Let me tell you a little story.
When Papa John's opened its first store in 1984, people didn't know or care about this scrappy new pizzeria.
The founder John Schnatter wanted to get the word out but he had no money for marketing.
So he had to get creative.
Having worked at Dominos before, he knew a secret. Every night, they tossed their customer delivery list in the dumpster.
The people on this list were a perfect ICP match: they ordered pizza, they did it from home, and they preferred delivery.
Pure gold.
So every night, Schnatter went dumpster diving. He’d dig up that list and send out letters the next morning.
“I’d send a letter to the customer ‘Hey, we’re the new kid on the block. We make better pizza. Here’s half off!’ and that worked really well”
Papa John’s literally went from Domino’s trash to 5000+ locations in 3 decades.
But why should you care?
Because as B2B sellers we are also surrounded by online dumpsters overflowing with new opportunities.
Let’s dive into 10 dumpsters hidden in plain sight that you can work today.
One Man’s Trash is Another Rep’s Treasure
1. Closed-lost opps
Pull up lost deals from 6+ months ago and reach back out. If they went with a competitor, ask how that’s working out. If it was just timing, ask if now’s a good time to revisit.
2. Dead MQLs
New SDRs often give up on inbound leads too quickly. Two missed calls and they’re marked “dead.” If you’re a pro at outbound, dead MQLs are the lowest hanging fruit.
3. Customer intros
VPs know other VPs. If you sell to one department, ask for an intro to another. If they love your product, ask for intros to peers at other companies.
4. Hiring signals
Hiring is intent. When a company is recruiting for roles you support, it’s the perfect time to reach out.
Pro Tip
“Noticed you’re hiring SDRs. {Competitor}'s team doubled their pickup rates using our local presence dialer.
Mind if I send some details?”
5. Recent leadership changes
New leaders want to make an impact fast. When a decision-maker joins, it’s prime time to strike.
6. Funding rounds
VCs don’t hand over millions to sit idle. Founders need to spend it on growth. Be the one who helps them spend wisely.
7. Earning reports
Public companies lay out their strategy in their filings – new initiatives, budgets, risks. Tie your pitch directly to their priorities, especially for tier 1 accounts.
8. Conferences
Get attendee lists for industry conferences. Reach out to registrants before and after events.
Pro tip
“Saw you’re attending {Event Name}” crushes as a subject line.
9. Client competitors
Name-dropping competitors grabs instant attention. Find your customers’ top competitors and share the results they achieved.
Always check NDAs before referencing any customer.
10. Tech Stack
Tools like BuiltWith show you a company’s tech stack. Use that intel as a warm entry point.
Pro Tip
Name-drop a competitor to create FOMO:
“Companies like {Competitor Name} integrate {Tool Name} with us to achieve {Specific Outcome}”
There you have it. 10 hidden goldmines most sellers overlook.
Pick the ones that fit your playbook and put them to work.
The deals are out there. The question is – are you willing to dig?
