Last Fall I got to yapping with a winemaker.

When I told him I did Internet marketing his eyes lit up and he practically begged me to give him ideas on how to sell his wine online. In fact, he offered to barter with me — giving me free wine in exchange for consulting.

But alas…

Being a newly minted wine snob, I turned him down.

(He only makes white wines, but I don’t dig on the whites.)

Anyway, his first response was:

“I know I should get my Facebook page up…”

Sigh.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to edu-ma-cate him on how a fruitcakebook page is the LAST thing he needs. That’s like sitting at the kid’s table trying to out-scream thousands of other people for attention, while the REAL business is being done at the adult’s table.

Like email, for example.

What he really needs to do is build a list.

Email it daily.

And, ask for the sale each and every time.

Just like the dude I analyze in the June “Email Players” issue does.

He sells $30 million of wine each year.

Using nothing but:

1. A squeeze page
2. Daily emails (often 2 emails per day)

And, he only ships twice per year.

Try doing that with fruitcakebook.

Or, any other social media.

This puppy goes to the printer in 9 days.

Subscribe in time here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

This was an interesting question…

“Hello Ben, I enjoy receiving your email daily and have a question for you. Would it make sense for a restaurant to send daily email using stories? The stories would revolve around the restaurants’ customers and all of  the customers would end up at the restaurant for one reason or another. There would be a subtle sales pitch in the middle of each story selling the different parts of the menu.”

Yep, mail daily fo’ sho’.

But, I would NOT just tell stories.

I’d switch it up.

A new surprise every day.

Just like I teach in the “Email Players” newsletter.

Only I’d be DOUBLE aggressive sending at least 2 emails 7 days per week — probably even 3 (one for each meal — breakfast, lunch, dinner).

More:

There’d be no “subtle” pitch.

Screw that sideways.

There’s no time to jerk around.

You gotta get those tables reserved.

So, they’d get a new offer each day. A new reason to stop in. A new “excuse” to dine (ideally multiple times per week/day) in my not-so-humble establishment.

Bottom line?

Restaurants, info products… services… it’s ALL the same.

The peculiars are different.

But frequent emails kick gluteus assimus.

This is why “Email Players” is so important. The free “Email Players Playbook” that comes with your subscription, and the monthly ongoing training (which includes different email formats — storytelling is just ONE of many) keep you from ever running out of ideas or different ways of approaching your list.

Next issue is related to this question.

It talks not about a restaurant using email.

But an independent wine maker.

A dude who does over $30 million per year.

JUST using email.

Subscribe here while there’s still time:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Uh-oh.

Someone doesn’t like my “swipe file” warning:

“I have been a subscriber of yours for over a year…At your invitation. Do you not think it’s very rude, and I might add downright ignorant to warn me, not to steal any of your material. If you were to invite some of your friends to your home for an evening dinner…Would you meet them at the door with this exclamation? ‘If you steal anything from my house–You will be hearing from my lawyer!’ And in the unlikely event, that you did utter this insult to your guest… Do you think they would still join you for dinner….? I rest my case……”

Amusing.

Let’s look at this rationally:

First, that warning is automatically appended to the bottom of every email and says “If you are thinking about stealing or swiping… blah blah blah”

Key word is “if”.

If you’re NOT thinking it, then it doesn’t apply to you.

Even an 8th grader knowz this.

Do I really have to explain it to a grown up?

Or, maybe he was thinking about stealing?

Hmm…

Secondly:

He didn’t think his analogy through.

Smart businesses protect their property.

And, yes, warn thieves away.

Example:

My credit union “invited” me to be a member. Yet, when I go to the ATM, there’s a big fat camera watching me. There’s also a warning about what happens if you steal money there, etc. Do I whine to the credit union about it being insulting?

Of course not.

They’re not inviting me to dinner.

They’re inviting me to do business.

They have to protect their property.

And, if you think your emails aren’t your intellectual property, then you probably don’t write emails that make sales (I have a monthly fix for that problem at www.EmailPlayers.com)

Profitable emails are assets.

They should be protected.

Including criminally prosecuting anyone who steals them.

Most smart marketers at least put a copyright notice on their emails.

The only difference between mine and everyone else’s?

I show the consequences.

It’s supposed to offend the bad guys.

That’s the point.

Duh.

Ben Settle

A website reader laments:

“I just don’t see how bothering people every day in their inbox can be the right way to do email marketing. I refuse to be an imposition on my list and i have been on your list for months and think you send way too many emails which sometimes makes me feel angry. you will laugh at me for this but I dont care lol”

Spirited ain’t she?

Spirited and, of course, wrong.

(Amusing how the irony of her angrily being on my list for months yet still reading my DAILY emails is lost on her heh).

Anyway, hers is a purely emotional complaint.

And also selfish, too, in my humble (but arrogant) opinion.

Why?

Because if you have something to offer that can truly help someone (i.e. you believe in your product) then it’s your ethical and moral DUTY to let them know about it — often.

You’re not imposing on them.

You’re doing them a favor.

Especially the procrastinators.

Example:

My high school reunion is later next month.

And, I have NOT bought my tickets yet despite the looming deadline.

Well, guess what?

They’re emailing us all the time now to get tickets.

My bad procrastinating self WANTS that reminder.

They’re doing me a service.

And so it is with YOUR product.

If it’s something they’re simply procrastinating on (for whatever reason)… your relentless daily follow up is appreciated by your would-be buyers.

And the rest?

The lukewarm people?

Hopefully it DOES annoy them so they’ll get off your list already.

So mail early, and mail often, babycakes.

Your list will thank you for it.

To learn how to write daily emails they love reading and buying from, check out the “Email Players” newsletter.

Next issue mails soon.

Subscribe here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Got a new policy for new website subscribers.

