Ben Settle

Last month “Email Players” subscriber Mary Rose Maguire was telling the Facebook group about a guy who used my style of email for one year.

He quit because he just had too much business coming in.

My mind reels.

And, brings up something I have to say publicly every now and then:

Sometimes people who leave my fold come back thinking they will be accepted back with welcome arms, but are stunned (stunned!) when I tell them to get away from me, I never knew you.

(Hat tip to Jesus for that line.)

Why would I do that?

Why would I leave money on the table like that?

Why NOT let someone like that back in?

Because it goes beyond the money.

I want to associate with a certain kind of customer. And people who stop doing something that works because it works “too good” make about as much sense to me as businessmen who vote for Bernie. (Unless they’re just milking money from big government misery.)

Those are people I avoid like the bigfoot apocalypse plague.

Don’t want ’em as customers.

Let them go haunt someone else.

So anyway, yeah, I guess my system works.

But, if you’re someone who’s afraid of having TOO much business, you best pass on “Email Players”.

I wouldn’t want to cause you undo stress or anything.

For everyone else?

People who want more business.

And, wants LOTS of it?

Subscribe here before the deadline for the January issue:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

I once wrote about how few “business” books I read.

Instead, I prefer biographies of great men and leaders.

Why?

Because biographies of great men change the way you think.

They change the way you view success.

And, they change the way you attack problems.

The things you learn in biographies of great men aren’t the same things you’re going to learn in yet another best-selling business book on Amazon or in a regurgitated IM launch with a fancy whiz-bang name attached to it designed to rile up the goo-roo fanboys and affiliates haunting the Warrior Forum.

Anyway, last Friday I finished reading probably my favorite so far.

It’s the biography of Mr. “King of Cool” himself:

Steve McQueen

With no real education or formal training (just a desire to be the best and compete) he became the single highest paid actor in the world. And, there are more hardcore business tips inside it than probably any “business” book I’ve ever read.

Examples?

Okay, so…

He would “steal” scenes from bigger name actors by doing things like shaking his hat or gun so even if it was another actor’s shot, he got noticed and everyone thought he was the star (like he did in the movie “The Magnificent Seven”).

Another example:

Everyone wanted a piece of Steve.

And, he had trouble trusting people.

So one thing he’d do is drop a $100 bill on the ground as if he didn’t realize it. If the person he was testing pocketed it, he knew the guy couldn’t be trusted (whether it be a friend, a producer, director, or whoever). A good way to test would-be business associates, vendors, etc, too.

He always fought tooth and nail for top billing.

Why?

Because he knew his value.

And, he knew the bigger his name, the more money he would make the movie companies, and, thus, the more indispensable he was to them (giving him a lot of freedom, power, perks, etc — even more than other “big name” stars).

He was also picky about what roles he took.

He didn’t just take any ol’ role.

It had to be a role that fit his acting style (playing to his strengths), would further his goals, and also be something he knew he could knock out of the park. He had a true abundance mindset when it came to that, and had no problem turning down lucrative roles.

He had zero tolerance for weakness or weak people.

And, it’s a good thing, too.

Why?

Because he knew weak people couldn’t be trusted. And he was such a stickler about this, he would avoid working with “courteous” people because, in that racket (Hollywood) courtesy was seen as a weakness, and weak people were taken for suckers.

Another thing:

He always insisted on a cut of the gross profits of a film.

Not the net, the gross.

And, he learned that the hard way in his first movie “The Blob” — which was a role he wasn’t even proud of, but had he taken the % he would have been a rich man very early in life.

He set goals and ruthless pursued them.

It was practically an obsession.

In his case, most of his career he just wanted to beat Paul Newman.

One of his first gigs was working a small part in a movie Paul starred in. He vowed he would be bigger than Newman. And, when he starred in “The Towering Inferno” he succeeded (he fought to have his name be slightly higher on the screen than Newman’s as they were both billed first — a small detail that worked to his advantage — leaving nothing to chance when it came to his positioning).

