Seasoned Seller tips – The most effective selling cycle to garner results.

[CdotFU]

With so many newbies entering the domain name game, to help us increase our likelihood of success, it would be beneficial to hear the true sales cycle (right down to the basic intricacies of the process, from start to finish).

Domain names themselves are important, but asking about a specific domain name on this site isn’t all that beneficial, since everyone has an opinion. Truthfully, domain names are a shining example of subjectivity.

And don’t get me wrong, the many posts reporting sales success is a wonderful experience to share; it helps keep people inspired when it might not be going so well, but it doesn’t solve the biggest problem facing new domainers: I purchased some domains, now what?!

You sold your domain - congratulations, how exactly did you do that? Did it start with chasing similar domains through the who-is? Did you simply have it listed on one of the many marketplaces and someone found it and made the offer? Did you reference industries and innovators of industry who would benefit from the domains name? And if you did, was a phone call or an email your initial effort of contacting them? Or do you have your own website listing your assets, and someone landed on one of your domains, leading them to contact you? And if that was the case, how did you handle the steps through to the close? Did it lead to a listing on Sedo to utilize their escrow, or was there another, better, solution?

What I’d like to hear, from seasoned sellers who know what they’re doing and have had consistent sales of their digital assets (domain names), is their complete process.

If it depends on the type of domains, give an idea in categorizing and generalizing a definition of those domains.

If you need a domain to start the process, lets use www.widgets.com (or for the seasoned sellers, change widget to whatever domain name best exemplifies your lesson).

I think that all newbies would appreciate this knowledge, and gives us all value to start moving our own inventories with a little more clarity.

Anybody?

 

[CdotFU]

wow...no pros? interesting.

 

[biggie]

start with a name like widgets and you won't need to select any of those options


and that is the point


it not how or where to sell, it's what you buy.

imo....

 

[CdotFU]

hahaha thanks @biggie

 

[biggie]

it true

n00b eye only on selling,

cuz big sales, make big eyes wide open

no look at how to buy right name

cuz, it take too much time to learn

imo.....

 

[RJ]

You laughed, but @biggie is right in post #3 above. Most domainers put too much thought into selling their names. As a seller, the best domain sales happen when a self-motivated buyer approaches you to buy your domain name.

I used to be an advocate of using outbound sales approaches like the ones you have listed, but I think the spammers and schemers hawking low quality domain names and using questionable business practices have ruined this kind of sales strategy. Everyone who owns a domain name at some point has been approached with some kind of dubious offer made to their admin email address, so the tendency is to ignore and delete this type of communication. Phone calls to the organization might still work in the odd case, but I think the work involved is not worth the reward. Personally, I would hang up on someone like a telemarketer if they started offering me the .net of some domain I already own.

Since you asked for advice to get sales, my advice is simply to make yourself available to contact easily for someone who types in your domain name or looks it up in the WHOIS. Using parking pages with links and ads will decrease your inquiries, especially if there is no easy way to contact you about the domain. Using domain privacy services will also reduce the chances of getting an inquiry or sale. Many domain names will never sell to an end user, even if the owner is proactive in your sales efforts.

It's a bit like playing poker--at the end of the day, hopefully you end up with more chips than you started with. Best of luck.

 

[Mister Funsky]

the best domain sales happen when a self-motivated buyer approaches you

Yes! That makes for a wonderful day when it happens.

On my less popular names (read: on names I should not have acquired) I do outbound email and list on every marketplace I can...any reasonable offer is accepted and that money is put toward buying a better quality name...there is a HUGE learning curve to this domain lifestyle.

 

[RJ]

Yes! That makes for a wonderful day when it happens.

On my less popular names (read: on names I should not have acquired) I do outbound email and list on every marketplace I can...any reasonable offer is accepted and that money is put toward buying a better quality name...there is a HUGE learning curve to this domain lifestyle.

How much time do you spend searching for potential buyers, and what kind of results do you see with outbound email?

Extra exposure on marketplaces like Sedo, Afternic, and NamePros can be a good idea if you're pricing your domains between $20-2000. The buyers at these venues include domainers and domain investors that are looking for good bargains on names to add to their portfolios.

 

[Mister Funsky]

How much time do you spend searching for potential buyers, and what kind of results do you see with outbound email?

Not a great deal of time...as you said in earlier post, it is alot of time spent for minimal results. When I first did this at the end of the last century, it was easy to get a quality name (wish I still had 2% of the names I had then!) and then move it...much harder now.

