You can find 3PL companies’ customers from-
- Calls
- Emails
- Matchmaking Platforms
- Referrals
- Industry Partners
- Trade Shows And Search
- Lead Generation
- Digital Marketing
- Targeted Directories
Outbound reach brings out most customers. Because you contact potential customers directly rather than waiting for them to find you. You can find 3PL customers from all places, you just need to know the right buyer signals and when to knock.
9 Ways to Find 3PL Customers
Here is the right process to find 3PL leads:
Calls
Calling is the easiest way to get 3PL leads. Start calling the businesses that sell products you already know how to store and ship. But before you call, research their needs and the benefits you can offer. Also find out their decision-maker and then call them with a simple opening like-
“Do you ship orders yourselves, or do you use a fulfillment company?”
Then try to learn their issues like-
- Shipping Delays
- Limited Storage
- Trouble During Busy Periods
This info will give you something specific to discuss. But one call won’t secure the leads. You need to call again, but before booking another call, find out their monthly order volume, product type and shipping destinations.
The more informed you are, the more likely you are to close the sale.
Cold Emails
Cold email conversion rate is 2% to 3% for B2B outreach. That’s pretty low to actually convert them into sales. That’s why just a simple “We offer warehousing services” won’t work here. Your email should have some specific info about their business to catch their attention, like:
- “Are you shipping all your US orders from one warehouse?
- We have space in New Jersey if you’re considering an East Coast location.”
Mainly, use correct info about the business. You can find that info through the company website or LinkedIn. Note that info down and use it to keep your email focused on one need and one question.
If you don’t hear back, give them another reason to reply. Mention the order volumes you handle or your experience storing products like theirs. That tells them more than another “just checking in” email.
Matchmaking Platforms
These platforms connect businesses looking for fulfillment or storage with providers. So, it is easy to find qualified leads here. Cause owners are already roaming there. You just need to check-
- Which ones accept warehouses in your region?
- How do they charge for introductions?
To do that easily, make your profile specific with your locations, available services, minimum volume, supported store integrations and any products you cannot handle.
This helps businesses see if your warehouse could work for them.
After seeing all the info, leads will come to you directly. When you get a message, don’t jump to close the deal. Set a meeting with them and figure out
- How many orders they ship each month.
- Their SKU count.
- How much space they need and when they want to start.
- Have other providers received the same enquiry?
Do not send a quote before clearing all those things. Someone who only needs pallet storage will need a different price breakdown than a business asking you to pick, pack and ship orders every day.
Referrals
Your current clients can introduce you to other businesses that need a 3PL. This will cut down your hassle and cost of getting 3PL leads. You can bring this up with a referral earning or some discounts.
Keep the request specific, like:
“Do you know another brand that needs help storing products or shipping orders? We have room for businesses selling products like yours.”
Mainly, give the client a short message they can forward. Tell them about the products you handle, your warehouse location, and your minimum order volume. This way, they can easily refer to you or remember you when something similar comes up.
Industry Partners
Another way is to build relationships with freight forwarders, customs brokers, packaging suppliers, and e-commerce agencies. Because they are in this field, they definitely need your service sooner or later.
For example, a freight forwarder may arrange imports for a brand but leave the brand to find US storage. So, start the talk with:
“We handle storage and fulfillment near your delivery area. Do your customers ever need somewhere to keep their goods after arrival?”
Don’t just stop with that!
Also share your receiving process, product restrictions, warehouse location, and capacity. Cause the partner needs those details before recommending you. The more info you give away, the more chance you get to get 3PL customers.
Trade Shows and Search
Trade shows are an easy way to meet brands in the product categories you serve. Don’t just meet and greet anyone. Study their guest list to see if their business matches your needs. Go there if the guests match yours.
Once you arrive, don’t pitch your business like a YouTube ad. Start the conversation like:
“Where are you shipping orders from now? Are you planning to add another location?”
Listen to what they say and note any storage problems, expansion plans, or contract timing they mention. Try to know who buys logistics services for their brand. Then use that info to follow up with them. You can then refer to that conversation and suggest a call about the need they described.
You can also include a link to the relevant service page on your website.
For example, a brand planning to sell on Amazon could find your FBA prep page useful. The page should explain your service, warehouse location, product restrictions, and minimum volumes.
It will help other businesses reach out to you easily.
Lead Generation
Even though 3PL lead generation costs are slightly higher, it’s one of the best and easiest ways to find leads. But you don’t need to do much; instead, pay the agency like CallingAgency. They will do all the research, contact them, and book sales meetings.
Before outreach starts, give the agency clear information so they can create a great ICP. So, give them clear requirements of your service, like
- Product Types
- Monthly Order Volume
- Shipping Locations
- Services You Offer
Also, tell them if you handle cosmetics fulfillment. This helps the agency focus on beauty brands that need storage and daily pick-and-pack services. It should confirm their needs and pass the notes to your salesperson before the meeting.
