strategy How to Find Potential End Users?

shilmy · Feb 7, 2005

Hi,

Do any of you has regularly sell your domain to end users? If so, do you mind share with me in this thread on how find potential end users for your domain?

Regards,
Sjarief

Plato · Dec 29, 2014

DxDomain said:
hi tom
I try to search expired domain names in lmgtfy but that site not showing anything..How to search?

I think Tom meant you should google for "expired domains"..... ...... ......

DxDomain · Dec 29, 2014

Zana said:
I think Tom meant you should google for "expired domains"..... ...... ......

Thanks Zana for your reply...

slimjim270 · Jan 5, 2015

Pound said:
I have a question. I was contacted last week by an obvious end user (he even told me why he wanted my domain so much). He sent me an email saying "I am interested in this domain - is it for sale?". I then replied saying that it wasn't for sale but would be happy to listen to offers. He then replied saying that the most he could offer was $4000. Therefore I replied saying that I could offer the domain to him for $4300 and he replied to say "is it okay if I think about this". I then sent an email saying yes, but if I haven't heard within one week then I will assume that you do not wish to pursue the matter further.

This was 1.5 weeks ago - $4k would have been an amazing sale for this pretty average domain. How can I send him an email now to reinstate the negotiations?

Hi All,

I am reading through this terrific thread (at #228 of 3,100) and had a couple thoughts...

Suggestion - I think of negotiating as a discovery process, not a volleyball match. A potential buyer sends a response mentioning they "could offer $4000" is an opportunity to shore-up the deal with a response like "I would like to consider your offer and get back to you in the next 2-3 days. What is your phone number so we can talk in person?"... not a punt... which appears to be a knee jerk reaction to squeeze a little more with a response of "I replied saying I could offer the domain to him for $4,300". My thought is 1-2 emails into the discussion and kicking only a 10% counter-offer... how much potential money is being left on the table? Is this a serious buyer? Many questions (unknowns) at this early stage in the negotiation.

IMO - counter offers should only follow 1) additional insight to make an informed counter, 2) some sort of trade-off where both parties will gain value or perceived value in the counter.

IMO - the tone of a buyers voice over a phone call provides you terrific insight, and most buyers will answer more questions (with far more detail) once they start a dialogue. Email is great way to initiate or document a discussion, but email doesn't provide the same level of immediate/engaging conversation that a phone call does. A $4,000 deal seems worthy of phone negotiating (or at least a request for one).

A phone call provides a better opportunity to gauge a buyer's intent. (a $500 sale, yeah maybe kick emails back and forth, but a $4,000 sale ?)

My thoughts... What are your thoughts on negotiating dynamics?

-Jim

ps: @Pound - thanks for sharing your transaction. I hope deal was successful.

onebrand.co · Jan 5, 2015

This thread is a gem. On Feb 7th 2015, we will celebrate this thread's 10th anniversary!

Wonderful topic, this is what domain forums should be all about, helping one another and aiding the domain industry to grow. Only when it grows, it will be good for most of us in the domain industry

bretttina · Jan 5, 2015

Here's a handy little tool that will help you sniff out those direct emails and phone numbers, you can get up to 10 free searches per month and lots more with a paid subscription,
This has helped me out loads in the past.

zoominfo.com

cloudguy · Jan 8, 2015

I have one Product + King (word).com domain. Who is most likely to be interested in that kind of domain. Manufacturers, retailers or someone else?

Libertad · Jan 12, 2015

Hello, guys! I need an advice from you, experienced domainers. A domain broker contacted me by email. He said that his client is interested in one of my domains and I asked him to tell me his offer. He said that his client offers me more than $20K but first he wants from me to order a certificate from Domain Tools Certifications. He said that his client won't proceed without the certification from the source he knows and has trust. And that certification includes: the appraisal of the market price, proof that I'm a legitimate owner of that domain and TM verification- to see that a domain doesn't have some trademark problems.
Also, he asked me for some more domains, I offered him 3 very good domains and he said that he will help me to sell these too, that they have good selling potential but I must order the certificate for them too.
To me this is very weird. I don't know why he insists on these certificates, does he have some interest in this? And can he use my personal infos in a bad way when I send him these certificates by email? He practically told me that without the certificate it is impossible to sell any domain and that I shouldn't miss the opportunity. And that's not true because I sold all domains without it. I'm sure you all did, too.
Maybe it's some kind of fraud or some scammer? What do you guys think about it? How would you handle this situation? Did anyone have some simillar experience? Thanks in advance for your help

Libertad · Jan 12, 2015

I saw it in another thread; someone got the same email. It is well known appraisal scam. I knew that it was something fishy about this guy. Thank God, I saved myself on time. This forum is a pure gold.

onebrand.co · Jan 12, 2015

@Libertad - At least you did your due diligence and not let money cloud your mind

Libertad · Jan 12, 2015

Well, I'm very suspicious person by nature and I trust my instinct the most. Although I'm new in domain industry, I'm not a newbie in online business. I have several years of experience in affiliate marketing and I met so many scammers in the past. So, it's like I have sixth sense for them

vasilisgr · Jan 15, 2015

Hi Namepros community,

Can you please shed some light on how you contact end-users?
Do you use your personal email? Are there any limitations when using gmail for example? How many emails can someone send withouth being blacklisted? Same question about hotmail too...

