Damion

Don't state your asking price in the first email would be my advice. Say the domain is for sale and to let them contact you if they are interested.

And all of course in a polight manor.

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clarkc

i just learned that all is left over!!! but for me is not computers always updates always has a new idea, we are not left behind we are just catching up to them....

mick

Can someone explain how the reserve price at ebay works and what to take care of?

When auctioning would you set it up starting at $1 and risk in selling it for too less?

And would you suggest using an escrow service for domain auctions on ebay? I have no experience in escrow companies. Would you use that one from ebay? What does it cost and from which price would the additional costs be justified? I mean if you sell your domain for only $xx or $xxx an escrow service would be too expensive I guess. (there are still ebay and paypal fees)

Thanks
Mike

scrsteven

I saw you all talking about a program to help send out emails.. I'm looking for one that can take my message template and insert a few variables like domain name, price, and what email the message is sent to.
Like, I have text files of 50 lines long, one domain name per line
another file 50 lines long, one price per line
another file 50 lines long, one email per line
Thanks

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SKDomains.com
Distance Learning

1901gt

I've make used of the advice and tips found in this thread. Hopefully it will lead to a sale or two.
Wish me luck!

kev

Read through the whole thread completely and learned a lot. Some great posts and it just goes to show the friendly nature of namepros with everyone trying to help everyone else. Long may it continue!

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Lasher

Just read this entire thread, and have a few thoughts on some of the posts, would like to see what you folks think.

1. Has anyone who has been successful in selling a domain name targetted at an end user worked with a web design company to leverage the domain name? I am thinking of situations where, happy to have obtained a meaningful domain name, the business owner asks, "Great, can you redesign my site and host it for me too?". I know a couple of people locally that do (damn good) freelance web design work, what kind of percentage would you say is fair to ask for these kind of referrals?

2. In a company large enough to have a marketing dept, they usually own the online brand so I agree that the marketing team is the right target. However, if the company is public, also mail their investor relations contact.
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/domain-name-discussion/68798-how-to-find-potential-end-users.html

3. Less value in this one, but where a company has a .COM (assume no trademark issues) has anyone had success selling them the .US domain to complement it? Perhaps highlighting some recent articles about how the .US namespace is starting to gain popularity and highlights a "local" company to their customers. I don't see too many $x,xxx sales this way, but perhaps a few quick low-mid $xxx turnarounds?

4. What kind of issues are there using company names that are not trademarked but well established. For example, just around the corner from me is a Toyota dealer by the name of "Courtesy Toyota". Their .COM is already taken, but as an example, if I approached them with courtesytoyota.com could they take any legal action to demand I hand it over? A quick uspto trademark search on "Courtesy Toyota" returned nothing.

To close this out, a lot of ideas discussed over the past few months on here, what type of success rate have people had putting them in to practice?

Thanks for your insight, fairly new at this.

Derek.

petrosc

I have a question too, Lets say I decide to try the auction strategy I contact some potential end users and lead them to my eBay auction. When I write the email to each party, should I, or should I not include the fact that I have contacted other parties about this domain name auction as well?

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My blog on Internet Marketing and Domain names CommercialRegistrant.com

1901gt

no success so far.. but my patience level still high.. lol

petrosc

Mike,
Using an escrow service is definately recommended for sales above $400-500, considering that you will split the fees with the byer. The most secure escrow service out there is Moniker's escrow service. Unlike other similar services, they move the domain to their secure account, they take the money from the buyer, and once they have the money and domain in their possession, they send the money to the seller and transfer the domain to the buyer. There is no way to get scammed using them. I have used their service, I totally recommend them without any hesitation. If I'm not mistaken, their fees are $50 for sales under $500 and $75 for sales between $500-$999

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My blog on Internet Marketing and Domain names CommercialRegistrant.com

jlw

Sedo does the same thing. But AfterNIC does not.
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=68798

Sedo charges $60 minimum; AfterNIC charges $50 minimum. I think both charge 3% if that is more than their respective minimums.

---Jordan

Sam

Just sent out a PR wire for sex.nr .... hoping to attract some end users

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SPECIAL:
The World's BEST Single Letter Domain Sale! Lowest single letter price on the market! Starting at $799

Teddy7

Hi,
I want to use this email to sell my domains. What is your oppinion? Changes? .. Thank You!

