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How to sell domain effectively?

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shilmy

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Hi,

Can anybody share with me on how to sell your domain effectifely? E.g. how to find a potential buyers? How to promote your domain? etc.

If this thread has been discussed before, could you please point me to it?

If been trying using search tools but still have difficulty in finding it. Thanks.

Regards,
Sjarief
 
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AfternicAfternic
yea i want to know also please.
 
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There is no rules, just common sense:

1. Provide details information: expiration date, registrar, traffic if any
2. A brief description of the potential use for the domain
3. Price or price range - you will not get any response without pricing.
4. Don't be so desparate or begging. You own the name, you control the price.
5. Be honest and do not give false information. There are many experts out there.

John
 
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A successful seller has his own client base or goes out and finds them. Using somebody elses such as Sedo/Afternic/Forums etc.. is also great but IMO Google is a great way to find potentials. I and many other NPer's go this route and have had enormous success. Some people don't know what they want unless its flashing right in front of their face.
 
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johnn said:
There is no rules, just common sense:

1. Provide details information: expiration date, registrar, traffic if any
2. A brief description of the potential use for the domain
3. Price or price range - you will not get any response without pricing.
4. Don't be so desparate or begging. You own the name, you control the price.
5. Be honest and do not give false information. There are many experts out there.

John
nice, maybe that is why no one wants to buy my domains. I need to work on that
 
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If this helps, take a look at my edited thread from this previous post. http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=9777&page=2&pp=25 . I was a bit late posting then, but anyway, do take on board whatever you so wish.

Ok, I know I said some time ago that I would have a marketing post up and running by now re:domain marketing but, in the lengthy meantime, let me give you a brief guide as to how to market your names.

As with any form of marketing, at some point you will have to overcome your prospects objections in buying your domain. So before you set out, you have to ask yourself, "what will be your barriers in successfully selling a domain through (in this instance) mass mailing to potential end users?". Let me tell you from the outset, this form of marketing has a low conversion rate and indeed is probably too great an effort to be worth your while. So, if you intend marketing a name in this way and especially if it is a particularly good name, you might be best advised to think again and perhaps consider going along the lines of making a direct approach to your prospects.

Anyway, let me take you through the process of 'mass mailing' of domains regardless of pitfalls and 'what is', pretty much my own negative opinion of selling via this means.

I guess any prospects likely objections in buying your name could be read as :

* you are not addressing your mail to the dm (decision maker) at the prospect organisation - thus showing them your 'mass mailing' hand
* your mail is being opened by someone who opens dozens (if not hundreds) of spam mailings a day
* you are 'cold calling' and if (by chance) your message reaches its intended recipient he/she is reading cold and will need to be turned on FAST.
* your approach is cheesy and being sent from someone who your end user will perceive as being connected to an industry (because of all the neg media coverage) containing cybersquatters and underhanded / shady deals.
* Your prospect does not (know yet they) want your name
* Your prospect is ill prepared for your letter and will know straight away why they do not want your domain but will not know why they do (unless you tell them)

So these are your problems!

The one fundamental and most important factor of any sales - is that - you must put yourself in the shoes of the person you are selling to before contacting that person. What this means is, if you regard yourself as an average type of guy (or girl) then the greatest yardstick you will ever have as to how successful your campaign is likely to be will be in through asking yourself the rhetorical question, "If you approached yourself with whatever it was you were selling, would you, yourself make a purchase??"

If the answer to that question is 'no' then go back to the beginning and start again.

As Ive said, marketing domains are many and varied. The approach we are discussing here is probably the least likely to be successful and can be costly - both in terms of money and time - and also in the fact that the organisations you are contacting are probably a very specific and select group of prospects i.e. you might be selling bananas.com to a maximum of 20 or 30 key prospects. These prospects therefore are the largest and potentially the only serious 'cash cows' available to you and your domain and if you reach the dm and he makes a conscience effort to say no to your name, the door might then be shut to you (and your name) forever more.

