Morning Folks!!
So in an obscure comment the other day I wrote the following:
'And here is one of the places that Danny and I disagree just a little bit. I don't think our opportunity is best suited to domainers. We will get some. But we need hungry sales people and I see them all day long selling JUNK for peanuts and earning peas. I want to go to other industries where sales are much harder and less rewarding and then retrain them. Funny, I can get to a willing mind and have them understand domains in 60 minutes. That is why I chose March 1 as the cutoff for folks INSIDE the domain industry. I think we will get 6 at most. Danny thinks we will get 12. We'll see. But then I am going to get 6 that know nothing about domains but are willing to learn, hungry and KNOW how to sell. Could end up being a competition. Which side do you think will win?'
So with that let me explain a few things. I can't teach somebody the ART and SCIENCE of selling at this stage nor do I want to. So that means you have to come to me as a qualified sales pro. How will I know? Give me 3 minutes.
Sales is about one thing. Overcoming objections with solid and thoughtful answers that fit the questions and concerns a buyer has. That's it in a nutshell. If you just do that and nothing else, you will be in the top 20%. But if you are not a problem solver, if you can't adjust to understand the concerns of the buyer, if you can't stay focused on only this paragraph, then you lose. The only other things is asking for the order whatever it is you sell. After all questions are answered. Not bullshitted away. Answered. Need want and desire are already there unless you are spinning your wheels.
Now I have come to the conclusion that it is MUCH EASIER to teach a sales pro about domain names than it is for me to take a a person and teach him about sales even tho I just gave it my best shot. I can educate a willing mind about domain names in minutes. It takes YEARS to teach somebody to be an EFFECTIVE sales pro. However some are naturals.
So there are a lot of guys out there with talent but they no longer have a vehicle to sell. Real Estate may be good in Florida, New York City and a dozen other spots. But it still sucks in the majority of the country. Those real estate guys work hard for very little reward and zippo when it comes to recurring revenue.
For folks selling multi-million dollar properties, it is worth the paperwork, inspections, waiting 30-60 days for a deal to close and all the rest. What about the poor schlepers selling $50,000 properties and doing ALL the exact same work. Except they work 20x as hard and more. I see what we offer as something that is attractive to them.
That is just one sector. There are software sales people and their vehicle may be slow or no longer important to the marketplace. There are health-care sales people and they are questioning what the future holds for them. In industry after industry the earnings are going down not up. Folks are working more hours for less money. That makes our opportunity awfully appealing to the right candidate.
Avon, Mary Kay, Fuller Brush......can you spell saturation? You talk about not much left. The territory in upper North Dakota are already taken. So that is when I laugh the most when I hear all the good dot coms are gone. Come on!! You want a Mary Kay Territory in Miami? I am sure you can buy a small area there for a few million. Do you think you could lease that territory for $10,000/month? I highly doubt it.
At this moment, domains are still a bargain in the scheme of things. When compared to other sales producing outlets and advertising a BARGAIN. A permanent ad in a permanent magazine that you own and each and every day consistently provides many new sales and many new clients perhaps in perpetuity. I can see why a CEO with a Masters would want no part of that!
So after I have my 1 hour with a sales pro and I show that person what we see, MOST see it as well. The average person on the street understands what we do. Many of them better than domainers themselves. 90% of them better than the CEO's out there running the ship.
So I think our sales team will come from outside the industry and some are going to seize that opportunity right in front of everyone reading this. So on Friday we will close our program for sales people inside the industry and concentrate on those from the outside.
Have a GREAT Day!
Rick Schwartz
-----
UFO
Agreed, Far better to teach a sales pro domains than domainers sales. Selling is an innate predisposition. People skills take years to develop.
But I do think there is one chink in your armour. Different domains are inherently suited to different industries. You need sales people from those industries for a multitude of reasons.
Also, sales people don’t understand a real selling pitch that has financial implications. Fluffy marketing speak might make it past the the marketing department but I can assure you that the Finance people will knock anything unless it has robust financials. A proper selling pitch should sell the concept with far less need for ‘salespeople’. You just need to know/identify the gatekeepers. (This para though is more about multi nationals etc that have serious funds but also the red tape that goes along with it).
Puckerhuddle
My vote goes to the domaining newbies. The initial impressions and lessons that a person learns in any industry tend to be burned into their minds and and become preconceived ideas. Its always better to have a sales person that only knows one way. No hesitation, excuses, no brainer etc
Uzoma
I used to defend domainers in every blog. I ided with domainers in everything.
But htink about this: domain bloggers bar anyone, especially me from discussing domain names, my domain names, any domain names actually, from their blogs. How stupid is that? Domainers barring people from discussing domain names on their blogs?
Someone wrote an article a few weeks ago that the only good domainer is a dead domainer. And I thought that was a little extreme. See http://www.thedomains.com/2013/01/15/alexander-schubert-of-gay-the-only-good-domainer-is-a-dead-domainer/
By domainers I don’t mean business people, I mean those that peddle names on forums, and operate blogs. These domainers lack imagination. They cram what a good domain name should be based on what sold last week on Sedo or NameJet. No independent thinking. Herds. Gangs. Selling useless names to one another.
According to them you are supposed to take HYUP.COM over Bankfy.com because the former is a 4 letter CVCV or VVVV, or CCCC or whatever. That means very little in the business world. Three letter .coms are valuable because most companies have acronyms in that category, for example ABC.com, NBC.com etc It’s not arbitrary. So, I think hiring outside will be better.
Mark B
It still comes down to simple metrics.. Traffic and revenue.. If a domain has neither, then all the sales tactics in the world won’t matter…
UFO
That’s where you are COMPLETELY wrong.
Yes, there is generally a correlation between traffic and ‘in use’ as a business proposition but definitely not always.
A valuable domain is one that adds value to the acquiring business. It’s also about synergy/development and not just direct attributes of that domain in isolation.
A valuable domain is like a piece in the puzzle that companies need to leverage something far bigger.
Most high value purchases of domain won’t have traffic as their primary motivation.
This is why domainers are not going to be true sales people. They don’t understand business; often they are more like Stamp collectors.
Anunt
Commenet removed.
No more insulting jackass comments with no value and soiling this blog! No more! Constructive or get lost! We don’t have time or energy for distractions.
Goes for everybody not just Anunt!
DonnyM
Big things are happening just look at autoinsurance.com, no sales figure can be reported but imagine brokering something like that.
My estimates are it gets 5000 natural type in’s a month. Would cost you and estimated 700 to 900k per year with adwords to get that type of type in traffic.
Only one guy talked about this name being a possible sale (dnw), this should be huge news. The rest are bragging about how they bought and sold a domain name and made 200 bucks. Quite funny.
BullS
I Will Teach you about Domain Names-
#1 dot com is KING
Newgrl
I am thinkin the ones who know little to nothing about Domains. Reason being, they are Not tainted by the industry, not jaded in anyway..They can see the world through Fresh Eyes & ideas. And God forbid,Possibly be a bit open minded.. Correct, Domainers are NOT necessarily sales people..just like on the Show Shark Tank..some of those people have great Ideas, but couldn’t sell nor make a sales pitch to save their lives..One can’t be good at everything..
They have no People skills!! Being able to work a room no matter who is standing in it..that is who will be successful in this venture..Not Hard up whatever sales people..Not Cut your throat starving car sales people.no offence..Not people whom are monetarily desperate in any form..You need believably strong people whom are willing and able to walk away from a dead deal..People/Sales People whom need money,reek fear..and the end users will smell the fear like a dog would,a mile away..Example: Go to a car dealer & just browse..they will want to take your info & then stalk you till You have to call block them & possibly acquire a restraining order to get them off your back…The art of any deal,Is having No fear!! and always, always being able to get up and walk away..Fear is the root of all evils. Get yourself a Team of people who already have money..People who are looking to make more of it & change this industry..
Altaf
After a long you took an action worth millions. You saw how a senior personality in this is abused.
gratefully,
John
Yes, I noticed Florida Real Estate as well vacationers much more buoyant than 2 years ago when I last visited the Sunshine State. I also noticed that everyone in Florida seems to read books about the stock market around the pool and smoke large cigars, at least where I was at.
Seems to me the natural brag about traffic/users with domains is much like when you talk about your car which can go thissss fast. Ok, but how much is it worth and why are slower cars more expensive then!?
I still remember the Domain King forum/board back in 2001. Motivated some, inspired a few and left a couple of folks somewhere in-between I guess.
Max
Do not joke. This is a serious war. Go with free, open-minded… topmodel salesgirls
Altaf
Negotiations, Negotiations & Negotiations- the key along with caring your customers with due respects,time and commitment.