Thanks!

nomen · Jan 15, 2015

vasilisgr said:
Hi Namepros community,

Can you please shed some light on how you contact end-users?
Do you use your personal email? Are there any limitations when using gmail for example? How many emails can someone send withouth being blacklisted? Same question about hotmail too...

Thanks!

126 pages to read in this thread. Read those and you'll be much more wiser.

Anyway, to answer some of your questions:

If you're sending legit emails to carefully researched end users, you shouldn't have to worry about daily limits. What comes to content of the email, and the email your using, experiment. What works for some, doesn't work for others.

In the end, only thing that matters is that they like and want your domain. So I wouldn't get too obsessed about the details of the email your sending.

infosec3 · Jan 16, 2015

vasilisgr said:
Hi Namepros community,

Can you please shed some light on how you contact end-users?
Do you use your personal email? Are there any limitations when using gmail for example? How many emails can someone send withouth being blacklisted? Same question about hotmail too...

Thanks!

A free email (Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, etc.) should never be used to communicate with clients. The most convenient way is using info@ or sales@ YourWebsite.com.

In my opinion, the email and also the responses you send to inquiries must be carefully crafted. Details are important. Every word matters.

A few years ago I lost (so I think) a good four-figure sale just for ending one of my emails with a phrase that upset the buyer. He had asked why the domain name in question had the value I was claiming. I gave him my best pitch and he indicated he was thinking about it.

On my last response, I said something like this: "That is fine. While you are considering the value of the domain, let us know if we can provide you with any additional information on how this domain can help you grow your business".

The potential buyer responded that he was competent enough to make his business grow, clearly showing that he found my suggestion offensive.

Again, maybe he wasn't going to buy it anyways, but it goes to show that every word matters.

vasilisgr · Jan 16, 2015

infosec3 said:
A free email (Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, etc.) should never be used to communicate with clients. The most convenient way is using info@ or sales@ YourWebsite.com.

In my opinion, the email and also the responses you send to inquiries must be carefully crafted. Details are important. Every word matters.

I agree, but i am just asking for the technical restrictions that a free email such Gmail or Yahoo or Hotmail has.
I would be delighted if someone can share their knowledge on this issue.

Thanks!

tomcarl · Jan 16, 2015

There's no reason you should be using gmail or yahoo to be emailing an end user when you're selling a domain name.

You are selling a domain name and trying to pitch the benefits of owning a domain name and you're not emailing from your own domain name? Does that make any sense?

That's like pulling up to work on a bicycle if you were a salesmen at a car dealership, a potential customer on the lot see's you chain your bicycle to a fence then you walk up to them and start trying to sell them a ferrari.

It reeks "amateur" and one thing CEOs hate doing is being sold by an amateur, no matter what that amateur is selling -- It could be eternal youth. Unless they feel they're getting over on you and would've spent 3x what you're asking for, then you can sell them from anything because they're actually selling you.

slimjim270 · Jan 17, 2015

Let's ask the following questions...

1) Reverse question - Why would you want to use a Gmail or Yahoo or Hotmail free account for sales purposes?
2) Is the reason, because you see those accounts as "burn accounts"? (meaning you don't care if they get closed)
3) Is the reason, because you see those accounts as "credible"?
4) Is the reason, because you personally read all random emails you receive from those accounts?

There are times in sales when it is important to ask yourself "what is the buyer thinking when they get my email?"

For anyone who answered the above 4 questions... what was your response? (the response you just gave to questions # 2-4 is LIKELY a good reason not to use Gmail or Yahoo or Hotmail accounts when prospecting for buyers)

While the TOS on these accounts might allow you to send outbound sales pitches... that does not mean it is the best (or most productive) way to sell.

My thoughts... hope they are helpful...

-Jim

tomcarl · Jan 17, 2015

Do you use your personal email? Are there any limitations when using gmail for example? How many emails can someone send withouth being blacklisted? Same question about hotmail too...

After re-reading his questions about limits before being 'blacklisted'... I believe he basically wants to know how much he can abuse free email accounts before he's TOS'd, in other words he's looking for advice on the best methods to spam.

lock · Jan 17, 2015

All good info another good source is social media google the keywords of the domain as often #somename
is using same keywords making them potential buyer.

slimjim270 · Jan 17, 2015

tomcarl said:
Do you use your personal email? Are there any limitations when using gmail for example? How many emails can someone send withouth being blacklisted? Same question about hotmail too...

