Ben Settle

Time for a bit of TMI action.

Avert ye tender eyes if you’re easily grossed out.

Still here?

My, but you are a trooper, aren’t you?

Actually, it’s not that gross…

Anyway, I have a rule for myself where, any book or info product that has a huge impact on me, I consume said product or book at *least* 10 times. That is the bare minimum. I am a firm believer that it is much better to consume the 10 best products 10 times than 100 mediocre products one time.

And you know what?

It’s worked out pretty good so far…

Enter my latest 10x’s reading.

It is Jim Camp’s magnificent book:

“NO: The Only Negotiation System You Need For Work And Home”

I have been singing the praises of Jim Camp for almost 10 years, know of only one or two other copywriters who study his stuff at as deep (or deeper) a level as Yours Unruly, yet it is one of the single most valuable resources I possess.

Back to the TMI:

Right now, it is elBenbo’s bathroom reading.

My bathroom (the toilet area specifically) is the most profitable square footage up in my jerk water town.

Because every day when I go in there to do my bid’niz, I read several pages.

And, I will continue to do this until I’ve read it at least 10 times.

All other books and products will be ignored, and during those precious times Jim Camp and I spend together in the most private of private rooms up in elBenbo’s abode I get gems, diamonds, and golden bars that I apply to my emails, copywriting, selling, and persuasion in general.

I like this book so much I gifted it to everyone at the “Email Addiction” event I did with Kevin Rogers.

I told Ken McCarthy about it recently, too, as I know he loves books like this.

And, I tend to bring it up a lot on podcast interviews, etc.

Which brings me to the sales pitch:

If you want a short, “cheat sheet” version of how I apply his wisdom to my emails, copy, business (even things like how to apply it to auto-responders, etc) then make sure you subscribe to the January “Email Players” issue before the looming deadline in a couple days.

More:

It also includes a bonus.

A few years ago before Jim passed away and joined the choir invisible, the World’s Greatest Copywriting Coach David Garfinkel, and his partner in copywriting debauchery Brian McLeod invited me to be on a call they did with Jim Camp. I got to talk to the Master directly and was like a kid in a toy store playing with all the info he unleashed.

He also gave his precious seal of approval on my email methods during that call.

And, so I had it transcribed.

Transcribed for you to learn from.

That is, if you subscribe to “Email Players” before the deadline.

It is a fat little bonus that goes perfectly with the issue.

All right.

Enough!

Here’s where to subscribe:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Why I keep prattling on about principles vs tactics

Came a question:

“what is your motivation to talk about pri;nciples instead of tactics. I have never heard this before can you do an email explaining? Thank you Sire Settle!”

My command is your wish, my Child.

Not long ago I was telling some people about some things I want to do in 2017.

One of which is to invest in local real estate.

Anyway, one of my pals knows a guy in town here who is selling a hotel down by the water. He kept pitching me the benefits of buying, the price, the cleanliness, some ideas on how I could use it to expand my piggy bank, and so on and so forth.

My answer?

(More like objections)

“We’ll see”

“Not really interested in buying a hotel biz”

“It’s not kind of thing I want to deal with”

And so on, and so forth.

My friend’s reaction?

“Man, tough sell today…”

To which I retorted some info about selling me not with tactics first, but with solid principles based on sound thought and how humans like to buy. I then (to practice, not grand stand or anything, we are buds) I batted out a quick transcript of what he *could* have said to sell me using principles first, then the tactics.

Too me about 3 minutes to bat it out.

Then I asked him how did I do?

(As far as my sales pitch)

His response:

“How would I know? You got me sweating if that means anything… Now I want it…. and I have some property over here they want…”

Immoral of the story?

Principles, not tactics, my friend.

This is something I learned studying the late great “world’s most feared negotiator” Jim Camp for the past 9 years.

And you know what?

The January “Email Players” issue goes into all kinds of goodies I learned from him, that you can use to make lots more sales no matter what you sell.