Title: Domain XXXX.com on auction!

Hello,
I am XXXX, owner of the web domain: www.XXXX.com
I am currently offering this domain "for sale". Domains are growing in value each year. For your Info take a look at the last sales on the official site http://www.dnjournal.com/domainsales.htm
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=68798

Should your organization, have interest in acquiring this domain, please feel free to contact me. Make me a offer!
I believe that this business domain is more useful for your organization than me. So, if you are interested in buying this domain please contact me.


Best regards,
XXXX XXXX
XXXX@ixxxx.com
Tel.0042 333 555 66666
Land


PS: I am sorry this letter is without a recipient, but this is an important and rare opportunity for your business and you should pass this onto the person responsible for gaining new business for your organisation

Jo

How about:

---------------

Title: Domain Name XXXX.com for sale

Hello,
I am XXXX, owner of the internet domain name: www.XXXX.com
I am currently offering this domain for sale. Domains are growing in value each year as you will discover by reading DNJournal's weekly domain name sales articles: http://www.dnjournal.com/domainsales.htm

Should your organization have interest in acquiring this domain name, please feel free to contact me with an offer at your earliest convenience. In this age of computer technology, having an online presense with a premium and memorable domain name is key in future business relations. As this is an important and rare opportunity for your business I ask that you pass this letter onto the person responsible for gaining new business for your organisation.
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=68798

I look forward to hearing from you,

Best regards,
XXXX XXXX
XXXX@ixxxx.com
Tel.0042 333 555 66666
Land

---------------

Edits:

Took out exclamation points (makes you seem more serious) took out uneccessary commas, changed some of the wording, took out the PS and incorporated it. You had "auction" in the subject line yet "for sale" in the body so I changed it to "for sale."

Someone else could fine tune this more I am sure.

jlw

Once you have a potential buyer, investigate what it costs them to advertise in their trade publication. For example, it they are a winery, call the Wine Spectator and ask how much a typical winery display ad costs. (e.g., $10,000 for a half-page). Name your price, and compare it to the cost of advertising.


I don't like your letter at all.

First, you write as if you are selling it to a person who is a domain investor like yourself. You need to put yourself in the end-user's perspective. The definition of an end-user (of anything; coins, stamps, comic books, art masterpieces, etc.) is: someone who intends to die owning the name. Why are you suggesting that names are a good investment? If names are so sure to rise, why don't you just hang on to them yourself? If someone intends to die owning something, he does not care what he can sell it for in five years!

Also weird is the bit about it being "more useful to you than to me".
Also unhappy are the hyperactive words like "rare opportunity."

Hire someone to write your copy for you, or hire an editor to proofread your prose. Your letter has errors in word usage, punctuation, capitalization, grammar, and spelling that make it seem unprofessional. Also, the writing is weak even when correct. (For example, cut extraneous words like "currently").

1.
Park your page. See whose ads appear.

2.
Google your domain name as a phrase or keyword. If you are selling TopHotrods.com, google "hotrods"; if selling WinesOfChile.com, google "wines of Chile"

3.
Visit the web-site of each of your parked page's advertisers, and of the first few pages of the Google hits, and of the paid advertisers in the sidebar of the Google search results page.

4.
Find the contact e-mail link at each site. Click it. Type the keyword phrase (not the domain name) into the subject field. For example: "Top Hotrods" or "Wines of Chile".

5.
Paste the body of your e-mail from your boilerplate file. This is what I use:

My name is Jordan Lee Wagner, and I am the owner of the internet domain: TopHotrods.com. I am writing to you because I am offering this domain for sale, and wonder if American Street Rod would be interested in acquiring this domain. Please feel free to contact me if you have interest in acquiring this domain, or if this information sparks any questions. Thanks for your attention.

Jordan Lee Wagner
617-953-6787
JLWagner@NRHQ.com

6.
Make sure to edit the "American Street Rods" to change it to the current prospect's business name.

7.
Use your e-mail client's special SEND DROP-DOWN button so you can select your return address. Think about which one you want the prospect to see.

