Just finished writing my snail-mail domain sales fliers

[TheBaldOne]

Well yesterday and for an hour this morning I have been working on my snail-mail fliers to prospective likely interested parties I have in auction (Fig.ht and JesusChri.st), they will likely be going out later this week heading all over the world.

Why am I bothering with snail-mail I hear you ask, why not just email them?

Well I was talking to a friend last week (I should point out he is a consultant psychologist) and we got around to how things were going and I said I was going to put some domains up for auction and hopefully get an end-user or two interested. He was intrigued as to how I marketed the domains to potential end-user buyers, I replied that I obviously emailed the company and a specific person if identifiable within the company. The conversation then meandered onto other subjects and our evening closed. Then last Friday I got an email from him and in it suggesting that perhaps I should write a letter to the potentially interested end-users.

Then the following day I received a letter from him, I think it is the first ever letter I have had from him, it was almost an identical copy of the email from the day before. At the end he asked 'Bill, how long have you spent reading this letter and how long did you spend reading my email yesterday?' I guess I took about 3 times longer reading the letter!

Saturday night my friend phoned and asked if I had received the letter, obviously I had, and he explained that in psychological terms physically holding, opening, and reading the letter made me more attuned to its contents and made me subconsciously enhance my memory of it when compared to an email. I had never, and I do mean NEVER thought of it this way before.

We talked a little and he explained that I like he and most others had become so attuned to reading emails that unless there was something our mind would reference we ignored most of what was written in the email, however because a letter, even a flier, was reinforced by handling it our minds actually noted more in our subconscious the contents. He explained that emails were good instant information spreaders but they had their drawbacks, but the best of both was an email and a letter.

So after having spent many an hour now writing and re-writing these flier letters I am going to invest in some airmail postage, and at about £1.28 (about $2) each I will select 50 of what I think are the most likely of the end users for www.Fig.ht and send them one. If there is an uplift in views and/or bids then I think I will do the same with JesusChri.st.

Obviously using the availability of the 30 day auction at Flippa.com gives time for the letters to be sent worldwide and read, unlike if you have a bid on Sedo or other sites and push to auction.

Perhaps we, as domainers, have been missing a trick here. I will report back at the end of the auctions what the outcome was.

*************

If you read all the above bloody well done on you, now go take a 5 minute break, you deserve it! :D

 

[Fonzie]

Try it with good .com domains, rather than 'domain hacks' and see what your result is then.

 

[mjbenterprises]

It sounds good in theory, but in reality, all of the flyers will most likely end up in the trash...

 

[DU]

I read letters from my friends too.

I throw out letters that have anything to do with domaining, begging, looking for my business.

I do read Four Four Two when that arrives too.

 

[copper]

Humm...

I tried that around 2007 or 2008.
I sent out about 400 snail-mails.
Nothing happened with it.

I hope you get positive results

 

[TheBaldOne]

Fonzie - No, leave that up to those who follow the crowd!

MJBenterprises - Businesses may well throw things in the trash, but a $100 punt is worth it, especially when talking returns on this scale.

Defaultuser - Yes, individuals do throw out fliers like you do, but these are big businesses, not little corner stores, before things are 'thrown away' the reader has to make sure that there is nothing of import in the letter for the company - or its their backside on the line and their desk that gets emptied.

Copper - Yes, undoubtedly it has been done before, undoubtedly some have failed and some succeeded. It will be a case of trying it and seeing whether it does increase the number of viewers and/or bids, we shall know in a months time. Thanks though for your closing sentiment.



Obviously this is an experiment, one which I will first try with Fig.ht, and if that shows some sign of producing results I will apply it to JesusChri.st, but as there are already bids on Fig.ht I will have to take this into account.

I do find the undercurrent of hostility either to domain hacks or someone trying something out disappointing, but after 8 years in this game it unfortunately does not surprise me. But I guess some are hoping that it does not succeed and if it does then they will say it was a fluke, you know just like those who say domain hacks don't sell, except that every sale they ignore or come out with lame excuses why it cannot be thought of as a 'real sale'! :lol:

 

[biggie]

:talk:

hope i don't get one of those letters


also, if i read your post correctly....why would you send those snail spam letters to what you think are potential end-users, and have them bid on the names at flippa

seems so backwards


lastly, folks crap on hacks cuz most are crap

as i've seen those same hacks being offered for sale year after year


Good Luck though

 

[TheBaldOne]

Biggie - Because those same domains are like those that were offered year in and year out by domainers to domainers like most .com sales, .net sales, etc..

But then again a whole portfolio of domain hacks just swapped hands, and guess what, they had been offered for sale for years as well, but they all ended up just being sold to a Canadian media company.

Does it make any difference how you draw someone's attention to a sale? No, of course not, even if I had hired bill-boards to poster it would make no difference, but the experiment would be worth noting surely?

As for getting the prospective buyers to go to Flippa.com is actually sensible. It is a reputable online auction venue with a successful history specializing in net properties, it has up to 30 day auctions, it is open 24 hours a day, and the commission is reasonable as well as having a high success rate.