After re-reading his questions about limits before being 'blacklisted'... I believe he basically wants to know how much he can abuse free email accounts before he's TOS'd, in other words he's looking for advice on the best methods to spam.

I agree.

I decided to edit my above post to be less pointed (potentially received as insulting to the member) and to make it more focused on questions we, as sellers, should be considering about a buyer's thought process and their 1st impression.

I view sales as process of discovery, not a volleyball match. Many successful sales reps I have met spend 90% of their time studying buyer behavior, buyer needs, buyer dynamics, buyer limitations, etc... insight you learn only by talking directly with buyers... and only 10% of their time on efficiency issues - such as pumping high volume outbound spam. Being "customer centric" is key. Focus on their needs, not exclusively on your desires, will set your intial contact tone to bringing them benefit.

I have found domain selling (like a job interview process) is a process of finding "the right" buyer, not shot-gunning 100 resumes out to generic email addresses. Finding a DM (Decision Maker) is the key. If you want to connect with the head of marketing, don't blindly email to "sales(at)acompany(dot)com". Instead, make a phone call to the company and mention to the receptionist that you have to email a document over to the marketing head and ask (politely) for the correct spelling of that person's name... and in the process of talking with the receptionist ask for the marketing head's email address. Not all will provide it to you, but ~ 40% will. This is not a shotgun approach, but like interviewing, you need to get to a DM or you are whizzing in the wind.

You need to know your target buyer in any sales process... (at least that is what I have found)

-Jim

ExpireGuy · Jan 17, 2015

infosec3 said:
A free email (Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, etc.) should never be used to communicate with clients. The most convenient way is using info@ or sales@ YourWebsite.com.

Personally...I don't agree with this if your initiating the seller. You're fair offer will end up growing substantially because the "seller" your courting thinks you have much more capital...people get greedy on both sides of the spectrum no doubt.

My operandi is simple...I approach the would be seller...show interest...ask if they'd consider selling...and give them a timed "firm" on the table offer...the more you know your buying skills the better...eg..make it as convienient for the seller as possible to make it so that they think there getting a great offer...as you should in all business practices...as an example...did this on the purchase of an DN...offered a firm 7k...seller was astounded...I made it as easy as possible to bite...saying the why, the how and how fast...deal was done in approx 5 days...3 months later flipped the same DN for 60k and pocketing 3k in parking rev...

Basics: 1. Make the offer firm 2. Inform the would be "seller" about the ease of the process as much as possible to gain their trust (this right here is the biggest problem most solo buyers have) they don't gain the sellers trust...do this and you win every time. Unfortunatley the spectrum is filled with shysters who offer $XX,XXX deals, but don't commit or are just outright scams...these people should be flogged.

vasilisgr · Jan 17, 2015

tomcarl said:
It reeks "amateur" and one thing CEOs hate doing is being sold by an amateur, no matter what that amateur is selling

@tomcarl i never claimed to be an expert on domain trading. I am actually new on the business and trying to learn from all you guys that are kind enough to share some knowledge in this forum.

tomcarl said:
After re-reading his questions about limits before being 'blacklisted'... I believe he basically wants to know how much he can abuse free email accounts before he's TOS'd, in other words he's looking for advice on the best methods to spam.

@tomcarl I am not looking for advice on the best methods to spam. Honestly.
Just trying to figure out how things work. No bad intentions here, only an amateur's sincere questions.

Thanks for replies...

tomcarl · Jan 17, 2015

In that case I wish you good luck.

There are 125 pages in this thread that will probably have answers to most all of your questions. The first thing you can do if you're new and serious about domaining is read the entire thread.

If you still have questions afterwards, feel free to post them.

And again, the point I was making is that even though you may not be an expert (I'm not an expert and I've been doing this for a few years) you should always be professional. Free email services are not professional.

And at this point you should not be worrying about email limits and blacklists. You should be emailing people one by one with your offer with personalized emails, if you're not doing this, it's considered spam by many.

It takes me hours to send a couple of hundred emails. I don't think you should be worrying about limits.

slimjim270 · Jan 17, 2015

@vasilisgr

Here's an idea you may find helpful... and a great way to "get your feet" wet without losing your shirt...

1. Pick a random service business (ex: restaurant, plumber, electrician, lawn maintenance, etc).

2. For conversation, let's say you picked "lawn mowing & maintenance services". Now create a list of 50-100 "lawn maintenance services" that are within 100 miles of your home. Include in your list the owners name (Decision Maker), phone number, and email.

3. Hand register 3-5 catchy .com's for $10 each ($50 max budget) that you think would be terrific names for a local "lawn maintenance service" company.

4. Call or email each of the 50-100 services on your list and try to sell them one of your .com's for $150.

Bottom line...