And that is, whenever someone with an email address containing the word “swipe”, or “swipes” or anything related to that subscribes… I delete ‘em on sight.

Why?

Because they’re most likely clueless.

Probably subscribing for the wrong reasons.

And, are obviously there to “swipe” the words in my emails, instead of learn from them.

Look, I get it.

I used to be a big fan of swiping, too.

But when I started doing copywriting assignments in the really competitive markets, I discovered I could only keep relying on swipe files for as long as I could afford to lose.

Sorry, Chachi.

But swipe files are overrated.

And here are a few reasons why:

• Ad appeals that worked before may not work now

• Sometimes ads that “killed it” (supposedly) did so only because the other ads they competed against sucked

• Market “awareness” often changes

• Market sophistication often changes (see Gene Schwartz’s “Breakthrough Advertising” book for more on “awareness” and “sophistication”)

• Possible copyright infringement (see www.BenSettle.com/blog/swipe-file)

Hey, I’m not anti-swipe file.

I’m just anti swiping the way a lot of Internet marketers do it. Swipe files are great for idea generation, inspiration and templates for headlines, opening paragraphs, bullets, etc.

But stealing ad copy word-for-word?

Stoopid on a stick.

Especially with emails where it’s the mark of a loser (especially since the best emails are heavily personality-based).

I know this email falls on lots of deaf ears.

But it’s not for everyone.

It’s for those with ears to hear for selling online — not the swipers, amateurs and losers anyway.

Now let’s talk bid’niz.

Next “Email Players’ issue includes:

• Secrets of an entrepreneur who sells $30 million of wine per year… JUST with email

• A profitable kind of email I think every single marketer should send to their list right away. (Based on the “50 Shades” book series which have brought in a fortune.)

• How to increase sales by making it harder to buy from you

• How to master email copywriting in the fastest time humanely possible (discovered by the world’s greatest living copywriter — and won’t cost you a dime)

• And a ho’ bunch mo’…

This puppy goes to the printer in 2 weeks.

Subscribe here to get it in time:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Not sure why, exactly…

But over the past few weeks I’ve been getting more website subscribers asking for free advice. I’m talking about specific questions about their website, emails, squeeze pages, sales letters, etc.

Mostly, these questions are ignored.

And often, they’re immediately deleted.

Why am I such a prick about it?

Well, I’m not.

I’m simply delivering on what I promise to “Email Players” subscribers per the sales letter — www.EmailPlayers.com — where it says one of the “perks” of subscribing is email access to me with marketing questions.

There are 2 kinds of people whose questions I answer:

1.) My close pals in the biz
2.) “Email Players” subscribers

Everyone else?

I might answer their question in my free daily tips.

Maybe.

But, probably not.

After all, why would I give someone free what my most loyal, savvy and serious students are paying for? How does that repay their loyalty? How does that honor what’s promised in the sales letter?

Answer:

It doesn’t.

Now, let me be clear –

It’s perfectly okay to ask me for advice.

Worst case is, I don’t answer it.

And sometimes a question fits in perfectly with an email I’m writing and I WILL answer it. Or, I may have already answered it on my blog somewhere and I may just shoot you a link to that post.

Also, this doesn’t apply to customer service.

(Those are always answered.)

Only people asking for advice.

Bottom line?

If you wanna play, you gotta pay.

Go here next:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

“Email Players” subscriber Mathew Kimberly writes:

“I started emailing my tiny 1200 person list daily in January. People love it. Open rates have gone UP. But most importantly, I sent a single email this month promoting a $497 product I created. Within 48 hours I’d had 17 buyers. That’s $7 a name. Never had results like it before. I have daily emails to thank. Without them, the trust wouldn’t have been there. (Also had much stronger responses when I promote other people’s stuff.)”

You know, I have a theory about daily emails.

Specifically, why so few people do it.

And, why they resort to quoting studies by Mailchimp or whatever that say daily emails are bad, etc.

Here’s my theory:

Most people are too lazy to write an email per day.

Sad, but true.

They prefer pissing away their lives on social media.

Debating nonsense on forums.

And, riding the “goo-roo carousel” — buying one BSO (bright shiny object) after another perpetually… safely blaming their lack of sales on everything but their unwillingness to commit 20 minutes of their precious Flakebook stalking time to writing an email designed to, you know, sell their product.

Sigh.

It is what it is.

Just means more sales for me.

And, for everyone else who mails daily (the right way).

If you want in on these sales, go to:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

“I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou were cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of My mouth.”

Revelation 3:15-16

Oh yeah, baby!

The above is from the book of Revelation.

And while it has nothing to do with business or marketing or selling… I use it as my guide to business, marketing and sales in virtually every ad, email and marketing piece I create.

Why?

What’s the big deal?

Because I prefer my readers to be hot or cold.

Someone who is hot, is not only ready to buy, but is ready to solve whatever problem the product I’m selling solves.

And someone who’s cold?

They will move on.

Hopefully unsubscribe from my list.

And, find the solution/business/product that does turn them on — and spend their money on that, instead.

Hot or cold is GOOD.

Lukewarm is bad.

Lukewarm people suck up your time.

Waste your bandwidth.

And, never make a decision.

They are often the people who wander around from one list to the next… never buying, rarely committing… and always complaining.

They’re the blokes who want everything NOW.

Everything FAST.

And, yes, everything FREE.

Screw that sideways.

That’s why I do everything I can to “spew” them off my lists… to get them to unsubscribe… and, to hopefully, never hear from them.

Hey, I know that’s not “nice.”

But if it’s good enough for Jesus, it’s good enough for me.

And so, it’s the “Email Players” way of selling.

No… it won’t make you popular.

But it can make you more sales.

And make business more fun.

Learn how it’s done at:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle