Investigate Before You Quote.

Why Discovery Matters

Quoting without discovery leads to:

• Margin erosion
• Misaligned service levels
• Incomplete carrier fit
• Short-term relationships

Discovery protects:

• Your commission
• Customer expectations
• Long-term account value

THE DISCOVERY OBJECTIVE

Before presenting pricing, you must understand:

• Annual transportation spend
• Mode mix (LTL / TL / Parcel / Cross-Border)
• Carrier relationships
• Pain points
• Decision-making authority
• Pricing sensitivity

If you don’t know these, you are guessing.

STRUCTURED DISCOVERY FRAMEWORK

Use this in every freight conversation. The depth of questioning will be situational - being asked for a spot quote versus a formal sales cycle, for example -  but without discovery you risk commoditizing yourself, under-serving the customer and not maximizing revenue & profit.

1. Current Structure

Ask:

• Who are you currently using for LTL and TL? (Is anyone else quoting?)
• How many carriers are in rotation?
• Are contracts centralized or plant-level?
• Are you under long-term agreements?

Objective:

Understand fragmentation or opportunity.

2. Volume & Spend

Ask:

• Estimated annual freight spend?
• LTL vs TL percentage?
• Cross-border frequency?
• Peak season patterns?

Objective:

Size the opportunity properly.

3. Service Pain Points

Ask:

• What frustrates you most about your current setup?
• Where do delays typically occur?
• Are you experiencing accessorial surprises?
• Do you have visibility challenges?

Objective:

Sell against pain — not price.

4. Pricing Sensitivity

Ask carefully:

• Is rate your primary decision driver?
• Or reliability and service consistency?

Then listen.

Objective:

Determine if this is a commodity buyer.

5.  Decision Process

Ask:

• Who signs off on carrier changes?
• Is this plant-level or corporate?
• What does a transition timeline look like?

Objective:

Avoid quoting someone without authority.

MARGIN PROTECTION RULE

Do not quote before:

• Spend size is understood
• Mode mix is clear
• Decision authority identified
• Pain points surfaced

Quoting prematurely weakens position.

POSITIONING SCRIPT

When asked for rates too early:

“I’d be happy to review pricing, but I want to make sure we’re aligned on your structure and goals first. Otherwise we’re just comparing numbers without context.”

Professional. Confident. Disciplined.

RED FLAGS

Proceed cautiously if:

• They refuse to discuss spend
• They refuse to discuss pain points
• They want “best rate only”
• They won’t identify decision authority

These accounts often erode margin.

DISCOVERY CHECKLIST

Freight Discovery Checklist

☐ Current carriers identified
☐ Spend range estimated
☐ Mode mix clarified
☐ Pain points documented
☐ Decision authority confirmed
☐ Pricing sensitivity assessed

If boxes are not checked, do not move to Present.

WHEN TO USE THIS

Use this before:

• Any freight quote
• Any RFP participation
• Any carrier transition discussion

Discovery precedes presentation.

Always.