Biggie, we have talked much in the past so I know we just have different opinions and I thank you for wishing me good luck. Let us just see if the snail-mail approach brings any results.

 

[DU]

Big businesses, not little corner stores, before things are 'thrown away' the reader has to make sure that there is nothing of import in the letter for the company

That's what certified mail is for.

- or its their backside on the line and their desk that gets emptied.

There is typically very little accountability.

I do find the undercurrent of hostility either to domain hacks or someone trying something out disappointing, but after 8 years in this game it unfortunately does not surprise me.

I see little hostility. Fonzie is just stating what is fairly obvious - fig.ht is not a good .com that would make a companies hair stand on end as something that it is imperative to buy. You're not going to garner instant credibility if you buy it and you're not going to immediately lose a lot to a competitor.

People send out target house listings for multi-million dollar homes not every house on the MLS.

Obviously this is an experiment, one which I will first try with Fig.ht, and if that shows some sign of producing results I will apply it to JesusChri.st, but as there are already bids on Fig.ht I will have to take this into account.

I doubt it will reach reserve so I'm sure that the recipients will take that into account.

---------- Post added at 12:24 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:21 PM ----------

also, if i read your post correctly....why would you send those snail spam letters to what you think are potential end-users, and have them bid on the names at flippa

You're right - most big businesses dont have time for auctions. They just want to get a quote, clear it with legal/finance/board (as necessary) and do a deal.

I need to do less post splicing... it aggravates Fonzie.

 

[TheBaldOne]

I doubt it will reach reserve so I'm sure that the recipients will take that into account.

Am I missing something here, would you like to inform us all please what the reserve is, as obviously your comment implies that you know what it is. I am sure neither I nor Flippa.com has disclosed such information to you, so I would love to know why you would say such a thing if you do not know?

 

[MasterOfMyDomains]

Good luck in your venture Bald one. Ignore the negative comments the same person always seems to have.However I typed in my browser fig.ht and it came to a sign in page, and I wouldnt bother signing up not knowing much of what your signing up for. Not everyone has heard of flippa
No results in google for site:yourdomainname
Thanks for sharing your idea

 

[TheBaldOne]

MasterofmyDomains - Thankyou for the 'heads up', appreciated, I will be forwarding the domain names to the auction pages later this week, the sign in page is just a holding page I use by default for my domains.

The site is not developed hence no Google results (at least I hope not - there shouldn't be). The only site I am 'still' working on is MySiteIs.com, but that is an entirely different story - one day that will all be revealed.

Anyway this thread was not about the domains I am auctioning but about the use of snail-mail compared to email, or rather the case of utilising both together. (I haven't even linked my domains in the thread to their auction pages on purpose as that would IMO be bad faith and using this forum as a pseudo-sales forum.) But I note that the domain hack nay-sayers have not made any posts on the threads here and on the other forum about the domain hack portfolio sale - strange that, I would have thought they would have filled the specific threads with reasons why a 6/7 figure portfolio sale of domains wasn't real or wasn't worth taking into account in the market place (link to thread on NP - LINK).

 

[Fonzie]

Fonzie - No, leave that up to those who follow the crowd!

There's a world of difference between mindlessly following the crowd and deliberately following the money.

You can pan for gold wherever you please, but it doesn't mean all places are created equal.
What would you think if you saw a prospector with a fully loaded pack mule, pans, dredges, sluices, pick axes, about to start mining in a childrens playground sand box? You'd laugh.

That's what I do at this thread, but I wish you luck and hope you find that golden sucker.

 

[TheBaldOne]

Fonzie - I wouldn't laugh, I would ask 'Why?'

I think that my reaction would be the most logical. I may later laugh, but I would try and get the facts first. Perhaps that is the difference?

Thank you for wishing me luck, but it is not a 'golden sucker' I am after, I will be pitching to hard nosed business men and women, hopefully (for me) two or more may see the advantage/s in the relative domain hack put to them.

 

[Fonzie]

Fonzie - I wouldn't laugh, I would ask 'Why?'

I will be pitching to hard nosed business men and women, hopefully (for me) two or more may see the advantage/s in the relative domain hack put to them.

You're going to be pitching it to people who've achieved their station in life by intuitively knowing what sucks and what doesn't.

You don't know those domains suck. It's why you're on Namepros trying to sell them and they're the executives receiving your junk mail.

In the battle for hearts and minds that is "helping end users to get it" which can be hard enough with legitimately credible and competative-advantage bestowing category defining .com domain names, approaching them up front with dogshit "domainer forum hacks" does not help your cause.

But as noted, I do wish you luck. You can improve your chances of lightning striking by standing outside holding up a pole, so perhaps this gets you some action. I hope it does.

 

[TheBaldOne]

Fonzie - Thanks for wishing me luck.

 

[DU]

Am I missing something here, would you like to inform us all please what the reserve is, as obviously your comment implies that you know what it is. I am sure neither I nor Flippa.com has disclosed such information to you, so I would love to know why you would say such a thing if you do not know?

I don't know what the reserve is. I said it wouldn't be reached - based on language(most valuable, supremely valuable, best hack etc..) and your buy it now of $5,500 which was less than 6 months ago and the general nature of Flippa auctions that are reported here.