Ok so down to the letter you want to send. The objections Ive written above relate to the sale of a general domain and so you should be prepared to amend, re-write and think up your own objections for each and every sale. Lets say in this instance you are attempting to sell an industry related name to a business connected to that industry. Lets again use bananas.com

1. First up introduce the name and a strap line i.e. - "RE: XXXX.com -- 400 visitors a day -- A one off rare sale of this unique web name" (do not use domain, to a non internet junkie 'domain' wont mean anything)
2. Next, a hard one, get past what in marketing is called 'the gatekeeper'. That person who filters the approaches made their organistaion yet holds little power. You might like to put something along the lines of - "I am sorry this letter goes 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". Again, this sentence is very dependant upon the size of your prospect, nature of domain, industry, value of domain etc etc
3. Next is the hook, heres where you have that short period of time to tell them why they need your name. "I am sorry for this crude and impersonal approach, but I have recently acquired the rare and generic web name XXXX.com. This web address alone receives 400 customers (again, do not use the words 'type ins' or 'hits') a day from people all looking for the kind of service your business provides. That equals 2000 potential new customers a week, 9000 a month".
4. Ok, they can now imagine the potential. Now you must now give them the benefits - though do give them too much here for you dont know their business. Maybe a question like "What would you pay for a salesman who could generate that kind of business for you?"
5. Now you must take away their internet industry concerns and this is more important than you might think. You must give yourself status and kudos and show that youre bonafide and not as a chancer looking to make a quick buck from an unsuspecting and naive company - for this will be your prospects fears - Something like, "I have been trading in web names for over 5 years now [this gives you stature], I only trade in valuable and generic names [kudos] and I target my marketing only to select organisations likely to be interested in acquiring such names ['big up' the prospect]".
6. Next, give them a bargain and be considerate and slightly self defecating. "This name has been independantly valued at $$$$$" or "names very similar to XXXX.com have been sold recently for $$$$$ (give examples)", "though, as I am sure you are aware, a name is only as valuable as what someone is prepared to pay for it"
7. The close. "Therefore from xyz date, I am taking offers for the lease of this name starting at $$$$ per annum or, if you would like to buy this name outright including all current and future rights, I will accept bids over $$$$$"
8. Where to next. "At the moment this name is exclusively being marketed to a limited number organisations and I reserve the right to remove this offer and sell this name elsewhere at any time. In the meantime, if you see value in owning or leasing this name and if you wish to discuss this offer further either by telephone or by email, my contact details are listed below".
9. The end "If for any reason this offer is not of interest to you, I thank you for your time, yours etc etc etc"
10. In the UK we are always urged to write "Without prejudice, no contract given or implied" at the bottom of such correspondences.

Hope this helps and good luck folks

Ian Collier
BA(Hons) MCIM
 
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One of the best ways I've found is to give suggestions as to the potential website, it may seem obvious to you but not to a potential buyer. I also buy cheap hosting and develop a cheap or free site and sell it as having potential. Seems to work.
 
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Mostly i just use Sedo and links from here to get my site's names out there. ussually people will contact you if interested, however...

yesterday I noticed that the .com version of one of my site (www.SitePromotions.net) was for sale by IDomains.com for the asking price of $34,999, so I emailed them asking if they would perhaps want to purchase my .net version so they could sell these two as a package.

I was surprised when they replied, but not by their answer which was essentially, "no thanks".. but they offered to refer any interested buyer the decline their price of 35K to me (which) i thought was nice of them.
They also said they would keep this as a note in the event a customer would be deemed interested in owning both, also nice and surprising.

you just never know sometimes... so contacting the owners of the other extentions of names you own is obviously a very capable form of selling it seems.
 
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Did you use Sedo Showcase feature to promote your domain?
 
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I know this is kinda tooting my own horn but I need to get this out too there is not just sedo ;) namecounty is up and running too we are working on the suggestions that were taken from this very forum. I believe sedo does have a showcase feature and I know namecounty does.

http://www.namecounty.com
http://www.sedo.com

Hope all is well!
 
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Hi Shilmy,

Nothing wrong with approaching a potential buyer directly. However, there is value in working through a broker because of their domain sales negotiating experience as well as their contacts with major domain buyers/sellers. A broker who also provides escrow service is also a wise move because they insure that you get paid, and that the domain ownership truly gets transferred to the buyer. I know people who have bought names, but never had the ownership transferred to them. At least not in a timely fashion.
 
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Actually, I already list my domain at sedo, but I need to know what other steps that need to be taken to improve my chance selling my domains.

Sjarief
 
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domains at sedo are only useful if the keyword related to it is popular, or the domain is featured on the front page. otherwise it will just be another domain in sedo's database
 
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So, do you think $39 for featured at sedo is worth investment?
 
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Contact end users..
those who service the type of domain your trying to sell..

Do your research..
use your search tools..
find end users who might be likely to be interested in your domain.

That's the best advice I can offer..
IT WORKS
 
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