Discusses the Domain Sales Newsletter Sans Rick Latona — Toby Clements
Toby Clements discusses the future of his domain name sales newsletter.
A popular sales channel for domain names is coming back under a fresh brand.
Rick Latona and Toby Clements recently disclosed they’ve parted ways, and now Clements will be taking over the newsletter formerly known as the “Rick Latona Newsletter”. It was a popular sales newsletter for a long time, and it’s good to hear it is coming back.
Clements fresh web site for the newsletter isn’t up yet, but it appears you can still subscribe to the sales newsletter here. If you were by now on the Rick Latona newsletter list then there’s no need to resubscxribe.
I reached out to Clements to find out more regarding what he has planned.
DNW: The Rick Latona newsletter was very popular. Why did it stop running?
Even though our newsletter was very successful, we always wondered if we were better off changing it to an auction format in order to maximize deals. Although we entered the live auction business with T.R.A.F.F.I.C it was only a matter of time ahead of we built the online auction software, and changed the platform. In some ways it worked, and in others it didn’t.
This change caused a lot of waves within the industry. I can remember receiving countless emails from industry professionals asking why we made this kind of move. Thinking back, I agreed with each and every one of them, but nonetheless we stayed the path and kept moving forward with the auctions. All the while I knew in the back of my mind that at some point in time I would bring the newsletter back.
When Rick and I parted ways a few weeks ago I knew I was going back into domains. I enjoy brokering names, and did very well with it so it’s a natural move for me to make.
Having the opportunity to bring back the newsletter under my name with the same look and feel, the same database of industry buyers, as well as end users, and a number of fortune 100 firms is an exciting venture for me. It’s one that can be profitable to anyone wishing to get the maximum exposure for their domain assets.
DNW: You were running the newsletter sales business all along, correct?
It was a collective effort from both Rick and I. Any domain that was submitted to us for the newsletter, auction house, or from an buyout standpoint had to come across my desk for approval. As you can imagine, I looked at 10,000 plus names a week on average for over three years. There is really nothing that I haven’t seen or appraised. It became second nature for me to look at a name, know the value, and work the deal. A lot of these domains went to the newsletter, but some of them were simply bought, or put up at auction.
The newsletter itself became my baby. Fielding all of the emails, phone calls, and submissions was a normal day for me. It’s quite a task to look at so many names and have to keep up with values, but it’s a challenge that I truly enjoy. This is why I wanted to take this part of the business with me, and relaunch it back to an industry that never wanted it to go away in the first place.
DNW: What changes will you make to the newsletter now that it’s all under your brand?
I have put some thought into this, and overall I want to keep the spirit of the newsletter intact.
The main section will be for “Fresh Names” and I will have a “Reduced Until Sold” section as well. I am thinking regarding adding some more sections to it such as “Revenue” and/or “Traffic” names. People will also have the option to use us to finalize the deal without any additional fees, or we can use other services such as escrow.com. And, as always, financing will be available on a case by case basis.
There are some other things that I have going on, but I am not ready to share them yet. People will have to “stay tuned” to find out everything that I have in store.
I also want everyone to know that I am open to suggestions from my core market, the domaining community. If you have a great idea that will help build this newsletter into something even bigger, I welcome you to contact me.
DNW: How can people submit domain names to your newsletter and what are the terms?
As I answer this, my website is being built, but I would like to get the ball rolling right away. For now, simply email your submissions to Toby (at) TobyClements.com. There will come a time in the very near future that they can also be submitted via my site.
Those of you who know me, know that I am accustomed to doing 300 plus emails a day. If you have domains, send them over. They need to be premium names. They need to be priced. Also, if there are any relevant stats that I need to be aware of, please let me know.
The terms are quite simple as they always have been. I charge 15% or a flat $250 and there is only a 30 day exclusive on each domain. If your name doesn’t sell, you don’t pay a dime. It’s also your option to list the domain in the “Reduced Until Sold” section. All we have to agree on at that point is the fresh price.
Anyone that has dealt with me knows that I am an easy going guy who simply wants to do business. I am also as direct as one can possibly be, so you never have to guess what I am thinking. The bottom line is I want to help you sell your domains, and I have one of the best databases known to man to make this happen.
DNW: You’ve been a long time business partner with Rick Latona. Why did you decide to part ways?
There is no easy answer to this question. It’s a bold move for me to strike out on my own, but I just felt it was the right thing to do. When we started our watch business a while back I knew domains were going to take a back seat. I really enjoyed domains, and want to do it again.
As for Rick and I, we are childhood friends. It has been a nice chapter in our lives to have been business partners on many different ventures. I learned a lot being so close to him for so many years, and for that I will always be thankful. We will be friends for many years to come.