The names that I have that get unsolicited inquires/offers rarely come in at a good price, so most I am holding on to...my mid and low grade names I put on market places. But my thinking is changing since parking payouts have tanked...I agree with what you said about making it easy for the buyer...it is best to have a landing page with a price and a buy it now button if you want to make the most out of a landing.

 

[RJ]

it true

n00b eye only on selling,

cuz big sales, make big eyes wide open

no look at how to buy right name

cuz, it take too much time to learn

imo.....

@biggie you are Confucius of NamePros

dispense much wisdom

 

[CdotFU]

cuz, it take too much time to learn

imo.....

I agree. Unfortunately, there are still a ton of people that may not have domains that motivate end-users to pursue the purchase, but their not terrible domains either, and could quite realistically have something suitable for a few hundred bucks profit (every roi achievable, given their learning capacity = growth of portfolio, and presumably the acquisition of better domain names - evolution as a domainer). .Otherwise, I agree that a bad name is a bad name.

I was mainly interested in having seasoned Domainers provide guidance for the names that aren't bad, more so the domains which have some potential for an ROI.., and specifically what process (best approach) it would take for the noobs to have a fighting chance of moving them thru sales.

The guys jumping into this and pursuing the 6 figure sales are chasing pipedreams, and hopefully not all fall into this category. Again it was more for the people who realise that an roi is an roi, and are willing to learn proper valuation techniques (I guess its a lot to be assumed haha) prior to entering the marketing phase.

Once they reach that level...what would they do next to increase their odds of selling success.

 

[CdotFU]

You laughed, but @biggie is right in post #3 above. Most domainers put too much thought into selling their names. As a seller, the best domain sales happen when a self-motivated buyer approaches you to buy your domain name.

I agree. My intentions of trying to organise this thread is to provide a clean source of information for the noobs to have a fighting chance at liquidating their portfolios, and hopefully to realise at least some form of an ROI. There's so much garbage out there at ridiculous asking prices, I was assuming (hoping) this would target the domainer with reasonable domains in their portfolio, looking for the wisdom to enable them to sell some of their assets.

Lots of people buy domains, yet very few people have any idea on selling cycles, pitches or even the basic techniques of approaching potential buyers. Lots of noise out there...

 

[biggie]

I was mainly interested in having seasoned Domainers provide guidance for the names that aren't bad, more so the domains which have some potential for an ROI.., and specifically what process (best approach) it would take for the noobs to have a fighting chance of moving them thru sales.

Again it was more for the people who realise that an roi is an roi, and are willing to learn proper valuation techniques prior to entering the marketing phase.

Once they reach that level...what would they do next to increase their odds of selling success.

hmmmm...

"provide guidance for n00b, after, they get names that aren't bad.... which have some potential roi"

let's ask this question....
why couldn't n00b seek, before they buy?

think of answers for that, while we consider this:

"Again it was more for the people who realise that an roi is an roi"

now that's a good line, but how many get fazed by big sales and forget that a, "roi is a roi"?

it relates to "margin of profit", so the more you ask (for your names), the farther you get away from the essence of it.

for instance, i started w/$500 credi card

bought some '3 char.com' at reg fee for $6.95
then proceeded to sell them for $15 > $30, some $$$
small profits, but big margin of return, per investment.
(i still have some and sales are in $,$$$ range now)

you learn how to conduct transactions, with whom and whom to avoid
you learn how to upscale and upsell, you establish a reputation of professionalism, credibility, trust, honor, respect, references, referrals, contacts, repeat buyers, trader ratings, etc. etc.

you watch, see what sells, what doesn't, you note what buyers are looking for, as term/phrase requests are sometimes repetitive.
you reinvest, you acquire a "revenue stream".. so you don't don't have to sell consistently, to maintain, sustain and retain.

etc, etc,etc...


imo...

. My intentions of trying to organise this thread is to provide a clean source of information for the noobs to have a fighting chance at liquidating their portfolios, and hopefully to realise at least some form of an ROI.

there is not much clarity in domaining, per se'

somebody will tell you one thing and another person will lead you in different direction

and both can be just as confusing as the other.

you best bet, is to learn how to "read in between the lines"
(as that is where many tips and truths are found)

n00bs learn bad habits before they start, so unlearning some shiz-zit, will be part of the learning experience.

one thing, if you have a collection of "not bad" names, (which is ambiguous as hell), i wouldn't call it a portfolio.

so, liquidating in that respect and "no disrespect intended", but liquidating should also include "considering dropping them too" and starting over.

but, to give yourself the best chance, sell quickly, with an "roi is a roi" mentality.

once you start to get a feel for how things go, then proceed to upscale/upsell mode.

imo....

 

[CdotFU]

let's ask this question....
why couldn't n00b seek, before they buy?

hahaha its all subjective. what you say is a bad name, others would call a good name...that's reality.

Not everyone was around when you and I started buying domain names, so the hand registering 3L domains for 6.95 is a long gone pipe dream. In the meantime..some decent enough domains have been registered that could possibly have a market. unfortunately, in all the wisdom of this site...nobody offers much clarity to the noobs. They need guidance in figuring out how to sell some of their items.

I love the wisdom of this site: well, if you buy 3L domains you don't need to sell, they'll sell themselves. lol. really? REALLY?

 

[RJ]

Some good types of domains for outbound sales on are generic "geo + business" type domains. Unlike those three letter domains mentioned in this thread, these types of domains are still very much within the reach of smaller domain investors. A domain like RenoRealEstate.com could be really attractive for a real estate agent in Reno, and one he or she might not consider unless someone presented it to them for sale.

 

[loredan]

hmmmm...

"provide guidance for n00b, after, they get names that aren't bad.... which have some potential roi"

let's ask this question....
why couldn't n00b seek, before they buy?

think of answers for that, while we consider this:

"Again it was more for the people who realise that an roi is an roi"

now that's a good line, but how many get fazed by big sales and forget that a, "roi is a roi"?

it relates to "margin of profit", so the more you ask (for your names), the farther you get away from the essence of it.

for instance, i started w/$500 credi card

bought some '3 char.com' at reg fee for $6.95
then proceeded to sell them for $15 > $30, some $$$
small profits, but big margin of return, per investment.
(i still have some and sales are in $,$$$ range now)

you learn how to conduct transactions, with whom and whom to avoid
you learn how to upscale and upsell, you establish a reputation of professionalism, credibility, trust, honor, respect, references, referrals, contacts, repeat buyers, trader ratings, etc. etc.

you watch, see what sells, what doesn't, you note what buyers are looking for, as term/phrase requests are sometimes repetitive.
you reinvest, you acquire a "revenue stream".. so you don't don't have to sell consistently, to maintain, sustain and retain.

etc, etc,etc...


imo...




there is not much clarity in domaining, per se'

somebody will tell you one thing and another person will lead you in different direction

and both can be just as confusing as the other.

you best bet, is to learn how to "read in between the lines"
(as that is where many tips and truths are found)

n00bs learn bad habits before they start, so unlearning some shiz-zit, will be part of the learning experience.

one thing, if you have a collection of "not bad" names, (which is ambiguous as hell), i wouldn't call it a portfolio.

so, liquidating in that respect and "no disrespect intended", but liquidating should also include "considering dropping them too" and starting over.

but, to give yourself the best chance, sell quickly, with an "roi is a roi" mentality.

once you start to get a feel for how things go, then proceed to upscale/upsell mode.

imo....

Wise words @biggie , thanks for sharing!

 

[biggie]

hahaha its all subjective. what you say is a bad name, others would call a good name...that's reality.

Not everyone was around when you and I started buying domain names, so the hand registering 3L domains for 6.95 is a long gone pipe dream. In the meantime..some decent enough domains have been registered that could possibly have a market. unfortunately, in all the wisdom of this site...nobody offers much clarity to the noobs. They need guidance in figuring out how to sell some of their items.

I love the wisdom of this site: well, if you buy 3L domains you don't need to sell, they'll sell themselves. lol. really? REALLY?

the point was about regging names that buyers would be looking for and selling for small profits, until you learn the game
(it was exercise in reading between the lines)

and the "pipe dream" is still alive, cuz if it wasn't, N00bs wouldn't keep flocking in here.. still hoping and dreaming of big sales.

and yes, names do sell themselves!


imo....

 

[CdotFU]

the point was about regging names that buyers would be looking for and selling for small profits, until you learn the game
(it was exercise in reading between the lines)

uhuh. it seems that you missed the point of this thread. imo
Your thoughts are appreciated tho and hopefully some noobs receive your points.