She goes to the printer in just a few short days.

If you want to get it, go ye here while you still have a little time:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Let’s talk about open rates.

(yay!)

“Email Players” Michael C. asks:

“Hey man— been doing daily emails for a client of mine in the weight loss space. They are killing it. This is generally his lowest selling month and now it will likely be the highest. The only issue is… he has major problems with the list. He has 16,000+ names yet the highest open rate he’s ever had is ~9%. My emails are selling very well to his list yet hardly anyone is opening them. It’s a shame because I know if we could just get more opens we’d both make a ton more money. Any ideas on how we can revitalize the list? Thanks man!”

As Mr. Owl would say, let’s find out:

Sales are up?

Higher than ever during the slowest month?

Kicking gluteus assimus?

Then who cares about the opens.

Especially since, Android phones mostly don’t even register them (if its email program html is turned off by default), and a big study was done a little while back showing the vast majority of emails are *opened* on phones (iPhones, at least) but the majority of transactions are done on the desktop.

There are legitimate reasons to track opens.

But, not as some kind of gauge for sales.

Not in my experience, at least. In fact, I have seen way too many tests where sales were lower with higher open rates, and higher with lower open rates.

If sales is the plum you’re after picking then here’s something else to ponder:

I am not a big fan of traditional goal-setting.

By that I mean, people saying they need to get a certain results (number of opens, sales, clicks, opt ins, whatever). You cannot control those things. And purusing them can often cause you to do needy things as a result. Need builds neediness, and people can smell neediness in a business trying to sell them like shyt on a shoe.

The solution?

Form your goals around what you *can* control:

Writing daily.

Testing and/or tweaking your offers.

Playing around with different traffic sources.

Being consistent.

Doing things to bond with your list more.

Writing better subject lines.

Testing different names in the “from” field (ala Tellman Knudson)

Constantly educating yourself on the fundamentals (principles).

And the list goes on.

Lots of people obsess over getting better open rates when they should be obsessed with writing better emails.

Speaking of which:

The January “Email Players” issue goes more into why most goal-setting where you set specific sales, numbers, etc is counterproductive. You won’t hear this at the w00-w00 unicorn fart social media posts or from the stage.

But, you will hear it in “Email Players”.

Come get your lovin’ here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

I have a new friend, named Lenox.

Here is an email exchange from right before I recorded one of my podcasts last Thursday (that fit in perfectly with that episode — everything falls into place like dominoes for elBenbo):

LENOX: Loads of money with email? Why should i believe you? do you have proof of earnings?

elBENBO: You shouldn’t believe me, go away, shoo

LENOX: And rude too, to what were simple questions to answer. Any need? you egoic moron. I’ll definitely be keeping your response and sending it to those appropriate. Now, Piss off with your drivel, silly little boy

elBENBO: ooh

I have coined a new word I’ll be using henceforth:

“Lenoxed”

If you have been trolled, you’ve been Lenoxed.

If you ask dumb questions that could have been answered in 30 seconds on Google or on the website of the person you are wondering about, or think you are such a special snowflake that you deserve your own sales pitch instead of looking at ones already online, you pulled a Lenox.

If you go full on attack like the Hulk, you Lenoxed out.

If you ask for earning shots and other biz-oppy things then that is so Lenox.

And so on, and so forth.

Being Lenoxed means you are doing something right.

Don’t stop…

Being Lenoxed also makes for great emails too.

Not just fun for you to write, but for your audience to read.

To learn my evil ways of writing emails, go ye here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

P.S. I have never used the phrase “loads of money” — where do these people come from?

Let me tell you a story about my “silent” business partner:

Zoe.

(My long-suffering dog.)

I’ve had several leaks in the roof over my master bedroom for almost a year now (walls torn out, buckets of water filling up every time it rains, the works). And, the HOA here finally found a competent roofer that understands the coastal weather patterns.

Anyway, that roofer came over the other day.

And, when he rang the door bell Zoe was at the door instantly.