I might use NewtonResidential.com, WebJew.org, or NRHQ.com, etc. etc., depending on what kind of business I'm engaged in. (They all forward to my Comcast inbox). You could also initially use the domain being sold as your return address.
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=68798

8.
You'll have to perform this paste-and-edit e-mail routine between 20 and 50 times. That should get you between one and three positive responses; and also between one and three thanks-but-not-interested responses.

9.
Do research on the three positive respondents to see where they would advertise in print. (If they are publicly traded, get their annual reports; Quicken research them; etc. Can you relate the acquisition of this name to the achievement of their publicly stated major goals?)

In any case, find out how much a couple of big display ads would cost in their industry's most popular magazines (e.g., Wine Spectator). When you quote a price, compare your asking price to the cost of an ad.

10.
Pick ONE prospect to contact first; and start with a big price (e.g., a full page display ad in a major publication costs $25,000). If this seems daunting to the first prospect, try asking half that from the next prospect, but invite the first prospect to make SOME offer, as you DO not intend to die owning it.

---J.

Pentari

Great advice.... Any suggestions for making sure it doesn't end up in a spam box? I've found with some places even the word "sale" sends it right there.

aldwin

nice post, rep added

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jlw

Good question. I have not given that much thought; I do not know what fraction of my e-mails are actually read. But the response rates I've experienced (one to three expressions of interest per fifty well-targeted, personalized e-mails sent) is sufficient.
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=68798

I prefer to hone content with my intended human audience in mind, rather than tuning it for the filters. I feel the same way about so-called "search engine optimization."

The spam filters and the search engines are relatively clumsy right now, but as they continue to be "optimized" they will eventually perform the way users want. By writing content that users value receiving, you create a unity of interest between users and yourself that search engines and spam filters will eventually be smart enough to recognize. Might as well get in the habit now.

---J.

topleveldomain

Doubled interest in two sentences!?
interested in acquiring ... interest in acquiring?

What about ...

We feel convinced the domain name www.xyz.com would be another important marketing tool, and a valuable asset of eletronic property for XYZ. instead of and wonder if American Street Rod would be interested

I am looking forward hearing from you. sounds better to me than ...
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=68798
Thanks for your attention !?

Also europeans always like with kind regards or best regards !?

randomo

Wondering what price to ask for a domain perfectly suited to just one end-user, which means the auction model wouldn't work.

In this case, a British online bookmaking firm uses the .co.uk, .net, & .tv(!) versions of a two-word name, where I own the .com. I don't know what type of advertising they might do, so it's hard to base an asking price on that.

Would be grateful for any advice on pricing. (Alternatively, does any experienced end-user seller want to handle this can't-miss sale for me, for a nice %?)

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jlw

You raise four interesting points:

1.
I think that, in my boilerplate, "you have interest in acquiring this domain" should be replaced with "so".

2.
I don't know enough about XYZ to make that assertion. Overstated sales language turns me off. In this case, I think the understated truth is sufficient to achieve my purpose.
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=68798

3.
It never hurts to thank people. Your two "alternatives" are not mutually exclusive: "Thanks for your attention; I am looking forward to hearing from you."

4.
Your observation that social norms differ with geography is interesting and important. I noticed that an Israeli company used "best regards" in a recent exchange of e-mails with me. We should be alert to local custom.

---J.

Damion

Another approach i would like to mention is of course to write a letter to send by regular mail or fax.
Advantage of this is that your email is not to be filtered as spam.

And faxes always arrive in my opinion unless the connection is dead but this will show soon enough and doesn't make you wonder if your proposal has arrived yes or no.
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=68798

If there is a fax number available then i would certainly take my chance with this type of aproach.

Writing business letters is to be taken seriously and more information that i personally have stumbled upon can be found here http://esl.about.com/cs/onthejobengl...basbletter.htm

I have another link that i will post soon with tons of example business letters.
Good luck guys

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topleveldomain

By the way .... "sparks any questions" is also very unusual!

webgear

Can I post the name for sale at Sedo not at eBay?
Will this have the same effect or not?
And can somebody give's me an exapmle of end user letter ,which is used for end user deals ,because I've one name which can sell direct to the end user with the same site but don't know how to contact right with him.
I see the previous example letter but it'll be better to look more letters to make mine.
Feel free to PM me!
Thanks in advance to all !

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jlw

Vivid verbs. I love 'em.

---J.