This post was inspired by a recent comment that I received from a reader:
I have made a list of endusers for couple of my domains and I even sent out emails telling them google results,CPC, etc etc and my asking price mid XXXX . But my email was a bit long ( I feel like that ).I have got a list of phone numbers also but I am frightened to call and I don’t know how to present my self ..Can you help me ..I am sure many are out there like me …
This is a great questions and one that I’m happy to answer! I thought it would be great to write a post about this as I’m sure many other people have the same question.
First – let me just say that this is a great place to start. Before brokering a domain it is a good idea to make a list of your targeted end-users/companies. In this list include as much information as you can including telephone numbers specifically for the marketing department of a company if you can find it. Actually calling a company can be daunting for some but with a little practice you’ll get very comfortable with the process. The most important thing about a phone call is that you want to make sure you have your data in front of you and a good initial pitch to give. In the world of sales you are about to make your first cold call!
In this example I’ll talk about calling a company – the process is the same for calling an individual except you don’t have to go through the steps of finding the right person to talk to. Below is a sample conversation – almost verbatim – that I had with a company last week. I called the company’s corporate headquarters and said:
Me: Hello, I’m looking for someone from your web marketing team.
Company X: Sure, let me transfer you.
Me: Thank you very much.
*Ring* *Ring*
Web Marketing Dept: Hello this is [Name]
Me: Hi this is Morgan from Linton Investments I’m looking for the person responsible for your Google Advertising
Web Marketing Dept: Sure, that’s [Name] – let me transfer you to him
Google Ad Specialist: Hello this is [Name], how can I help you?
Me: Hi, my name is Morgan and I work for a domain name investment company in California. I have a domain name very closely-related to your business that I thought you might be interested in.
Google Ad Specialist: Okay, what’s the name?
Me: The domain is [Domain Name] and it is currently ranked #3 in Google for [Keywords] which I noticed are keyword you are paying to advertise for.
Google Ad Specialist: We do advertise for those keywords but we have a pretty limited ad budget.
Me: I completely understand – I have a number of other companies that I’m contacting but I really thought this would be the best fit for your business. I’ve done some quick analysis of how much I think you could save this year on marketing costs just by owning this domain, can I send it over to you?
Google Ad Specialist: Well we’re always looking for a way to save money so I’d be willing to have a look at it.
Me: Great – what is your email address? I’ll send this over and you can contact me if it looks interesting to you.
Google Ad Specialist: Okay, will do. My email address is [Email Address]. Thanks Morgan I’ll be looking for your email.
Me: No problem – have a great day.
That’s it. When talking to an end-user, especially someone who you’ve never spoken to in your life, it is important to be brief and provide very focused information. Don’t tell them your life story or explain the domain market – focus on their need. In most cases you’ll be presenting how much they could save on advertising with the domain name you are selling. Any good marketing person knows that spending less on web marketing means spending more elsewhere which has the potential to bring-in even more business for the company.
Make sure you have something to send them as follow-up the minute you get-off the phone. This should be either a short presentation or spreadsheet that clearly shows how this domain name will save them money over time.
Domain brokerage is a lot of work and it takes time and persistence to get the job done right. The most important thing about brokerage is that you have to be patient! Don’t expect to sell your domain to the first person you contact. Like I said earlier this week – Who Said Domaining Was Easy?
