No longer domcollect

Philnorris · Oct 27, 2012

Hi everyone, Phil Norris here. Most of you know me but for those who don't, I used to manage 200,000 domains for domcollect.

I don't have a best and worst but I will soon.

Looking forward to being seen in another light;-)

Happy to advise on domain sales. Strange to be posting here as me when I've been avoiding posting here as Domcollect for so many years.

julian · Oct 27, 2012

what you mean is you got the sack for not selling enough domains?

Philnorris said:
Hi everyone, Phil Norris here. Most of you know me but for those who don't, I used to manage 200,000 domains for domcollect.

I don't have a best and worst but I will soon.

Looking forward to being seen in another light;-)

Happy to advise on domain sales. Strange to be posting here as me when I've been avoiding posting here as Domcollect for so many years.

Edwin · Oct 27, 2012

Hey, Phil... What are you up to these days now that you're no longer with DC? Any exciting projects?

Philnorris · Oct 27, 2012

;-) I got offered a job I could not ignore, taking a canvas print company international. Nothing to do with domains but a very big challenge. Should be fun, in uk they run under my-picture co uk. They have an online presence in over 30 countries, my job is to set up an international team for b2b worldwide.

Julian-I took Domcollect from a few hundred sales a year to 2,000. In 3 years I missed target once. I left because I could do no more, I hired a 4 man sales team, trained, coached and directed the team. Put procedures in place to increase revenue and left for a new challenge. I also believe that the whole industry is likely to change, and not for the best. A better offer in a new industry is always appealing.

I love domains, I feel I have a lot to offer here. Those who are looking for direction or advice feel free to contact me.

Edwin · Oct 27, 2012

Good luck with that, Phil. And thanks for being so candid about your next move.

websaway · Oct 27, 2012

Hi Phil

Welcome as yourself, have you posted on the thread below yet ?

http://www.acorndomains.co.uk/nominet-general-information/108491-uk-announced-88.html

Philnorris · Oct 27, 2012

websaway said:
Hi Phil

Welcome as yourself, have you posted on the thread below yet ?

http://www.acorndomains.co.uk/nominet-general-information/108491-uk-announced-88.html

Interesting thread, on my iPhone at present. Will get on the computer and add my views later.

Retired_member41 · Oct 27, 2012

So what your saying is. I worked for a company that had very dubious practices. But now I've left I'm a great guy and it wasn't anything to do with me.

Trust me, I'm a domainer!

Dimcollect and its associated companies stink imo.

The people from those companies have dipped into this board over the last two years and only took, never actually saw any other involvement other than helping themselves.

Brassneck · Oct 27, 2012

Caz said:
So what your saying is. I worked for a company that had very dubious practices. But now I've left I'm a great guy and it wasn't anything to do with me.

Trust me, I'm a domainer!

Dimcollect and its associated companies stink imo.

The people from those companies have dipped into this board over the last two years and only took, never actually saw any other involvement other than helping themselves.

I have to say I tend to agree with that perception.

Phil - you may be a great guy - but I had some horrible experiences dealing with your (old) company in its early days and some of the practices I have seen seemed pretty unscrupulous. Also never got my head around the massive apparent conflict of interest that Sedo had in being in the same company group as domcollect.

Stephen.

Alien · Oct 27, 2012

Hi Phil.

So, what did you/do you think of DomCollect's dubious constant domain 'tasting' with certain registrars like Fasthosts/UK Reg etc when they taste the domain on their NS if a domain enters a suspended state?

Or in other words, when they circle like vultures ready to swoop....

PS: Here's an old thread on the matter.

Sound · Oct 27, 2012

Brassneck said:
I have to say I tend to agree with that perception.

Phil - you may be a great guy - but I had some horrible experiences dealing with your (old) company in its early days and some of the practices I have seen seemed pretty unscrupulous. Also never got my head around the massive apparent conflict of interest that Sedo had in being in the same company group as domcollect.

Stephen.

Have to agree with Stephen and Caz both Sedo and Domcollect are very unpleasant companies to deal with from Spam emails to domain tasting on a massive scale. None of which have been any good for the domain industry or this forum and its members.

You may find you get a much warmer reception over on Tumbleweed the new forum for domain professionals.

Philnorris · Oct 27, 2012

I appreciate your comments, i am unable to make comments on my previous employer.

I have purchased domains from many domainers here on acorn, it is a shame that those who know me choose to mail me their support rather than post here. (Edwin being the exception)

The others that have mailed me are looking for me to broker, sorry i do not broker domains, i am here to offer advice. I am not a domainer or broker but i am a salesman. I have taken nothing from acorn, i may have sold to a couple of domainers in the past, and if you dealt with me you will know that if you informed me you were on this platform i immediately dropped the sales price. I have spent 10's of thousands on domains from domainers, on this platform.

I have offered advice openly on this platform, despite the obvious conflict of interest that has with Sedo.

I do not want your trust and i am not a domainer, simply some one who may be able to give some sound advice.

I appreciate the messages i am getting, but why are you not asking me openly?

Use me or abuse me...

bulkcorn · Oct 28, 2012

Philnorris said:
I appreciate your comments, i am unable to make comments on my previous employer. ......

Your 'no comments' stance on the matter is understandable and professional. All the very best with your new job!

simondooner · Oct 28, 2012

Good luck with your new challenge

Phil

Good luck with your new challenge.

All the best... Simon

PS - In my previous dealings with Phil (at domcollect) he was always very helpful, honest and professional.

Markus · Oct 28, 2012

Hi Phil,

wish you all the best in your new job, even if I think you will slide back to the domain biz the one or other way.

Philnorris said:
I also believe that the whole industry is likely to change, and not for the best. A better offer in a new industry is always appealing.

No, you might see it with the eyes of domcollect/sedo, but thats only a drop on a hot stone, both are quite clumsy in my eyes.

The whole industry is already changing, thats out of question and nothing new. But if for the best or not is depending on the particular business plan and the ability to continue evolving, but thats also nothing new. It´s already not easy to get successful one foot in the biz as newcomer, the only difference, it becomes even for established domainers, domaintrading-companies as well as for domain-aftermarkets more and more difficult to keep in biz.

best,
markus

domainking · Oct 28, 2012

Philnorris said:
;-) I got offered a job I could not ignore, taking a canvas print company international. Nothing to do with domains but a very big challenge. Should be fun, in uk they run under my-picture co uk. They have an online presence in over 30 countries, my job is to set up an international team for b2b worldwide.

Julian-I took Domcollect from a few hundred sales a year to 2,000. In 3 years I missed target once. I left because I could do no more, I hired a 4 man sales team, trained, coached and directed the team. Put procedures in place to increase revenue and left for a new challenge. I also believe that the whole industry is likely to change, and not for the best. A better offer in a new industry is always appealing.

I love domains, I feel I have a lot to offer here. Those who are looking for direction or advice feel free to contact me.

Good luck with it Phil, I used to wholesale/retail prints many years ago its a great business to get into.

Philnorris · Oct 28, 2012

Markus said:
But if for the best or not is depending on the particular business plan and the ability to continue evolving, but thats also nothing new. It´s already not easy to get successful one foot in the biz as newcomer, the only difference, it becomes even for established domainers, domaintrading-companies as well as for domain-aftermarkets more and more difficult to keep in biz.

best,
markus

HI Markus,

I was referring to being a broker in the international TLD business. I appreciate the uk domain industry is and has changed, the introduction of the .UK creates another long discussion...but with the new tlds coming in there will be a waiting period, keyword domains come into question (They still have value but it makes it more difficult to add this strong argument to a sales pitch) I just feel that i can step out for a few years and see where it goes, without being in the middle of it. As a salesman it is simple, new challenge an all that.

What other country has so many extensions, ridiculous! The .UK will cause a bigger stir, i am looking forward to being on the side lines for that one

DomainKing - Any tips for a new boy?

Markus · Oct 28, 2012

Hi Phil,

I thought you are talking about domains in general. Sure, .uk might be confusing, but even this confusion will some established player know to use, at least as far as I see. Possible benefits of .uk are just too different of .co.uk in my eyes. Both have pros and cons.

The same with the new extensions, they do not worry me in the slightest. Sure, they might be an impact for few TLD´s, but I can´t see any disadvantage for most ccTLD´s.

Such impacts are actually quite interesting, always again it looks like fast money, and always again it backfires in most cases.

Philnorris said:
Julian-I took Domcollect from a few hundred sales a year to 2,000.

This is an nice example. It does not matter how big a company is or how many domains they manage, one guy is enough to change the game. But mentality must also fit to the company, as well as the necessary open space for experiments and the joy of playing, otherwise it does not work out for long. The domain business is that large, there's no room for boredom.

best,
markus

namealot · Oct 28, 2012

As you proverbially swam with a shark pack for so long which other ones would you say are best avoided without chain mail and a bloody big harpoon…? That’s the sort of advice turtles need ?