Back in 2019 I wrote the 8th of my novels titled:
“Enoch Wars: God Blood”
And when it came time to find someone to write the intro the most natural choice was loyal Enoch Wars series fan Daniel Throssell. It wasn’t even a choice — he was the guy.
And the reasons for that were many.
But one of the main reasons was, being an email marketer and copywriter himself, he “got” and, I believe, enjoyed the books at a much deeper level than most as a result.
Especially the merging of my fiction with my marketing wiles.
For example, this part of his intro to the novel:
“It might sound weird … but these books challenged and strengthened my Christian faith in ways I never expected. And I don’t just mean the “good” parts that talk about theology or prophecy. I realised that even the “bad” parts — the sex, gore and language — aren’t Ben just being crass or vulgar … they’re Ben expertly wielding evil against itself. The infamous abortion clinic scene in Lucifer’s Favorite eviscerates the pro-choice position without a single argument — just pure “Vision”. And Skoll’s epiphany as he runs toward the pit in Hell’s Frankenstein — about why everything with the monsters was “all about sex” — was one of the most spiritually illuminating things I’ve ever read.”
i.e., the books utilize persuasion-by-Vision, and doesn’t resort to getting preachy.
A lot of fiction tends to use Vision to persuade when done right, when you break it down.
That is why people are persuaded, influenced, guided by it.
When done right it sticks in the mind, yanks at and tests beliefs, challenges assumptions — and it does it without imposing its Will on you, but by laying out the information in the way I explain in the June Email Players issue where there is nothing really to “object” to.
Sales people love to brag about how they can overcome objections.
And it is a fine skill to have.
But, if you do Vision right, you probably won’t need to overcome a lot of objections.
Why?
Because you don’t create a lot of objections in the first place.
There are no “arguments” to even be made when done correctly.
That was a huge breakthrough moment when I first heard Jim Camp explain that. It reminded me of something the great A-list copywriter Doug D’Anna told me once when I was interviewing him many years ago (way back in 2007) that has never left my psyche. He said he could walk into your house and get your dog to come running over to him even if the dog doesn’t like people or new people.
“How?” I asked, leaning in expecting some super guru trick.
But alas, all Doug said was:
“By holding up her favorite cookie.”
While the owner his manipulating, or restraining, all you gotta do is hold up the cookie.
That is what Vision does:
Gives you a cookie that takes away the objection.
That was not the context in which Doug taught it.
But all great teachings have multiple layers of depth and complexity.
Anyway, so yes, I did use Vision a lot in my Enoch Wars series. In fact, Email Players subscriber Galel Fajardo who does the audio books said he had to pause at times because some of the content made him sick to his stomach.
And some readers still quote my Fezziwig character to me.
The Vision I used to describe that particular character’s miserable existence was deliberate, too.
In the most recent novel (the 9th book “Serpent Seed”) I write a chapter using Vision that I think any parent who is worried about their teenager wanting to butcher their body to try to change their gender should read. I’d make Willis read it if he ever talked about such nonsense to me. Because Vision by persuasion is powerful, and it would at least plant a seed into the mind of he or she that parent would wish to persuade on the topic. Yes, I am saying using Vision can do more than just make your business more sales and get you more cash & prizes.
All right, on to the business.
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Ben Settle