But you're right. I do not know what the reserve is so I withdraw my comment.

Good Luck, either way.

 

[TheBaldOne]

Defaultuser - You are well off on your reckoning by the way, but thank you for wishing me luck.

 

[biggie]

Biggie -

As for getting the prospective buyers to go to Flippa.com is actually sensible. It is a reputable online auction venue with a successful history specializing in net properties,

:talk:

i have never used flippa, cuz to me, it's for folks with flippa mentality.

nor would i send any potential buyer to flippa to bid or to purchase a domain.


if, you send them anywhere i would suggest, send them to sedo


they have waaaay more credibility, imo...

 

[TheBaldOne]

Biggie - Sedo sucks, big time, if I use them at all it is only to purchase a domain. As it is Sedo charges are way higher (for poor service), contact is terrible (has been for years - read this or the other forum), is slow (don't we all know it), and has about as much credibility as a Hippo ballet dancing. But then again I guess it suits some people, just seems to suit less and less.

Let us be serious for a moment here (for I take it you were joking about Sedo).

Right back to the actual reason for this thread, to elucidate whether or not sending snail-mail directed letters to potential end users might work. (Please note that trying to cast aspersions on the domains in auction by domain hack detractors was not the aim - there are other threads for those who feel threatened by domain hacks to voice their negative opinions.)

Costing out the postage involved to say 50 likely recipients, approx. $100 all in, seems like something that is worth doing. However, that has to be put against the expected return. Here I must admit I have been a little cagey in deciding to iniate it only with my Fig.ht domain, after all with bidders already showing interest it feels just that little bit more comfortable to a tight old sod like me to spend wisely.

So tomorrow the fliers will be posted, there is 26 days left to see if they produce any results.

 

[freedom30]

Biggie - Sedo sucks, big time, if I use them at all it is only to purchase a domain. As it is Sedo charges are way higher (for poor service), contact is terrible (has been for years - read this or the other forum), is slow (don't we all know it), and has about as much credibility as a Hippo ballet dancing. But then again I guess it suits some people, just seems to suit less and less.

Let us be serious for a moment here (for I take it you were joking about Sedo).

Right back to the actual reason for this thread, to elucidate whether or not sending snail-mail directed letters to potential end users might work. (Please note that trying to cast aspersions on the domains in auction by domain hack detractors was not the aim - there are other threads for those who feel threatened by domain hacks to voice their negative opinions.)

Costing out the postage involved to say 50 likely recipients, approx. $100 all in, seems like something that is worth doing. However, that has to be put against the expected return. Here I must admit I have been a little cagey in deciding to iniate it only with my Fig.ht domain, after all with bidders already showing interest it feels just that little bit more comfortable to a tight old sod like me to spend wisely.

So tomorrow the fliers will be posted, there is 26 days left to see if they produce any results.

...reading this thread, I couldn't help but remember a book I read a while back, called Marketing Outrageously,How to Increase Your Revenue by Staggering Amounts, by Jon Spoelstra.

In fact I just picked it out of my library and will start to read it again.

I do see some value in what you are saying and as the budget permits you are wise in specifically targeting your audience. Let us know what results, if any, occur. Even a response of no, thanks, indicates that the message has been read.

The fact that you are willing to roll up your sleeves and actually put your ideas into practice says a lot about your character. Your psychologist friend seems to have given you valuable advice with his interactions as well.

Best of fortune to you, baldy, you are truly earning it...

 

[TheBaldOne]

Freedom - Thank you.

I am about to sign off for the night, but your post is a good one for me to close the evening on. I shall undoubtedly be back tomorrow, just to try and 'keep the discussion on track', but this approach is not some staggeringly new approach, rather it should be looked upon as just utilizing the facilities available, and hopefully, just hopefully, it may produce a result. If we don't try there is no chance of winning except by default, and a lot of the time perhaps that is what domainers rely upon rather than actually progressing their marketing strategies.

Anyway, tomorrow is another day.

 

[Name Trader]

I would say that it's only domainers who might think Sedo are the pits. End-users will either never have heard of them or would have a positive opinion of them, imho. I agree with biggie. I'd use Sedo over Flippa anytime, because there are more eyes looking at the auctions on Sedo, and Sedo has a much better reputation than Flippa.

As for staying on topic about snail-mail. I think all that psycho-babble is just that, psycho-babble. How do you know whether it worked or not unless you canvas all the bidders to find out if they bid in response the the email or snail-mail, or for some other reason.

However, I do commend you on trying something different.

 

[Jeffrey]

Another way of marketing one's domains would help than just sticking to what we used to know.

If you have sent the mails to the right users and the words in it were convincing, I'm sure you would get good results.

 

[DU]

Baldone

If you are going to do this in the future consider the following:

http://dbcalc.usps.gov/CalculatorSetPage.aspx

Postcards have their content on the card in plain view and it's much cheaper in bulk than your method. This is US only.

Pretty sure that you can sign up for the same in other countries. I use a service to deliver cards in the UK for birthdays vs buying a card and mailing it abroad.