OnlineDomain.com Domain Name News & Opinions
This is the best comment I have seen given by a domain name owner together with a domain name quote.
It states some of the advantages of owning a premium domain name and how such an investment will pay for itself over a short period of time.
It also states that this is the best and firm price they can give and that they don’t want to waste any time with negotiations.
They also suggest taking your time to educate yourself (the domain name buyer that is) and request that you don’t submit a counteroffer.
Finally they give some small incite on how they valuate their domain names and give a link to their whole inventory.
The whole comment seems to have the aggressive of someone that doesn’t want his time wasted and also creates a sense of urgency because you know that the buyer might have given the same firm offer to others and also because you think that if you submit a counteroffer you might not hear back from the seller.
Here it the complete comment I got a couple of weeks back when I inquired for a one-word .com domain:
“Hello,
Thanks for your inquiry.
*********.com gets some quality organic ***the domain name’s niche*** traffic, huge money making and development potential.
Owning a domain containing strong generic keywords strictly related to the field of your interest, means also gaining important SEO privileges because it’s much easier ranking in the first positions in all major search engines for such keyword and this is an important advantage on your competitors.
It’s a small investment which would quickly pay for itself thanks to the huge amount of new customers/visitors that it will bring to your future website or existing project, with no need to waste thousand of dollars in long advertising campaigns which would only give you temporary results before anyone will forget about your website while a quality and memorable domain would guarantee you a permanent and increasing leadership in a specific industry.
Please, note that our main goal is selling quickly as many domains as possible, to raise new funds for new investments so we’re giving you since now our lowest firm quote to avoid wasting our reciprocal time behind a long and boring negotiation and to play our best chance on a possible quick deal at mutual satisfaction, with no speculations from our side.
Here’s our lowest firm offer for a possible sale of this quality domain. We’ve no time to negotiate so we’re giving you our best quote since now, feel free to accept it or, if unsure, just think about it at no obligation for a couple of weeks, take your time to investigate further about its value and strong development potential and SEO advantages granted by its keywords but kindly don’t submit a counteroffer because we consider our premium domains as a strong investment on the future, their value can only increase with the time so we’d not be motivated in selling for less.
Our premium generic domains have been listed here at ********, waiting for the right buyer who might have interest in taking them at the right price …
We evaluate our domains by following various parameters including the meaning and the popularity of the term in search engines, the number of variations and TLDs under whom its keyword/s has/have been registered, the development possibilities in various fields, the potential increasing of its value with the time and the growing of Internet etc.
Please, have a look at our full domain inventory currently listed for sale here at ********.”
How can someone who writes such a long reply be seriously concerned about the time spent on negotiations?
Copy and paste on his behalf… 🙂
I agree that there should be no negotiation. Just a seller’s price is enough for a domain name deal. If the buyer accepts it, fine. If they don’t, that’s also fine. File closed for them. Very simple.
@Domain Observer,
It’s up to the seller how he responds. But I can tell you from long experience as a buyer’s broker: Most domainers who don’t negotiate blow their sales.
Maybe you’re assuming the domain owner replies with a sensible price quote … and that the domain is of sufficient quality that future offers are assured. But what if the owner is naïvely quoting a price that’s beyond the realm of possibility? Shouldn’t the buyer convince him to see reason? Otherwise the seller misses what is probably his only chance to sell. Some domains get multiple offers over the years; but those domains are outnumbered by domains that get (at best) 1 interested buyer.
It was a one word domain priced right. I think this is a seller that knows what he is doing and will not accept a counteroffer. (Or might accept 80% of the price. You never know.) But if you make a 1/10th offer he will not reply. So he makes it clear from the start.
BTW the owner have a few 1m domains so I am sure he knows what he is doing.
@Konstantinos,
Purely on your reaction to the email message, I knew the price must be an appropriate retail number in this case. Otherwise, you might have scoffed at the reply instead of writing about it favorably.
