Contacting possible buyers by phone.

[MudGrab]

Hey there, I own a domain that is the title of a couple small locally owned businesses around the US (found via Google Maps) and I'm considering calling the business owners and asking them if they would be interested in buying my domain. Any tips on what to say? Should I ask for an offer or already have a set amount in mind? Any help would be appreciated.

[Acro]

Hire a female to do the sales pitch

[MudGrab]

Acro, that is genius. haha

[Acro]

Preferably, one with a nice, friendly voice.

[Compassion]

Originally Posted by Acro

Hire a female to do the sales pitch

True,

A sweet sounding female can get a man to buy a jar of sand for $20



Sounds like an interesting independent contract

[MudGrab]

Do you think I could pull-off trying to disguise my voice as a girls? just kidding, haha

[EJS]

Originally Posted by MudGrab

Hey there, I own a domain that is the title of a couple small locally owned businesses around the US (found via Google Maps) and I'm considering calling the business owners and asking them if they would be interested in buying my domain. Any tips on what to say? Should I ask for an offer or already have a set amount in mind? Any help would be appreciated.

So you bought the .com domain names that correspond to the names of a couple of mom and pop stores, and you want to call them to sell them these names? Genius!

Why don't you tell them how dumb they were for not registering it and that you'll forward it to porn if they don't pay you an exorbitant sum of money. Oh... wait... it's not 1998 when people were actually doing this BS crap - which is one of the main reasons the Anti Cybersquatting Act was created. Sounds like you are going to be on the front cover of their local newspaper, with a lead article, "Cybersquatter tries to extort local business by holding domain name for ransom."

IMO, it's 2009, and if they wanted their domain name, they would have already bought it. What you did was buy a domain name simply because it's the name of someone else's business (as you had knowledge of their business) and are going to try and profit from it, which is cybersquatting at its worst and gives legitimate domain owners a bad reputation - thanks.

[PRED]

Originally Posted by MudGrab

Do you think I could pull-off trying to disguise my voice as a girls? just kidding, haha

i could kick you in the nuts first if you like?
that may work

[Carter]

Originally Posted by PRED

i could kick you in the nuts first if you like?
that may work

lol

[Acro]

Originally Posted by PRED

i could kick you in the nuts first if you like?
that may work

Or a good whiff from a helium balloon

[cleverlyslick]

lol you guys are harsh.mud you could get into trouble for that boss.

[south]

Originally Posted by Acro

Or a good whiff from a helium balloon

Now that would be hilarious!

[MudGrab]

Originally Posted by EJS

What you did was buy a domain name simply because it's the name of someone else's business (as you had knowledge of their business) and are going to try and profit from it, which is cybersquatting at its worst and gives legitimate domain owners a bad reputation - thanks.

This is not true and is purely speculation. I bought the domain off of a "Name.com Expiring List" and it wasn't until just yesterday that I realized that there are people out there who might make good use of it. Get the whole story before you start accusing someone EJS, no one likes the Forum Jerk.

[cleverlyslick]

you can try contacting them and asking for $XX so you won't get a complete loss on your purchase.or offer to develop for them for a higher price.

[MudGrab]

Thankyou Cleverlyslick for your reply, it was helpful and appropriate, maybe you could give EJS some posting tips.

[EJS]

Originally Posted by MudGrab

This is not true and is purely speculation. I bought the domain off of a "Name.com Expiring List" and it wasn't until just yesterday that I realized that there are people out there who might make good use of it. Get the whole story before you start accusing someone EJS, no one likes the forum jerk.

You asked for an opinion, and you got it, and I think this is a better option than calling someone with a female voice.

You own domain names of small businesses and are going to try to get them to buy these domain names, which is the same BS that was pulled years ago whether you like it or not - and that is a big reason for the ACPA. As far as I am aware, the domain buyer is required to do his own due diligence before buying a domain name to make sure it doesn't infringe on someone else's mark.

Regardless of whether you knew of the companies or just found out doesn't matter - well, perhaps for legal implications but for the purpose of this post, let's put the legal issue aside. As someone who works with small businesses, I know it will look like extortion, and newspapers love to print this type of story.

Perhaps you should have asked this in the legal forum or in a non-newbie forum, as this isn't exactly a good question to ask newbies. For informational purposes, I am not a newbie in this industry, and for further advice, I wouldn't ever respond with a rude post like yours above when someone provided you with good advice. It's a small industry and people have long memories.

Originally Posted by MudGrab

Thankyou Cleverlyslick for your reply, it was helpful and appropriate, maybe you could give EJS some posting tips.

This is why I stick with posting in private domain forums and on my blog rather than posting in a forum dealing with rookies like yourself.

[Carter]

I've sold several domains via phone...I don't see the problem where is.
Call the company, speak to a rep and sold.
It's like sold apples or cars.

If the domain is hot, the sale is hot.

Promote your name and close the deal.
In my experience, never call the webmaster.

[EJS]

Originally Posted by Carter

I've sold several domains via phone...I don't see the problem where is.
Call the company, speak to a rep and sold.
It's like sold apples or cars.

If the domain is hot, the sale is hot.

Promote your name and close the deal.
In my experience, never call the webmaster.

Yeah, as have I for a LOT of money. However there's a big difference between selling generics and selling TM/business names.

When you call a DWI attorney offering the generic name, it sounds like a great opportunity: "I own DWIAttorney.com, which receives 250 type-ins a day, and since you are paying $8.00 per lead on Google, you can save hundreds of dollars a year by buying this domain name from me."

When you call Cosmic Cleaning of Masaryktown, FL and say, "I happen to own CosmicCleaning.com, which is the name of your business, and it receives 10 visitors a day all looking for your business. Would you like to buy it from me?" A business owner will probably feel extorted knowing someone else owns his non-generic business name, and knowing that he could forward it to a competitor or porn or whatever he might think in the back of his head.

As I've said before, this is the same stuff people pulled on big corporations back in the day, which is why they created the ACPA with fines of up to $100,000 per violation.

Nonetheless, you have been forewarned, and I am not going to waste any more time on this.

EDIT**

Cosmic Cleaning TM info: http://www.corporationwiki.com/Flori...c-2098556.aspx
CosmicCleaning.com Thread started by OP: http://www.dnforum.com/f283/cosmiccl...ad-343712.html

[Carter]

Originally Posted by EJS

Yeah, as have I for a LOT of money. However there's a big difference between selling generics and selling TM/business names.

When you call a DWI attorney offering the generic name, it sounds like a great opportunity: "I own DWIAttorney.com, which receives 250 type-ins a day, and since you are paying $8.00 per lead on Google, you can save hundreds of dollars a year by buying this domain name from me."

When you call Cosmic Cleaning of Masaryktown, FL and say, "I happen to own CosmicCleaning.com, which is the name of your business, and it receives 10 visitors a day all looking for your business. Would you like to buy it from me?" A business owner will probably feel extorted knowing someone else owns his non-generic business name, and knowing that he could forward it to a competitor or porn or whatever he might think in the back of his head. As I've said before, this is the same stuff people pulled on big corporations back in the day, which is why they created the ACPA with fines of up to $100,000 per violation.

Agree.
My post talked about generic/product names not TM domains.
Who sold TM domains via phone is an idiot.

A guy on this forum (I don't call out names now) several months ago reg'd my company name in another minor extension (after I reg'd my company name in .com/.net/.org/.info) and tried to sell the domain to me for xxx.
I kick him in the ***.

[EJS]

Originally Posted by Carter

Agree.
My post talked about generic/product names not TM domains.
Who sold TM domains via phone is an idiot.

Exactly.