One thing you’ll notice in the end user email I shared is that I don’t tend to list the sales price in my emails. It’s not an omission, and I want to share why I tend to leave the price out when I am trying to sell a domain name to an end user buyer.

When I am looking to sell a domain name, I have generally done my due diligence to know what the domain name is likely worth in optimal conditions, what it is worth for a quick sale, and what it’s worth if I want to dump the name quickly. Clearly, I want to sell the domain name for its optimal value, but there are reasons why I might take a lower offer.

When you price a domain name in an email, you may automatically eliminate every single potential buyer who thinks the price is too high.  If potential buyers do not reply, I can’t negotiate with them to close a fair deal. Unless I decide to re-contact the same people, which I would not do, I would never know whether any of those prospects would have an interest at a lower price.

When people reply to my emails asking for the price, I know they are interested in buying one of my domain names. If it’s a matter of price, and they are reasonable about the valuation, there’s a chance we could bridge the gap and close a deal. There’s also a chance we could potentially work out a lease, financing, or some other type of mutually beneficial deal.

Not pricing my domain names in an email opens the door to communications with several parties, and when there are multiple parties interested in buying a domain name, it makes selling for an optimal price easier.

I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts and experience with pricing or not pricing.

Last week, I posted an article that shared an email I send to potential buyers of my domain names. The purpose was to give readers an idea about what to write when contacting potential buyers, but there wasn’t information about email protocol, aside from the marketing advice.

A commenter that goes by unknowndomainer made a comment about the CAN SPAM Act, and I think it’s important enough to highlight in a separate article.

According to Wikipedia, “The CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 (15 U.S.C. 7701, et seq., Public Law No. 108-187, was S.877 of the 108th United States Congress), signed into law by President George W. Bush on December 16, 2003, establishes the United States’ first national standards for the sending of commercial e-mail and requires the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to enforce its provisions.”

People in the US who send commercial emails must abide by this Act or face potential financial penalties. If you are in the US, or if you are sending emails to US-based businesses, I think it’s very important for you to read up on the CAN SPAM Act and be knowledgeable about what you can and cannot do when sending emails.

For me, I generally add a line at the bottom of the email to let the recipient know that it’s a one time hand-sent email and that they weren’t added to any mailing list. In addition, I generally include my company’s mailing address as well, to ensure compliance with the Act.

I am not a lawyer and can’t advise on who needs to abide by the Act or what exactly needs to be included to prevent violations, but you should know about the Act and know what’s in it before you send out emails.

I am always tweaking the emails I individually send to end users, and I want to share the latest iteration. Please keep in mind that I individually send these emails to hand selected recipients who I think would be good prospects for the acquisition. It’s similar to what I do when I want to buy a domain name.

There are a few things to note:

• I try to address the email to the person receiving it (no “Hi,” but “Hi John”).
• I include a link to my website so they can see who I am and that it’s not a scam.
• I add some urgency with the mention of the auction  possibility.
• I don’t list the price so I can receive offers and open a dialog
• Subject is usually [DomainName – Opportunity] or along those lines.

Let me know what you think of the email and if you would change anything.

Update: For the sake of this post, I am discussing the marketing side of selling a domain name rather than the legal aspect of sending emails. I am not an attorney and can’t advise you on legal issues, like the CAN SPAM ACT in the US, or any other legal issue related to sending email in any jurisdiction.