I just think these tactics would backfire for 80% of domainers. Many novices price their domains far too high, and a willingness to negotiate is quite important if they really wish to sell.
Yes, I know there are some owners who are naively quoting an ‘exorbitant’ price. They are basically out of my discussion topic. Isn’t it somewhat awkward for the buyers to try to save those sellers from falling into hell. Out of goodwill?
@Domain Observer,
Some domainers turn down $20k on a domain that I’d never list for sale above $2k if it were mine. They insist on $20 million, and I doubt they ever get another offer after I bypass them.
If I were you, I would block their email immediately.
The points you outlined are great to include in a response. But the copy of this email is horrible. 😀 Sounds more like a response to a domainer than anything else. Lots of unnecessary fluff. They need to rewrite it, IMO.
It was an Italian writing it so it might need some combing. 🙂
I’m 100% Italian and this email is too long. It should never be an first email introduction.
There should always be negotiations with a premium name if your a good salesman. Simply state the name and price and negotiate from power.
If they want the name they will let you know. You are not going make someone buy a name no matter what you write unless they want really want it. .
You can start with your price in the higher margins and if the buyer is interested they will make a counter offer. Their offer will give you an indication of how to proceed. The follow up email or “phone call” can then explain the greater benefits if need be but less is always more. There are many ways to finesse the conversation and a good closer needs to make a timely decision on the price without losing the deal.
Lastly. If an interested party does not make “any” initial offer, Move on and don’t waste your time. Your time is worth money.
This is an email from someone that is tired of endless negotiations and that has proven (at least to me) that he is pricing his domains very modestly.
“Lastly. If an interested party does not make “any” initial offer, Move on and don’t waste your time. Your time is worth money.”
This is what happens most of the times. How do you suggest to move on?
Kostas,
I’m Italian as well and IMHO it’s somewhat too long, I’d trim a little bit at least, agree with Michael Castello on the remaining points.
BTW, I’m sure I know who the domain owner is … or better who the domain owners are 😉
On the “Italian” thing, I guess that sometimes also emails from Greek people need to be “fine-tuned” … 🙂
There is a world of potential buyers. Spend an hour a day and reach out where you find yourself researching. There are other countries and those that may have similar names in other extensions. Each name has a different market and potential buyer. You never know once you reach someone with an email that the person may reach out at a later time. Networking will pay dividends.
First comment on this blog.
I almost certain I know who the seller is from the way the reply is worded.
The seller if it is who I think it is, is for sure one of the more successful in the business over many years and know exactly what he/they are doing.
As mentioned above for the majority of domainers, don’t bother trying to replicate this approach as it will backfire.
“Some domainers turn down $20k on a domain that I’d never list for sale above $2k if it were mine.”
The difference between 20k and 2k is knowledge, skill, and ability to wait. I provide a similar response to educate the “buyers” and go a little further providing a few quick alternatives for their price range, and give them a ballpark of 20% of development potential over 5 years. This has been the most effective way to help the buyer understand the Value to Them. More “Investors” should take the time to educate potential buyers. Flippers don’t provide “premium” value to the industry, Investors and skilled sellers do.
When I receive a 200 dollar offer for a 3L “word” I wonder where this person is getting their information.
One “education” response is much more efficient and better for the industry.
A Domain is a Vehicle, Tool, Asset, Digital Identity, Front Door for the purpose of Profit. More than just a “NAME” IMHO the industry should consider “shortening” it’s identity to simply Domains
Thanks for posting this. It could go a long way in reducing the number of absurd queries.
Cheers!
@168,
“Thanks for posting this. It could go a long way in reducing the number of absurd queries.”
Because the people who make absurd queries read domain blogs before offering $10.
Good advice here, especially from MC.
Check out the response to a buyer at burchlaw.com. A lot of people get pissed when you have a name they want and you refuse to sell it cheep. I’m guessing burchlaw.org will send some traffic to the .com.
Nice one. Thanks