choosing between them. You are choosing between operating Sales Navigator yourself (plus 4-6 other tools), or having Emitree run a complete workflow that includes Sales Navigator data.
The Fundamental Difference
Sales Navigator and Emitree solve different problems. One is a prospecting tool. The other is an AI-powered sales engine that runs your workflow.
Sales Navigator: Prospecting Tool
Sales Navigator helps you find people on LinkedIn. You do everything else.
- You search for prospects using filters.
- You save leads to lists.
- You research each prospect manually.
- You send InMail messages one at a time (50-100/month).
- You use separate tools to find email addresses.
- You use separate tools to send email sequences.
- You update your CRM manually (unless you pay for Advanced Plus).
Emitree: Sales Engine
Emitree runs the workflow and syncs everything to your CRM.
- Finding targets: carbon registries, ESG disclosures, sustainability news, and LinkedIn data.
- Deep research: why each company is a fit, verified sustainability context.
- Decision-maker identification: the right people, ranked by priority.
- Contact data: email and phone from all major B2B data providers (including LinkedIn).
- Personalized outreach: messages grounded in company sustainability data.
- Execution: multichannel sequences (email + LinkedIn) running 24/7.
- CRM sync: everything flows to your CRM; you get tasks when human action is needed.
Quick Comparison
| Dimension | Sales Navigator | Emitree |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Prospecting tool | Sales engine (runs the workflow) |
| Who Does the Work | You operate the tool | Emitree runs it for you |
| Email Addresses | None (LinkedIn policy) | Yes, from all major providers |
| Phone Numbers | None | Yes, from all major providers |
| Carbon Credit Data | None | Verra, Gold Standard, ACR registries |
| ESG/SBTi Tracking | None | Built-in analysis |
| Outreach Execution | InMail only (50-100/month) | Multichannel sequences 24/7 |
| CRM Integration | Advanced Plus only (~$1,600/year) | Included |
What Sales Navigator Does Well
- LinkedIn network access: 1B+ members, real-time activity data.
- Advanced search: 50+ filters, Boolean operators, Spotlight filters for recent activity.
- Job change alerts: prospects are 3x more likely to respond.
- InMail effectiveness: 10-25% response rate vs. 1-5% for cold email.
What Emitree Does Well
A Sales Engine That Runs Your Workflow
- You define the criteria: how you find and qualify companies.
- Emitree finds decision-makers, ranked by priority.
- Emitree pulls contact data from major B2B providers.
- Emitree generates messaging from verified sustainability data.
- Emitree executes outreach with multichannel sequences.
- Everything syncs to your CRM for human action when needed.
Sustainability-Native Intelligence
- Tracks signals Sales Navigator cannot see.
- Understands carbon market terminology.
- Analyzes complex sustainability commitments.
Carbon Registry Integration
- Verra retirement tracking (83% of market).
- Gold Standard activity monitoring.
- ACR data integration.
- Purchase frequency and first-time buyer identification.
LinkedIn Data Included
Emitree leverages Sales Navigator data behind the scenes. You get LinkedIn intelligence without operating the tool yourself.
Sales Navigator's Gaps for Sustainability Sales
Sales Navigator can filter by sustainability in job titles, but it cannot explain why a company is buying carbon or ESG services right now.
| Missing Capability | Impact |
|---|---|
| No email addresses | Cannot reach prospects outside LinkedIn. |
| No phone numbers | Cannot call decision-makers. |
| No carbon registry data | Cannot identify active carbon credit buyers. |
| No ESG disclosure tracking | Miss companies with sustainability maturity. |
| No SBTi commitment monitoring | Lose visibility into deadline-driven urgency. |
| No outreach automation | Limited to 50-100 InMails/month, manual sending. |
| No CRM sync (without Advanced Plus) | Manual data entry and workflow friction. |
The Tool Stack Problem
Sales Navigator is one tool in a 5-7 tool workflow. A complete setup requires multiple platforms and manual handoffs between each one.
| Tool Type | Purpose | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Sales Navigator | Find prospects on LinkedIn | $80-150/month |
| Email Finder | Get email addresses | $30-100/month |
| Outreach Platform | Send email sequences | $50-100/month |
| LinkedIn Automation | Automate connection requests | $40-100/month |
| CRM | Manage pipeline | $25-150/month |
| Data Enrichment | Company/contact data | $100-500/month |
Total: $325-1,000/month per user. And you are still the operator. You search in Sales Navigator, export to an email finder, import to an outreach tool, sync to CRM, and manage across 5-7 platforms.
Emitree consolidates this. One platform. One workflow. You define the criteria, Emitree runs everything.
What Each Platform Sees
| Sales Navigator | Emitree |
|---|---|
| LinkedIn profile data | LinkedIn profile data |
| Job title, company, tenure | Job title, company, tenure |
| Recent posts and activity | Recent posts and activity |
| Job changes (past 90 days) | Job changes |
| Sustainability in title | CSO hired 6 months ago (signals budget) |
| Industry: Environmental Services | Retired 100K VCUs on Verra last year |
| No contact info | Verified email and phone |
| No sustainability signals | SBTi commitment due in 14 months |
| No compliance context | EU CSRD affected, Q3 2025 deadline |
Sales Navigator shows you the person exists on LinkedIn. Emitree tells you their company is actively buying carbon solutions and why they are a fit.
When Each Makes Sense
Sales Navigator Alone
Best if you prefer LinkedIn-first outreach, have time to operate multiple tools, and do not need sustainability signals.
Emitree
Best if you sell sustainability solutions and want the workflow handled, not just a prospecting tool to operate.
Bottom Line
LinkedIn Sales Navigator is a strong prospecting tool with powerful search filters, real-time activity data, and effective InMail. But it cannot provide email addresses, phone numbers, sustainability-specific data, or outreach automation. You still need multiple tools and you still run the workflow.
Emitree is a sustainability sales engine. It uses Sales Navigator data behind the scenes, along with carbon registries, ESG disclosures, and contact databases. You define the criteria, Emitree runs the workflow: finding targets, researching them, identifying decision-makers, pulling contacts, writing personalized messages, executing outreach, and syncing to your CRM.
Two questions to decide
- Do you want to operate a tool stack, or have the workflow run for you?
- Do you need sustainability-specific signals? (If yes: Emitree.)