Discovery Playbook for 3PL Sales

Use this guide to run effective discovery that maps real e-commerce pain to the services you sell. Keep it consultative and concrete so proposals write themselves.

Why Discovery Matters

Discovery is where 3PL sales are won or lost. Done well, it reveals what matters to the brand and positions your warehouse as the clear answer.

  • Outcomes of Good Discovery
    • Trust and credibility with operators who value clarity
    • Specific pains and timelines that create urgency
    • Data to craft a tailored proposal tied to measurable outcomes
    • Qualification on readiness and fit before you quote

Step 1: Prepare with Purpose

Go in informed so you can ask better questions and earn better answers.

  • Research the Brand
    Products, marketplaces they are selling in, idea of how they might be shipping today, carriers, service levels, shopping carts in use today (Shopify, WooCommerce, etc.).
  • Map Stakeholders
    Founder, fulfillment, logistics, ops manager, Head of Amazon, logistics, etc.
  • Set Call Objectives
    Confirm urgent fulfillment problems, switching timeline, and willingness to invest now.

Step 2: Lead with Open-Ended Questions

Start broad, then narrow to specific service areas that match what you sell. End each thread by tying the pain back to how FillMy3PL surfaces timing signals.

  • Open the Conversation
    • “Walk me through how fulfillment works across your channels today?”
    • “What made you start exploring new 3PL options now?”
    • “If you could fix one thing this month, what would it be?”
  • Omnichannel Fulfillment
    • How are you currently managing your inventory visibility?
    • How accurate is your inventory count?
    • Have you considered leveraging multiple nodes?
    Signal (FillMy3PL): We flag brands that launch new channels (e.g., TikTok Shop + Amazon FBA) so reps engage when multi-node inventory becomes urgent.
  • Amazon FBA Prep
    • What type of prep are you currently doing today?
    Signal (FillMy3PL): We detect early signs of FBA growth and compliance strain, like new hiring for Amazon ops, ad campaign surges, or funding events, so you know when a brand is scaling and at risk of missing prep requirements.
  • Warehousing and Storage
    • How many pallet positions do you require?
    • What is your turnaround rate?
    • Where are your products being imported today, or are they made in the US?
    Signal (FillMy3PL): Funding + hiring + traffic growth patterns indicate when storage capacity and new nodes will be needed.
  • Returns Processing
    • What level of inspection do you require for returns?
    Signal (FillMy3PL): We monitor review trends indicating returns pain and surface brands needing faster triage and restock.
  • TikTok Shop and Social Commerce
    • What channels are you currently selling through?
    • How are you integrating with those channels?
    • What delivery promises do you need to hit?
    • Are you currently hitting your delivery promises and meeting your SLAs?
    Signal (FillMy3PL): We detect new campaign launches and channel adds so you can prioritize brands when SLA pressure is highest.
  • Kitting and Value Added Services
    • What value added services do your products require?
    Signal (FillMy3PL): We spot product launches, bundles, and subscription spikes to time kitting outreach.

Step 3: Sequence with the OCEAN Framework

A simple path to keep discovery tight and focused on next steps.

  • O - Opportunity
    How is your current 3PL's performance affecting your customers, margin, and marketplace partners? What competing priorities would prevent you from switching 3PLs?
  • C - Champion
    Who feels the pain day to day? If we solved this, how would it change your week?
  • E - Exchange
    What priorities compete for budget? Is fulfillment spend budgeted or pulled from margin?
  • A - Approvals
    What's your criteria for switching to a new strategic 3rd party warehouse provider?
  • N - Negotiators
    Who ultimately signs off on switching warehouses?

Step 4: Listen More Than You Talk

Earn detail by giving space.

  • Guideposts
    • Prospect speaks 70 percent of the time
    • Capture their language verbatim for proposals
    • Use silence to get specifics
    • Signal listening with short prompts like “Tell me more.”

Step 5: Confirm and Clarify

Close the loop so you do not quote the wrong problem.

  • Summarize Back
    • If we guaranteed our product turnaround time for FBA and met your TikTok SLAs, would that address your priorities?
    Tip: Confirmation builds trust and prevents stalls later.

Step 6: Transition from Discovery to Solution

Use their words to set up a natural next step.

  • Highlight the Gap
    You spend 15 hours a week on FBA prep. How could that time be repurposed?
  • Bridge with Your Services
    Here is how we take prep, omnichannel, and returns off your plate so you can scale.
  • Gain Agreement
    Would you like to see how similar brands expanded to TikTok and Amazon at the same time with us?

Daily Sales Success Checklist

Run this checklist daily to maximize your sales results.

  • Morning
    • Next steps for each of your pipeline opportunities — 10–15 minutes
    • Check calendar, tasks, emails, new leads — 10 minutes
    • Set daily success criteria (50 calls, 50 emails, 5 connects, 10 new accounts, 1 proposal) — 5 minutes
    With FillMy3PL: Morning Briefing highlights who to call and why. Your first 30 minutes of research drops to less than 10.
  • During the Day
    • Prospect 5–10 new accounts with timing signals — 60–90 minutes
    • Advance active opportunities with context — 90–120 minutes
    • Monitor the market for fresh triggers — 30–45 minutes
    • Customer touchpoint (relationship + expansion) — 30 minutes
    • CRM hygiene (inspection-ready pipeline) — 30–45 minutes
    With FillMy3PL:
    • Prospecting: Morning Briefing surfaces accounts with funding, hiring, or ad spikes — cutting research in half.
    • Pipeline: Pre-Call Research gives context so outreach is faster and sharper.
    • Market watch: Dashboard surfaces midday changes — no endless scrolling.
    • CRM hygiene: Every opportunity is tied to a verified buying signal.
  • End of Day
    • Review what worked and what did not — 10 minutes
    • Adjust tomorrow’s focus — 5 minutes
    • Send at least one thank you or value-add note — 5 minutes
    With FillMy3PL: Daily recap shows which signals led to connects, so tomorrow’s prospecting targets are already prioritized.