If you don’t want to work with an agency, build an in-house 3PL lead generation team. In this case, the team stays in your office and handles everything under your roof. But this model is more costly than hiring an agency. Because you need to hire different people to do each job.
Digital Marketing
SEO, paid ads, social media and other digital marketing stuff help a lot to find 3PL leads. If you use them correctly, then it can create a funnel to get customers. Then you don’t need to do much just handle the clients.
Apply SEO on your website properly. To do that, use a separate page for each main service, like
- E-commerce fulfillment
- Cold-chain storage
Make those pages with whatever clients are looking for. Use the words customers search for naturally in the page title and headings. Keep sharing your success story on social media to build trust.
But SEO and social media work slowly. You might see progress in 2-3 months if competition is low. In other cases, it may take 6 months or longer to show some results.
But again, it’s not certain; it depends on your website, content, and activity. That’s why people tend to go with paid ads. Paid ads can bring visitors sooner, but you still need to turn those visits into inquiries and sales.
Online Directories & Marketplaces
Directory sites like 3PLFinder or the Extensive Fulfillment Marketplace help you find 3PL customers. To be part of it, fill out the listing with enough detail for a brand to decide if you can handle its work, including:
- Warehouse location
- Products you store
- Monthly order minimums
- Fulfillment and International Shipping services
You can also explore matching platforms such as Third-party logistics 3PL Hub. Before paying for access, review the fees, what each inquiry includes and how many other providers receive it.
If someone arrives, don’t close the deal until you know the inquiry details,
- Confirm Monthly Orders
- Sku Count
- Storage Needs
- Planned Start Date.
Note it down and use those details to prepare for a call before quoting.
How Many Meetings Does It Take to Win a 3PL Client?
You can plan for 3 to 5 sales meetings to work through a 3PL deal. But the number will vary by campaign. We recently ran 2 campaigns for 2 different brands at CallingAgency, and the results varied widely. Here, have a look:
| Campaign | Months | Appointments | New shipping accounts | Rate |
| Wisdom Freight | 11 | 144 | 34 | 23.6% |
| NXRE Logistics | 7 | 116 | 27 | 23.3% |
| Combined | 11 + 7 | 260 | 61 | 23.5% |
The numbers vary because each meeting has a different level. Each meeting should help both sides decide if the move will work. Here is one way to structure the process:
| Meeting | What to cover | People to involve |
| Discovery call | Monthly orders, products, shipping destinations, current problems, and timing | Logistics Manager or Head of Supply Chain |
| Technical review | SKU count, order data, handling needs, and API/EDI connections with the WMS, ERP, or shopping cart | Operations and IT |
| Warehouse tour and pricing | Show the facility, explain the receiving and fulfillment process, and review rates and SLAs | Operations, Supply Chain, or COO |
| Proposal and contract | Settle remaining questions, agree on terms, and plan the move | Finance, procurement, legal, and the final decision-maker |
These stages can overlap or change based on the brands you’re talking to. Big brands need more time to think or discuss with others.
However, a small brand may discuss pricing on the first call. A larger account may need separate meetings for IT, finance, and operations.
So, the first appointment should give your salesperson enough information to start discovery. Then you need to talk things out to actually lock them in as clients.
When Brands Are Ready to Switch 3PLs?
Brands may start looking for another 3PL when service problems keep happening, costs become hard to justify, or their current warehouse cannot support their growth.
These are reasons to start a conversation with your sales team. But they do not confirm the brand is ready to move. Before actually knocking, see if they have more buying signals like:
- Orders keep shipping late, even after the brand raises the issue.
- Missing stock, wrong items, or inaccurate counts create extra work and customer complaints.
- The brand struggles to understand its invoices or keeps finding fees it did not budget for.
- More orders, new products, or retail expansion require services the current 3PL cannot provide.
- Problems take too long to resolve, and the brand cannot get clear updates.
- The agreement is nearing its end, giving the brand time to compare providers before renewing.
Find those and use the issue you find to open the conversation. For example: “I saw you’re adding wholesale accounts. Can your current warehouse handle the retailer’s labeling and EDI requirements?”
Then confirm the contract end date, notice period, and planned move date. It works best if you start following up 30 to 120 days before the contract ends. A brand may want to switch but still need time to transfer inventory and connect its systems. Save those dates so your follow-up fits its plans.
Final Thoughts
It’s easy to get 3PL customers if you keep a record of why suitable prospects turn you down. If several need a service you do not offer, such as returns processing or retail labeling. Then it maybe exploring.
So the main point is to keep your eyes open. You will come across many ways to get 3PL customers. You just need to grab it at the right time.
