Discovery Playbook: E-commerce Manager

Who this playbook is for (and when to use it)

Persona: E-commerce Manager (resale / consignment / recommerce) Reader: Ribbn SDRs Use this when: You’re qualifying a prospect’s current e-commerce architecture and need to position Ribbn webshop vs. Shopify + Ribbn integration clearly—while still anchoring on Ribbn’s end-to-end resale ops value.

Ribbn value narrative (for E-commerce Managers)

The 15-second positioning

Ribbn is an end-to-end resale commerce platform that runs your operation: inventory + webshop + POS + seller sourcing and payouts—built for one-of-a-kind items and multi-seller consignment workflows. When you add Shopify, Ribbn can stay the system of record for products and inventory, while Shopify becomes the online storefront.

What this persona cares about (listen for)

• Keeping inventory accurate across in-store + online (especially one-of-a-kind items)
• Faster listing with consistent quality (photos/attributes/descriptions)
• Clean multi-seller workflows: seller mapping, commissions, payouts
• Operational trust: status control, holds/returns windows, payout transparency
• Reducing manual work and “double entry” between systems

Qualifying motion: identify their e-commerce architecture

Discovery goals (what you must leave the call knowing)

1. Where inventory is managed today (system of record)
2. Whether they need Shopify (existing or planned) or prefer a native Ribbn webshop
3. How they handle one-of-a-kind inventory, variants, and publishing controls
4. Who manages online orders and returns (and where)
5. Their tolerance for manual steps vs. automation, and what “source of truth” means to them

Fast “routing” questions (use in the first 3–5 minutes)

1. “What’s your current stack for in-store + online?” (POS, inventory, webshop)
2. “Where do you create and maintain product data today?” (titles, descriptions, pricing, attributes)
3. “Do you already run Shopify, or are you evaluating it?”
4. “Are your items mostly one-of-a-kind, or do you have multi-variant products (size/color) too?”
5. “Who manages online orders, fulfillment, and returns today?”

Ribbn vs. Shopify: core talk track (system-of-record clarity)

The rule SDRs must say plainly

• Ribbn is the source of truth for inventory and product management.
• The Ribbn app in Shopify is primarily for syncing products into Shopify so they can be published online.
• Edits are made in Ribbn first—changes made directly in Shopify do not sync back to Ribbn.

Responsibilities map (use as your quick reference)

What “sync” actually sends to Shopify (high-confidence details)

When products are published/synced from Ribbn to Shopify, Shopify receives:

• Core product content (including media)
• Additional Ribbn fields as Shopify Meta Fields, such as taxonomy/attributes and operational fields (e.g., size, brand, condition, seller info, tags)

Use this line:

“You build and maintain the product in Ribbn, then push it to Shopify with media + key attributes—so Shopify can function as the storefront without you duplicating product work.”

Publishing + status control (prevent accidental online sales)

The status mismatch risk (important for omnichannel)

Ribbn status changes do not automatically deactivate a product in Shopify. So if an item is pulled for QC/repair/hold, the team must also ensure Shopify availability matches.

SDR framing question:

• “How do you prevent an item from staying purchasable online when it’s pulled off the floor for QC or a hold?”

Approved guidance you can give:

• Set the Shopify product to Draft, or
• Manually remove it from Shopify

Omnichannel: what happens when something sells in-store?

The “sold in-store → removed online” flow (Shopify setup)

When a product is changed to a Sold-state in Ribbn:

1. Shopify inventory quantity decreases automatically
2. For one-of-a-kind items, when quantity reaches 0, Shopify sets the product status to Draft
3. The item is effectively removed from online sale

Talk track: “Ribbn protects one-of-a-kind inventory: when it sells in-store, Shopify quantity drops—and unique items go to Draft at zero so they’re not sold twice.”

Multi-variant products (size/color): qualify and position

Why it matters

Variant-heavy catalogs increase complexity—this is where “system of record” discipline is critical.

What to say (high level)

• Multi-variant products should be created in Ribbn first
• Ribbn’s multi-variant setup maps to Shopify’s variant structure for sync

Discovery question:

• “How often do you sell multi-variant items (sizes/colors), and who owns variant creation today?”

Orders and returns: set expectations early (Shopify-led online)

Post-migration rule of thumb

• Product management: Ribbn
• Online order management: Shopify

Ribbn can show Shopify order history (mapped into Ribbn), but those orders are view-only there.

First-line objection handler: Prospect: “Can my team fulfill/refund Shopify orders in Ribbn?” You: “Online order actions—fulfillment, refunds, returns—are managed in Shopify. Ribbn can surface mapped order history for visibility, but Shopify is the system for online order operations.”

availableOnline tag: clarify automation expectations

What changed (set expectations)

Shopify does not use availableOnline as an automatic publishing trigger.

• availableOnline is mainly for internal visibility inside Ribbn
• Products still require a manual sync from Ribbn to Shopify (one-click; can be bulk)

Discovery question:

• “Do you want auto-publishing rules, or do you prefer a controlled, manual ‘push live’ step?”

First-line objection handling (persona-specific)

“We already use Shopify—why do we need Ribbn?”

Answer frame:

• Shopify is excellent as a storefront and order system
• Ribbn is built to run resale operations: one-of-a-kind inventory, seller mapping, commissions, and workflows—then sync into Shopify for online selling

“Can we just manage products in Shopify?”

Answer frame:

• With Ribbn + Shopify, Ribbn is the editing source
• Shopify receives synced products; Shopify-side edits won’t sync back
• This prevents split-brain product data and protects inventory integrity

“I’m worried about selling something online that just sold in-store.”

Answer frame:

• Ribbn drives inventory truth
• In-store sales reduce Shopify quantity automatically
• Unique items go to Draft at zero, helping prevent double-selling

“Will we get charged fees twice?”

Answer frame (keep it simple and accurate):

• In-store purchases run through Ribbn/Stripe (Ribbn transaction fees apply in-store)
• Online purchases run through Shopify payments/Stripe (Shopify fees apply online)
• You’re not double-charged for the same transaction

Pricing & packaging: SDR guardrails (what to cover vs. what to park)

What you should cover confidently (without over-promising)

• Ribbn plans + transaction fees exist (position as aligned to resale operations value)
• Add-ons may apply depending on needs:
  • RFID
  • Extra terminals
  • Tradera integration

Qualification questions that connect to packaging

• “Do you need RFID for faster intake or in-store operations?”
• “How many checkout points/terminals do you run today?”
• “Do you sell on marketplaces like Tradera, or plan to?”

Call prep: the 10-question discovery set (copy/paste)

1. What are you using today for POS, inventory, and your webshop?
2. Where do you create and maintain product data (titles, descriptions, pricing, attributes)?
3. Do you already run Shopify, or are you evaluating it?
4. Are items mostly unique, or do you manage variants (size/color)?
5. Who handles seller onboarding, commission rules, and payouts today?
6. What’s your process to prevent double-selling across in-store and online?
7. How do you decide when an item is ready to go online—do you want a manual “publish” step?
8. Who manages online orders, fulfillment, and online returns?
9. What’s the biggest bottleneck in your current listing workflow (speed, quality, consistency)?
10. If you changed your stack in the next 90 days, what outcome matters most: conversion rate, ops efficiency, inventory accuracy, or seller trust?

“Right fit” signals vs. “escalate” signals

Right fit signals (lean in)

• They need a system of record for resale inventory and sellers
• They struggle with one-of-a-kind accuracy across channels
• They want controlled publishing and clean division of responsibilities
• They want Shopify as the storefront but don’t want double entry

Escalate signals (don’t get stuck)

• They’re blocked on a specific Shopify app install/sync error
• They want custom behavior beyond documented sync and status rules
• They’re asking for implementation timelines, project plans, or deep admin setup

Quick reference: Shopify integration facts SDRs must get right

Related Support Hub guides (send after the call if needed)