Ben Settle

Reader Sunil N. asks a great question:

Quick question: do you plan your content or just write what you feel like? Curious… My biggest hurdle is that I constantly worry about the value that I’ll provide to the audience. Any specific products that you recommend?

There’s your bottleneck right there:

You’re too focused on “value” and not focusing on the relationship.

In my opinion (which, as everyone knows, makes it a *fact*) the whole point — the #1 thing to do over everything else — is build the relationship with your list. And (cue up the music…) next month’s December “Email Players” issue goes into many ways to do this. Specifically on pages 7 & 8 which talks about how A-list celebrity Johnny Carson (who was arguably more familiar to Americans than the president of the US during his 30 year run on The Tonight Show) bonded with his audience, and built an unbreakable relationship with them that resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue for the network and himself.

All without providing any “value” whatsoever.

(At least, the way most people think of value.)

Focus on what I talk above in the next issue and that hurdle will cease to cause you pain, my Child.

Anyway, deadline to get this issue looms.

Here’s where to subscribe:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Reader Katie Rose writes:

(In response to one of the gazillion emails I sent out promoting my Villains book that featured a testimonial from a former nice girl-turned-villain after reading it…)

Ben,

Just wanted you to know that this email was the one that made me click the link and buy your book. Then I forgot to send my receipt because I actually began reading immediately…and it was almost midnight. Haha. I have always been this “nice girl” who is really good at building other people’s dreams while never actually pouring time into my own. As a busy single-momma, income-generating activities always seem to take precedent over working in my own website, building my own list, etc. Women aren’t encouraged to put their mission (or selves) first, but as the breadwinner, I gotta be sensible and wear the skirt and the pants! Love your book, your subject lines, and your emails. Yours are the only ones I open from all the various “marketers” I follow.

Have an awesome day!

Incidentally, this is why I say the first hour of every day belongs to you.

Not clients.

Not your job.

Not anyone or anything else.

Doing *just* that moves mountains.

Free advice, that can be worth a fortune to you.

In the meantime, don’t worry, ladies.

elBenbo will take good care of you…

In fact, you can empower (isn’t that buzz word the chick talk shows use?) thyselves by learning how to write emails your list looks forward to reading and, even more importantly, buying from in my “Email Players” newsletter.

Details over yonder:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

An observation…

I’ve been noticing a trend over the years selling various kinds of products in this market, getting peoples’ questions, and seeing people struggling even though they have a library of valuable info, yet never implement.

The trend?

It’s this:

People who put “wealth” and “success” and other biz opp & MLMesque type words in their email addresses are often broke, have little discipline, and chase bright shiny objects like a dog chasing a red dot from a laser pointer.

Yes, there are exceptions to this.

(I can already hear someone angrily typing out a reply insisting that’s NOT them…)

But, it’s something I’ve been noticing for a while now.

It’s also the same with people who have “swipe” in their email address. Sometimes I see some new opt in have “swipe” in their email address and I already know that person has missed the point of being on my list. After all, you can’t “swipe” a personality, and my emails (my entire methodology) is heavily personality-based, not based on all the latest copywriting tricks and choke holds. Trying to “swipe” me or anyone else in email is just idiotic.

Again there are exceptions to this, too.

But, there it is.

Uh-oh…

Hear that?

That’s the sound of a couple hundred goo-roo fanboys changing their email addresses to something else…

All right enough split pea soup for the soul.

I don’t know if this info adds to your life or not.

But, to subscribe to “Email Players” hit the jump below:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Few years back I was hanging out with this chick I was dating and we got into a bit of a, er, snafu.

Here’s what happened:

This chick might just get the reward for *least* dramatic girl ever to have lived.

It takes a LOT for even me (Mr. Instigator) to get her riled up.

But, eventually, I started asking her questions that got her admitting all kinds of dirty details on her life. Stuff she never shared with anyone else. Stuff that, frankly, disqualified her to receive my precious and ever elusive commitment.

Anyway, at the end of the discussion she says:

“elBenbo, you’re exhausting. We could have had a good thing why did you have to ruin it with all your probing???”

To which I replied:

“Get out.”

Just kidding, just kidding.

Sheesh.

Even I’m not *that* mean.

Anyway, here’s the point:

I was recently looking at the exact same market analysis questions I use to write ads (back when I did client work) and that I talk about in my Copy Slacker product. And, it was astonishing how similar the intent of the questions I asked her were to what is in those questions.

Not the exact same, of course.

But, very similar.

And it occurred to me, my Copy Slacker market intel skills can be used by guys to get info out of girls they are dating (or vice versa). You just have to adapt them to the situation. But the spirit of the questioning, probing, and unearthing the truth is all the same.

I can draw out what someone really is very quickly these days.

And, I believe it’s because of my market research training.

Training, I teach in Copy Slacker.

Anyway, do with this info what you want.

To check out the product (very expensive product) go here:

www.CopySlacker.com

Ben Settle

Two of my favorite “Email Players” subscribers are the esteemed world famous master of persuasion Kenrick Cleveland and his super talented behind-the-scenes business partner Jared Emin.

Why?

Because they *use* my methods each month.

In fact, Jared recently told me:

“Your methods stand head and shoulders above any other we have implement in our business. It continues, without fail, to make us hundreds of thousands of additional dollars in revenue.”