As I let the roofer in I said:

“Zoe! Get back! I just cleaned up the blood from the last roofer!”

For a second the guy looked genuinely worried.

And, I got a bit of a kick out of that.

Why?

As a professional communicator (and that is what you are if you write copy, emails, speak, make videos, do podcasts, etc) I like to “jolt” people and constantly practice jolting people.

I do it when I speak at events.

I do it when people come over.

And, yes, I do it in my emails.

And you know what?

It’s one of those things that can make you a lot more sales — regardless of what kind of medium you use to sell with.

Enter the January “Email Players” issue.

It goes to print soon.

And, one of the many lessons inside is a way to jolt your email readers using my “Needs More Gore!” philosophy I taught a group of mastermind students at Greg Gomez III’s summit during Labor Day weekend that practically everyone in that room told me completely changed the way they go about getting attention from their leads.

It’s not complicated stuff.

Nor is it “ninja” or “cool” or even exciting.

It’s a dull blunt object (as opposed to a bright shiny object).

But, it can make you lots more sales.

That is, if you subscribe in time to get the January issue.

If you want it, here it is, come and get it:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Recently, one of my fans was worried about me.

She thinks my inner elBenbo is taking over and misses Ben.

As a result, she doesn’t reply to my daily emails.

Merely lurks.

And patiently awaits the day when normal Ben is the dominant personality up in this twisted and deranged ornament suspended in water called my brain.

Here is what I told her:

There is an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation where captain Picard is wounded in his artificial heart and has a near death experience back to the days of his youth. When he was a young cadet at the academy he was reckless, a brawler, womanizer, and overall bad ass who bucked authority and got in a lot of trouble. One day he picks a fight with two aliens twice his size and one of them stabs him through the heart (which is why he now has an artificial heart).

Anyway, Q, the entity in his NDE, gives him a choice to change.

To not be that guy that got himself stabbed.

To be more responsible.

To not be so aggressive and get in that fight .

So Picard does things differently.

He is more mature, interacts with his friends differently, doesn’t even back up his friend in a fight wanting instead to seek peace, doesn’t hit on girls but instead tries to be friends with them, etc.

The result?

He ends up being a mere subordinate on the Enterprise, not its captain.

He’s now living a dreary and depressing life running tests, carrying out analysis, and bringing reports to his superiors. A mediocre man who never allowed his inner elBenbo to do what it had to do when it had to do it. The people he once commanded on the ship are now barely giving him the time of day and laugh at him when he says he wants more responsibility and even to command some day.

It was a story I’ve never forgotten.

And, now, you will never forget it.

The things you like about me are the things you think you despise.

So it is.

Anyway, if you want to start building an audience that actually cares enough about you to let you know their real thoughts, simply start mailing your list each day using my wicked ways.

To learn my ways go here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

An observation:

The guy who designs my twisted, sick, deranged monster novel covers does *not* have any of those covers on his site in the portfolio section. Yes, even though in my obviously-biased opinion, the covers are some of the best work he’s done (Zombie Cop’s cover was even nominated for some kind of award), you won’t find them on his site publicly.

Why?

Well, I have a theory about this.

He once told me my books were (and I quote):

“My favorite guilty pleasure!”

And, most recently, he said he likes doing my covers because they stretch him creatively. (He’s especially keen on putting — as he put it — “nasty granny” on one of the covers — the character people wish they could “unread”…)

Anyway, back to my theory:

He is easily one of the best and most prolific (and most respected) cover designers in the publishing industry. He has designed thousands of covers, and for all the big New York publishers and publishing houses (name any big publisher, he’s done work for them). And, my theory is if these upstanding people of moral perfection in the publishing world saw my shameless literature associated with his name that could hurt business for him.

IF that’s the case (and it’s just a theory) who can blame him?

I certainly don’t.

More:

I have certain customers who are the same way.

They feel uncomfortable telling their colleagues about me because they have reputations to uphold in this corner of the Internet we all habitate. And to them, I’m basically the crazy old douchecanoe uncle in the corner at the family BBQ telling crazy stories and snapping at everyone — the guy all the other adults pretend to ignore to appease their wives, but that all the kids like crowding around to hear stories even as he tells the little bastards to get away from him.

Nobody wants to be associated with that guy.

Hey, I know this email has zero relevance to your life.

But, I might as well pitch you while I’m at it anyway.

(It’s what I do.)

Go here for more info on my “Email Players” newsletter:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

I kid you not:

I’ve often toyed with the idea of having a fake secretary answer my emails. I’d find a hot chick with big bewbs and pay to use her photo and call her “Irma.”

All my outgoing emails would be from her.

The email address would be [email protected] or something. Her pic would be attached in the signature of every email with her own facebook link the mouth-breathers would all friend and hit on.

She would, of course, pitch “Email Players” subtly and not-so-subtly.

And then, with girls I date and, even *better*, if I made a girl my actual girlfriend, they would not know Irma is fake, and then I would be able to create all kinds of glorious drama and conflict between the two, by fanning the flames of jealousy, etc.

I think it’d be highly amusing for me.

For them?

Not so much.

But, it’d make for great email fodder and stories to write to you each day.

Anyway, before you write me back saying I’m not giving you any “value!!!” here like a pathetic freebie seeking goo-roo fanboy, think long and hard before pushing that send button. I just gave away an extremely valuable nugget of gold anyone can use to sell more products with.

Did you see it?

Or did you overlook it, searching for yet another “how to” tip you’ll never use?

Okay, fine, I’ll spell it out.

Another true story:

The late great telephone sales trainer (guys like Zig Ziglar used to use his stuff to sell their own events I hear) Stan Billue said he hated rejection. So, when he made cold calls to sell his own “how to sell” cassettes and speaking gigs, he didn’t make the calls.

His alter ego Pat Murphy did.

“Pat” did the selling for him.

Something that did wonders for his positioning.

So go ahead fa-la-la-la on that a bit this Christmas.

And while you’re at it:

If you want to learn how to position your business so people look forward to hearing from you and, yes, buying, from you, check out my “Email Players” newsletter. Mailing daily the way I teach can do that and more.

Hit the jump below to subscribe:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Mercy Kay was thinking about me the other night, and declared on Flakebook:

“Was thinking about this^^^ last night… you really might be getting omnipresent!! I’ve noticed the more time I spend in The Lair, the more I adopt the terminology even IRL. Pretty sure it’s the same situation as with your emails: people don’t INTEND to copy/swipe the expressions you use, but when words like ‘wicked ways’ and “this pleases me” starts popping out in normal speech/writings, regular folk be like, ‘Huh???’ Surely, it’s not only me…”

No, Mercy, it is not only you.

Not by a sight.

In fact, true story:

I can’t remember which of the people whose souls I’ve claimed in my audience said it, but they’ve been watching all my speaking videos on YouTube (I sent as a reward for winning a contest) and said they are starting to talk like me.

More:

A girl I dated a couple months ago, just hanging out with me (never saw any of my videos or facebook) said she caught herself using my wicked ways in conversation.

Still more:

And my ex-copywriting apprentice, before we had even dated or I bestowed upon her the gift of my Mastership, was always quoting me to her friends and family just being on my email list, educating them with my wisdom and causing some of them to probably want to vomit.

That said:

You’ll never be a voice worth hearing if all you do is copy and ape people.

Whether that be me or anyone else.

Otherwise, you just look like our bytch.

Aaaaand a new book title has been inspired:

“Think And Don’t Be A Bitch”

While I’m writing that, be sure to subscribe to my “Email Players” newsletter before the deadline. The January issue is easily some of the most profitable info I’ve ever shared and can change the way you think, work, and make muney with email overnight.

(As the info did for Yours Unruly.)

Here’s where to subscribe:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle