strategy Selling domain names - Answering emails

[heavend]

I have a question which always comes up (I am certain everyone in this industry receives these kind of questions a lot) - for me - about two-three times a week or so for the past 20 years, and I have never found an ideal answer, in fact i have never found even a good answer, even through I answered 1000s of similar emails. I was hoping someone may shed some light on this.

So, it always starts the same way - an email arrives regarding some domain name:

Hello,

I would like to purchase somedomain.someextension for a new project. (for new business, or without a for)
I found your contact information in a domain whois.
Are you selling the name and how much?

Best Regards,
Mr. X

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

There are 2 kind of answers. One is quick and painless, but usually doesn't produce best results.
#1
Hello Mr. X

The domain name: somedomain.someextension is available for sale. If you are serious please let us know your offering price.

Thank you,
Your Name here

Second option is as follows, also quick - need a little more time, but also doesn't produce great results:
#2
Hello Mr. X

The domain name: somedomain.someextension is available for sale. Our current asking price is $X,XXX (can be any number here - higher then you think the domain is worth or lower). If you are serious please let me know,

Thank you,
Your Name here

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

The problem is - when you receive the original letter most of the time it is written very much anonymously - so usually you have no idea if the buyer
is end user or re-seller, what is their budget, if there even a budget, etc. You have some fake/one time use @gmail.com and most of the time fake name.
Normally you get one chance to answer and if you happen to guess wrong, the sale is over most of the time.

It seems like using the first option produces more smaller sales, but at least when the person answers back with an offer you know if they are serious about purchasing the domain, or they just fishing. However when you use the first option (without a price) you appear less professional, therefore the chances of the big sale is decreased.

I am looking for possible ideas of the third option.

Now I am assuming here we have no idea about the budget, real name, email, etc (like it is in %80-%90 cases). In fact these days the email is written in other languages, but there is always good translator, so that is not an issue.

In either case - anyone have some ideas - please share them if you wish.

All best,
Alex Kogan
HeavenDomains.com

 

[heavend]

Amen brother. I'm upfront I say "I can't afford" or I'll pass...I never jerk others around. I always hope the kind route is remembered! People who tire kick make it into a game and quite honestly cause it to end up being a pissing match and the domain name and it's ability is long lost...yet if you have a serious buyer (not in amount to spend but how fairly you are treated) then there's a great chance there will be a sale and everybody smiles!

The main issue, I found is, out of the huge number of emails - I have to be able to fish out that one serious end user at any given time. It maybe in the junk box originally, it may not even have a word of english (happens a lot with numerics and china), but somehow i need to be able to cut through the other people's bs to get to this guy and answer his email in timely fashion, since guess what - people may think their domain names are unique properties, but they are not. The ones which are unique go through brokers (as we discussed above, huge transactions, many 0s) all the others, every day transactions - people have choices. Everyone's budget is a bit different, but time is almost always an issue. Serious buyer would not be standing around and waiting for me to go through the tire kickers - and hopefully fish him out... - he has options and he will move on. I have seen it myself as well, when i was buying.

Sometimes I need to spend $50,000 in a week on domains. I have no options. I need to have different game plans and cannot spend a long time on someone who doesnt' answer, so I move on.

Thank you all for your contribution - be well,
Alex

 

[heavend]

There are also a lot of domain owners who are convinced their $50 (or less) name is worth $10,000.

Plenty of unreasonableness to go around when it comes to buyers and sellers.

Also true, but then you simply move on. There is rarely an issue in this case. In other words, if you are the buyer and think the name worth $50 - you can simply make this offer. If I am the seller and think it's $10,000 - we have nothing to talk about, as we never reach common grounds.

When I write as a seller, I usually add to "make an offer if you are serious" something like this:

We consider this domain name to be valued around XX,XXX, or we would consider a serious offer between X,XXX and X,XXX, and such and such.

This way - they know what you mean and you both are on the same page. So situation with 50 vs 10,000 rarely come up.

On the other hand - I find that a lot of people know the name is valued at $10,000, but still offer $50. That is a waste of time and so far I havent' found a good solution to dealing with it....

 

[DomainingNames]

I sometimes will say if you owned this domain would you sell it to me at this moment for what you are asking me to sell it to you for? The feeling afterword can go either way

 

[heavend]

yeah, I found this worked both ways - most of the time - you dont' end up with a sale

 

[sittingducks]

There is a new domain sherpa about this. The seller said he would just pick up the phone and call. http://www.domainsherpa.com/george-adu-customer-focus/

If you manage to extract more information then you know how serious the buyer is, how much he is willing to pay which is quite vital if you want to gain best results

 

[heavend]

Thank you for all your replies. I have created Part II, which is what usually happen if you get a favorable reply to your original email. If intersted, please visit it here:
Selling domain names - Answering emails PART II

 

[MR Harrist]

sometime I got offer via email, I just tell them, I am not sure about the price! you tell me! most of the time they will give low ball offer, something like $100 or more! after they mention, $100, I just ignore him, every time, they send me and offer! and I always put smile emoticon! , and if the range, still low ball! I reply, my domain not for sale ,

when someone give an offer, most of the time, there's always be another offer!
I never believe love in first sight anyway , but at least now I know, my domain really good!