Simple Sample Email to an End User

A couple of weeks ago in the comment section of a blog post I wrote, someone asked if I could provide a sample email I’ve written to end users to sell domain names, and I am happy to oblige. Most of the time, my emails are short and to the point, as I know an unsolicited email to a CEO or small business owner needs to get to the point quickly. My emails also can vary depending on the potential buyer and the domain name, but this is one that has worked before on lower value (under $1,000) domain names.

Below is a sample email and my rationale for writing what I wrote.

Email for a CityAttorney.com domain name I purchased on Snapnames for $99 (the name was sold)

My company owns XXXXXXXXAttorney.com, and I would like to know if you would have an interest in buying it. Owning a strong keyword domain name can help you rank higher in search engines for the term, and I believe this is an important term to own.

This is short and to the point. I don’t think people give random emails a lot of attention, and why oversell in the opening email? Save all the other points about trust in owning the generic name for a second email if necessary.

The price for this domain name is just $400, and it is registered at Moniker.com, a domain registrar located in Florida.

I named my price because there isn’t a reason not to do so if you know what your name is worth. I didn’t want to get greedy or have my email deleted because my price was too high. I figured $400 was a fair price and would be easier to get someone to buy. I paid $99 for the name a few days prior, so it’s a 300% profit when I sell. You can also leave out the price if you want to as a A|B test, but I opted to name the price to keep it simple and allow a quick business decision.

I also mentioned where the registrar is located so they knew I wasn’t a spammer from a different part of the world and there would be some trackability.

I am sending this offer to several attorneys in XXXXXXX, and the first to reply will have the opportunity to buy the domain name. I found your contact information via Google, and this is a one time individual email.

I wanted the recipients to know that time was of the essence and they needed to make a decision before someone else did. I also wanted them to know the email wasn’t spam, and that they weren’t being added to a list so they knew it was a one shot deal.

Regards,

Elliot J. Silver
Top Notch Domains, LLC
Phone: (610) 217-xxxx

I provided my contact information and company name so they could see that I am legit. Just another way to give them confidence in doing a deal with my company and me.

This isn’t a very comprehensive email, but I generally prefer to keep it simple on the opening email. The name is a generic geo-keyword domain name, and the benefits of owning it are pretty clear. I will search for a more comprehensive end-user email that I’ve used when I return, but I have had success with this.

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Written by Elliot on June 25, 2009
Posted in: Advice, Domain Sales
Tags: email, End User Sales

Comments (12)

Ross

June 25th, 2009 at 1:58 pm

Great example to let everyone in on. Getting to the point is what i have seen works the best IMO. I have been doing a series on my blog lately about end-users and this is something that i stressed.

Adi

June 25th, 2009 at 2:58 pm

Nice example, but the question is the subject. Because this is important to make a point on subject. A lot great email sent and waste your time if your email delivered to bulk mail.

Elliot

June 25th, 2009 at 2:59 pm

I think for this, I used “Legal Domain Name for Sale”

Nigel

June 25th, 2009 at 5:51 pm

Thanks for posting Elliot. A lot of domainers seem to like to keep this stuff to themselves. It’s nice to see a concrete example. I’ve been using a similar email format, but there are definitely a few things that I can see I can improve on.

J.R. Jackson (Internet's $8-Million Man)

June 26th, 2009 at 1:03 pm

Thanks for providing a copy of your email to end users. I sell a lot of emails to end users and use both email and faxes to get their attention.

While I rarely include the price I’m going to include it in my next few campaigns and see what happens.

J.R.

Jessica

June 26th, 2009 at 11:26 pm

Hi, Elliot!

You wasted no time. Not even when the world is mourning because of the death of Michael Jackson…Life must go on.

Thank you for taking the time to grant my small wish. For a domainer like me who’s still trying to make her first end-user sale, your insights into your letter is both a gold nugget and a wake-up call. Many think they’re method is good enough, but there is always room for improvement – thanks for clearing the way.

I like that fact that you emphasize the inclusion of a not-so high “asking price” in the letter because there’s a tendency for most of us to use the perennial, “Make Offer” option, which is only effective on some cases. Also, setting a price would give the person an idea of how much he is willing to go for the domain, or if he can or can not afford it.

Great style, Elliot. It’s worth following.

Domain Name Reserve

June 28th, 2009 at 11:26 pm

I would also mention that the .net, .org, .us, etc are taken so they know their options are limited.

Jimmy Thomas

July 21st, 2009 at 1:46 am

Thanks for sharing the email format. Normally I write subject line as “xxxdomain.com domain name for sale”, can suggest better subject line minimum to ensure buyer will make an effort to open the mail instead sending them to thrash.

Thanks

Stefan

August 31st, 2009 at 5:31 pm