As a domain investor, I am direct and to the point; when I’m in the process of acquiring a domain name, I make an offer and negotiate from there. If the price difference is unbridgeable, I let the seller know that my budget does not stretch that far.
As a seller of domain names, I expect potential buyers to negotiate in a similar manner.
Of course, that expectation almost always fails me; there are plenty of time-wasters out there, that deploy a frustrating pseudo-strategy but never open their wallets.
There are a few ways to identify those time-wasters, and here are some indications that you’re dealing with one:
- Offers arrive laden with typographical and syntactical errors: “What ask?” is a recent favorite. Those that don’t double check an email or message for clarity, won’t be spending big bucks on your domains.
- Location: While Indian millionaires exist, chances are that any offers that arrive from India won’t cross into the $x,xxx territory. It’s just a matter of how this great nation’s economy works.
- The over-use of a corporate signature. Most large company SEOs don’t have the time to email domain sellers; if an offer flaunts its title, chances are that it’s a single member company.
- Fake contact information that appears to be legit. Read the ‘Spam, lies and videotape‘ story that domain investor Nadia Pessoa helped me with.
- Upon requesting a phone number to discuss matters further, the other party ends all communication or refuses to provide it. It’s easy to spoof or fake a title, or use a domain hiding behind WHOIS privacy; direct communication can reveal the time-waster’s plot.
- The other party is a domainer. Sadly, a lot of people in the business spam other domainers, lowballing en masse. This is the type that one should avoid the most; not only because there is no money in such a transaction, but because it’s a mockery to begin with.
As always, do your research before responding to an offer. Unless it has potential, ignoring the time-waster’s email is the best thing to do.
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