- Yes, this is time consuming.
- Yes, this is only $100 profit for your time (if you succeed).
- Yes, your time is valuable.
- But... the initial $50 investment will be a TERRIFIC learning experience for you and you will have some insight to what these business owners "really" care about. THAT insight is gold and well worth the inital $50 investment.

Once you sell (1) domain... repeat... repeat... repeat... (each time harnessing your industry knowledge for more profits)

Are they tech savvy. You may be surprised to find out that while they may not use all the latest technologies in their service business, they are extremely bright entrepreneurs who want to find ways to grow their service business. Someone who digs dirt all day is just as driven as someone who went to Uni.

Are you a failure if you do not sell at least (1) of the initial 3-5 .coms? ABSOLUTELY NOT. I believe you made a great investment by trying to gain industry insight and experience. If you decide not to go any further with domaining, that initial $50 was alot less expensive than getting excited and spending $1,000 on a bunch of trash domains that you later drop because you don't have a sales channel established or an understanding of what sells in a specific industry sector.

I hope you succeed. I bought many domains (purchasing side) before having a clue to the sales side of the equation (income side).

When I started I read every post I could find online... and spent 80-100 hours staring at my computer monitor. Forums are a great starting point, and I fully recommend reading every one of the 126 pages of this thread. (extremely insightful)

But... nothing sharpens your skills faster... than a little coin (skin) in the game. I am not saying to run out and spend your child's tuition money. I'm suggesting dipping your toe into the pool to test the temperature, before diving in.

The $50 initially spent may seem trivial to many, but to someone just starting out, it will be a great training investment.

I hope this gives you a low cost way to learn, without burning through a lot of "guesswork" capital... (been there, done that, wife wasn't impressed) (after a few sales, a few months later, she smiled and bought some furniture for the house)

Regards,

-Jim

infosec3 · Jan 18, 2015

slimjim270 said:
@vasilisgr

Here's an idea you may find helpful... and a great way to "get your feet" wet without losing your shirt...

1. Pick a random service business (ex: restaurant, plumber, electrician, lawn maintenance, etc).

2. For conversation, let's say you picked "lawn mowing & maintenance services". Now create a list of 50-100 "lawn maintenance services" that are within 100 miles of your home. Include in your list the owners name (Decision Maker), phone number, and email.

3. Hand register 3-5 catchy .com's for $10 each ($50 max budget) that you think would be terrific names for a local "lawn maintenance service" company.

4. Call or email each of the 50-100 services on your list and try to sell them one of your .com's for $150.

Bottom line...

- Yes, this is time consuming.
- Yes, this is only $100 profit for your time (if you succeed).
- Yes, your time is valuable.
- But... the initial $50 investment will be a TERRIFIC learning experience for you and you will have some insight to what these business owners "really" care about. THAT insight is gold and well worth the inital $50 investment.

Once you sell (1) domain... repeat... repeat... repeat... (each time harnessing your industry knowledge for more profits)

Are they tech savvy. You may be surprised to find out that while they may not use all the latest technologies in their service business, they are extremely bright entrepreneurs who want to find ways to grow their service business. Someone who digs dirt all day is just as driven as someone who went to Uni.

Are you a failure if you do not sell at least (1) of the initial 3-5 .coms? ABSOLUTELY NOT. I believe you made a great investment by trying to gain industry insight and experience. If you decide not to go any further with domaining, that initial $50 was alot less expensive than getting excited and spending $1,000 on a bunch of trash domains that you later drop because you don't have a sales channel established or an understanding of what sells in a specific industry sector.

I hope you succeed. I bought many domains (purchasing side) before having a clue to the sales side of the equation (income side).

When I started I read every post I could find online... and spent 80-100 hours staring at my computer monitor. Forums are a great starting point, and I fully recommend reading every one of the 126 pages of this thread. (extremely insightful)

But... nothing sharpens your skills faster... than a little coin (skin) in the game. I am not saying to run out and spend your child's tuition money. I'm suggesting dipping your toe into the pool to test the temperature, before diving in.

The $50 initially spent may seem trivial to many, but to someone just starting out, it will be a great training investment.

I hope this gives you a low cost way to learn, without burning through a lot of "guesswork" capital... (been there, done that, wife wasn't impressed) (after a few sales, a few months later, she smiled and bought some furniture for the house)

Regards,

-Jim

I totally agree with Jim. This is a great way for starters. I still hear new domain investors here stating that, after many months of trying, they have not made their first sale. In many cases, the reason for that is that they register a name and see that other people are selling names for $1,000s and they also try to sell their name for a similar amount. As, Jim indicates, it would be better if, to start, you focus on more modest goals until you can actually fly higher.

Of course, this apply to those with a limited budget for investment. If you already have a considerable amount for domain investment, that is a different story.

tekkybabao · Jan 29, 2015

i gain at least something

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