Recently I’ve been re-watching my all-time favorite show:
“Breaking Bad”
This is my third time through the series.
And, each time just gets better and better.
**SPOILER ALERT**
(Don’t say you weren’t warned if you haven’t yet partaken of Walter White’s adventures from going from bumbling underachieving high school chemistry teacher to becoming the king of the meth world in New Mexico…)
Anyway, back to the show:
Early on (in season one) there’s a scene where Walter White (in one of the early instances where his infamous “Heisenberg” alternate personality takes over) confronts a psychotic drug dealer named Tuco who kills people with his bare hands for the fun of it and snorts meth off a giant knife.
And, Walter wants money Tuco has stolen from him and his partner.
So Walter brings another bag of crystal meth.
Tuco laughs:
“Let me get this straight. I steal your dope, I beat the PISS out of your mule boy, and you bring me more meth? That’s brilliant.”
Walter replies:
“You got one part of that wrong. This is not meth.”
He then throws a piece of the “meth” to the opposite side of the room. When it hits, it creates an explosion that blows out the windows on the second floor, glass shattering down to the street, car alarms going off, dust, debris, and dirt everywhere.
Needless to say, Walter gets his money back.
And, as Tuco gives it to him, he asks what caused the explosion.
Walter says:
“Fulminated mercury. A little tweak of chemistry!”
Yes, my little droogling, by tweaking one little element or two, he made something that looked like ordinary meth crystal, no more dangerous to throw at someone than a pebble, into an explosive weapon that rattled the entire building and scared the crap out of the meth world’s most evil villain.
Anyway, why am I telling you this?
Because there’s a way to use a similar “tweak” in your emails, too.
Here’s what I mean:
For years, I have been using a special kind of subject line that, at a glance, doesn’t look all that special. At least, not for selling. It contains no benefit. No hype. Nothing even mentioning a product or claim of any kind.
Yet, like fulminated mercury it packs a HUGE punch.
Not just in opens and engagement.
But, yes, in sales, too.
And, not just product sales.
But also for getting the attention of people in general. In fact, like meth, do this right and people will be addicted to your subject lines (due to how chemicals in your brain react to them) — without them losing their teeth.
And guess what?
I reveal this biznatch on page 8 of the July “Email Players” issue.
She’s going to the printer quick.
Subscribe in time here to get it, while you still can:
Ben Settle