Hey, I ain’t just coughing dixie with this stuff.

My unruly ways work.

But, only if you work them.

They ain’t for the lazy.

(Perfect for slackers, but not for lazy people.)

Anyway, the November issue is going to the printer in less than 24 hours. It contains one of the single most important marketing lessons I can ever impart upon your eager, nubile mind. Something that will make it so people desperately seek you out to buy from you, instead of the other way around.

But you’ll have to hurry.

Grab your Email Players lovin’ here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Practically every week someone directly asks me or I see this question asked to others a question that goes like this:

“I’m looking for a Ben Settle style email writer”

Or…

“I need a Ryan Levesque style survey created”

Or…

“I am in dire need of a Russell Brunson style funnel”

Or…

“I want a Andre Chaperon style auto-responder built”

Or…

“Looking for a Gary Halbert style sales letter written”

Or…

“I want to learn how to do a John Lee Dumas style podcast”

Or…

“I want to do a Amy Porterfield style webinar”

And the list goes on.

But it goes beyond just marketing. I’ve seen similar questions asked in other markets I’ve sold in — like golf, self defense, phat loss, and more. There are people *actively* looking to learn and buy products and services (no sales pitch required) that have a distinct “style” or methodology they believe in.

And those of us who have that kind of positioning don’t lack for customers.

Or clients.

Or, opportoonities.

They practically fall out of the sky into our not-so-righteous laps.

It’s why positioning is so powerful, yet hardly any goo-roos really teach it.

(Much less understand it.)

But you will, my little droogie. That is, if you get your gluteus assimus in “Email Players” before I send the the November issue to the printer. In this issue I show you *exactly* how to get that kind of market place positioning and conquer all the lesser mortals who dare compete against you.

I won’t say it’s easy.

Or that it doesn’t take work.

Or that you won’t have to (oh nos!) think.

But, it’s simple.

And, it’s well worth the effort to learn how this is done.

Like I’ve declared in other emails over the past week or so, I don’t know anyone who teaches positioning quite like the way you’re going to get in the November “Email Players” issue.

If you want in, you’ll have to hurry.

I’m sending the November issue to the printer tomorrow.

After that, it’ll be too late.

Hit the jump below to get it today, while it’s fresh on your mind:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Last Spring I spent a couple days (and a long evening at a winery…) in PDX speaking with someone I consider to be not only a world class public speaker (he’s genius at both speaking and selling from the stage) but also a helluva consultant.

His name?

Justin Devonshire.

And he not only wears cool leather jackets, but he also had even better advice for people when it comes to learning email on Facebook a little while back:

I’ve been asked a few times this week how I got so good at writing shorter posts and emails that get the point across.

The answer?

Well, its not as groundbreaking as you might think.

Here’s my SECRET:

Opt in for Ben Settle’s email list.

Study every email he sends you.

Take notes and practice.

For 5 years.

Done.

There you go.

You think my ways are *just* for email?

Pshaw.

They work for Youtube videos, articles, social media, podcasts, public speaking, content creation, and the list goes on. Anything that has to do with communication, my “Email Players” methodology will help you get better at it.

Now, on the to good stuff:

The November “Email Players” issue is going to the printer in a couple days.

To get it in time, go ye here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Check out these apricots:

A while back when we had launched my (now deceased — despite it being the most profitable launch I’ve ever done) elBenbo’s paid podcast membership site community thingy, one of the emails Misty the announcer babe sent out used a simple checklist in a secret way that got us lots and lots of sales.

But, it didn’t just get US sales.

It got some smart customers who were paying attention sales, too.

Like bad-boy “Email Players” subscriber Jeff Terry:

“Yo it’s crazy. I saw this email you sent, then I did the same close with my daily email. And boom 11 sales thru that email. Biggest day ever. I email daily and all my other non-checklist emails do like 1 or 2 sales a day (or zero). So there’s some magic with these checklists, at least when I did it. All my other emails where I just sort of close it up and link to the product don’t do nearly as well. Looks like you got a good technique going on, I was wondering why you started doing these checklists at the end. Now I know 🙂 I am also an Email Players subscriber and bought all 3 agora tapes thru ur email. Keep it up”

I reveal this secret way of using checklists in emails in the November “Email Players” issue.

And you know what?

In my totally biased opinion:

This one tip alone could pay for several years of your Email Players subscription if you use it…

But time is short.

Subscribe in time to get it while you still can here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Just as prostitution is the oldest profession in the world, the following is the oldest writing advice in the world:

“Write what you know”

People can split hairs over how literally true that is, I suppose.

(I, for example, don’t really know if vampires have prostate problems, but I decided they did when writing my novel Vampire Apocalypse).

But, with email, it can make you a lot more sales.

You just have to know how to do it correctly.

(Most people have no clue, especially “writers.”)

But, I have used this olden advice for years to make a lot of sales with email, in lots of different markets, selling lots of different products — including products that have nothing to do with what I know, or markets who couldn’t care less about what I know. Do it right, and this can position you as someone worth listening to, and not someone who just pounds people with nonsensical “content!” that just bores people to death and makes them ignore you on sight, even if they don’t unsubscribe.

And yes, my unruly pet, this is all explained in the November “Email Players” issue.

Along with real-life examples.

That way, you can see exactly how it all works.

It’s going to the printer soon.

Get on board the B-train here while you still can:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle