To make an offer on a domain that gets read, start with willingness to sell, not a number. Premium owners delete parking-form spam and lowball anchors before reading past line one.
This article provides practical buyer templates. For why lowballs fail, see why lowball offers fail. For negotiation strategy, see negotiation tactics. For owner research first: how to contact a domain owner.
Pair templates with WHOIS Lookup and Domain Appraisal before counters. If outreach stalls or identity risk is high, domain acquisition services can represent you confidentially.
First Message (No Number)
Use a neutral identity if possible, not your CEO @ fundedstartup.com on a strategic .com.
Do not include: company name, use case, budget, deadline, or opening dollar amount.
Follow-Up (Day 7)
One follow-up is professional; daily pings are not.
When the Owner Asks for Your Offer
If pressed for a number before you have comps:
If you must anchor, use a researched range, not a lowball (appraisal before you buy).
Counteroffer Template (After Comps)
Reference data, not urgency or threats.
Confidential / Stealth Variants
When using a broker or neutral intermediary:
See stealth domain acquisition.
Follow-Up After "No"
Then pause weeks or months, not repeated identical pitches (when owner says no).
What Not to Write
- "I'll give you $200" on premium names (why lowballs fail)
- "We need this for our launch next month"
- "We're [Well-Funded Startup Inc]"
- Threats or artificial deadlines
