I receive many lowball offers. I’ve done some things on my landing pages and inquiry forms to try and reduce the tire kickers and silly offers, but I still get them on a regular basis. These days, my standard response to someone who submitted a lowball offers is along these lines:
“You should look for a less valuable domain name.”
Succinct and to the point without the “thanks for your interest” niceties that sort of run counter to my abridged reply.
When I send a response like this, I’ve already made the determination that the buyer is not qualified. They’ve either not done any research into the value of domain names or they aren’t nearly at the point of being able to make a serious offer. In either case, there’s no point in opening the door for a discussion when they are miles away.
The response may seem curt and borderline rude, but I think it’s reasonable advice. They don’t have the budget for the domain name they want to buy from me (and likely not even close), so they should look for an alternative domain name that is less valuable.
This tends to close the door on any discussion, but that’s fine with me. Not every inquiry needs to turn into a negotiation, particularly when the opening offer shows we’re operating in entirely different price ranges. They will understand that if they really want this domain name, they’ll need to make a more serious offer and perhaps get a better understanding of domain name values.
There are plenty of domain names available at different price points. If someone doesn’t have the budget for the one they want, looking for a less valuable alternative is probably the most practical next step.
You’re too nice! My response usually is: “Are you trying buy a pair of sneakers or a premium brand?”