Finally:

He accepted nothing but the best.

His first TV series “Wanted Dead Or Alive” (and extremely good show, btw, I’m watching the DVD’s currently) was one glaring example — and he was quickly known as the guy who was a thorn in every director’s bootox.

For instance, he fired 3 stuntmen on his first day.

He threw scripts out and demanded the be rewritten.

And, he insisted on having a say in the stories because he knew his character Josh Randall so well (not unlike a copywriter who knows the market he’s selling to better than the client). The result was a killer series even the people who he pissed off had to admit was only as popular and profitable as it was due to McQueen’s drive to accept nothing less than the best.

Anyway, those are just a few of the lessons inside.

The guy ooozed success & winning.

In fact, he even beat a deadly form of cancer.

(Turns out he didn’t die of cancer, what happened to him was, he was dying of cancer, lived many months longer than the doctors predicted, and they ended up removing a tumor from his stomach and was looking like he was going to live — but that night he developed a blood clot in his heart — common after surgeries — and died in his sleep.)

Fact is, McQueen was far from perfect.

(Ask his string of ex-wives.)

But, in the acting world he was a true mover and shaker.

And, there are many business & success lessons to learn from his life.

Speaking of mover and shakers:

Let’s talk about Donald Trump real quick.

Even if you think Trump is the devil incarnate you’d be a fool not to study how he positions, brands, and self promotes himself. And, one of the (many) lessons I squeeze into the January “Email Players” issue is how Trump (whether on purpose or accident, I knoweth not) taps into a primal desire in ALL people — which is why even so many people who hate him will ultimately vote for him.

And, yes, I show you how to use this “primal” appeal in your emails.

It’s an ancient psychological persuasion principle.

It’s also 100% ‘newbie friendly’, too.

(Another reason the January issue is a good jumping-on issue.)

But time’s running out.

This bad-boy goes to print soon.

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

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

“Email Players” subscriber (and one of my copywriting “heroes”) David Deutsch says:

Why do so very many top copywriters and marketers, myself included, say, “I don’t open most emails I get, but I always open Ben Settle’s.”

It’s NOT because they’re so interesting and entertaining. (Although they are.)

It’s NOT because they so often give super-useful bits of advice. (Although they do.)

It’s because his emails are such PERFECT examples of how to sell with email… how to be a welcome guest in someone’s inbox rather than a persistent pest… how to sell with story… and how to create a persona that draws people to you like controversy to Donald Trump.

But to be at the top of the copy and marketing game, just reading his emails every day isn’t enough. So the smartest copywriters and marketers subscribe to his newsletter and listen closely when he speaks on those too-rare occasions when he spills the beans on exactly how he does what he does.

If you are a copywriter or marketer and want to get or stay at the top of the game, I’d advise you to do likewise.

Now look, maybe you’re thinking:

“Yeah, yeah Ben, it’s easy to drop one person’s name. And maybe you two are buddies and he’s doing you a favor like everyone else does in the IM world.”

Fair enough.

I often think the same thing when I see such things.

So, here are some more of David’s A-list colleagues (all movers & shakers in the direct response marketing world), and what they say about reading just my free daily emails:

• Brian Kurtz (former Executive VP of Boardroom INC, and Target Market Magazine Marketer Of The Year), who said of all the people he follows my emails are as good as it gets.

• Bob Bly (the man McGraw Hill calls “America’s Top Copywriter”), who says my emails are “stunningly effective.”

• Richard Armstrong (writes record-breaking control ads for all the big direct mail publishers), who says he starts his day reading the Bible and my daily email (and not necessarily in that order…)

• Michael Masterson (Co-founder of AWAI), who said I teach, in very arresting ways, things he’s been trying to teach marketers and copywriters for 30 years.

• David Garfinkel (The World’s Greatest Copywriting Coach), who called me the “hottest f’in email copywriter on the web right now.”

• Gary Bencivenga (Often called the “World’s Greatest Living Copywriter”), who says he has long enjoyed my website. (I have no idea if he still reads my site or not, he said that back in 2008, and I’d be a fool not to use that one in this email, now wouldn’t I?)

• Clayton Makepeace (Called the “World’s Highest Paid Copywriter”), who told me in a phone conversation I have a real gift for writing emails. (And had me train my wicked ways to his his private mastermind of copywriters last week.)

And the list goes on…

Now, I ask you:

Can all these A-listers (only one of which I’ve even met offline) be wrong?

Are they all just scratching my back?

Do they all just feel sorry for elBenbo and want to throw me a bone?

Well, keep believing that if you want.

As for everyone else:

To learn the “how tos” of what I do, check out “Email Players”.

It’s a monthly (expensive) newsletter.

And, it’s 16 paper & ink pages.

(Not pdf — it gets mailed to your doorstep.)

The January Email Players goes to print soon.

One of the (many) things the next issue teaches is my secret go-to subject line “cheat sheet” on the Internet when I’m struggling to think up the perfect subject line.

To start using this subject line resources and see why guys like David Deutsch (who, if you don’t know him, is at the very TOP of the copywriting game) reads “Email Players” every month, go ye here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

It’s the ultimate paradox:

I often don’t credit for good things I do while, at the same time, getting credit for doing bad things I didn’t do. Take, for example, last week when one of my favorite copywriters Bob Bly sent me some feedback he got after he endorsed signing up to my free daily emails to his list:

Hi Bob,

I have been a subscriber of yours for years and have tremendous respect for you as an individual and a professional copywriter. I like that you are a bit “old school” and work to keep things professional. Recently you endorsed Ben Settle and I signed up for his newsletter. I have now unsubscribed from his newsletter after hearing such things as “pussification” and “my azz is his”.

After receiving his emails for a few weeks – which are arrogant at best and at worst are thinly disguised sales pitches for his monthly program, I am shocked you would endorse him or want your name and/or reputation associated with him.

Uh-oh.

Sounds like someone needs to put his manpon back in… And hey, since being offended and butthurt is all the rage these days, allow me to me air one of my petty little Festivius grievances about something he unfairly said:

“Thinly” disguised sales pitches?

Really?

How much more *thick* can I make them?

I pitch every single day and make it as obvious as possible.

Sheesh.

Anyway, here’s what amuses me most about this:

I don’t use a lot of profanity, but I get accused of doing it a lot. Plus, “Ass” can hardly even be counted as profanity anymore, and I avoid words that will trigger spam filters anyway, except to make a point, am quoting someone else, or simply can’t avoid it without losing the meaning of what I’m trying to communicate.

Proof?

“Email Players” subscriber Sean Kaye checked my work.

His analysis:

“Ben – it’s actually pretty interesting. I just went back and re-read a few of your emails and other than the word “ass”, I couldn’t find anything. I do recall vaguely from one of the early podcast episodes (when they were an hour long) you dropped a naughty word into the conversation. It’s an interesting phenomenon. You’re pretty direct and to the point and maybe because swearing is pretty normal now, there’s a subconscious association. I have to admit, it’s pretty weird – I had you as a bit of a potty mouth in the back of my mind, but then when you go back and look, to Jodi’s point, you’re not.”

Hm.

Maybe I should start cussing like a goo-roo fanboy denied a freebie?

After all, if I’m gonna be cast as the villain, might as well play the part well…

By the way, speaking of the word “ass”:

In a completely different context (yet, it’s kinda funny how the timing works), the January “Email Players” issue shows you how to use this wicked little word (that has the mush cookies roaming the streets weeping & gnashing their teeth) into many more rupees in your hot little pocketeses.

Yep, one word.

Used very specifically in your subject lines.

Can (potentially) put many more dineros in your bank account.

Deadline to subscribe in time is looming.

Subscriber here in time while you still can:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

“Email Players” subscriber Christi Johnson writes:

HEY!!!

I’m under 40 days into emailing daily, and I just got put onto retainer by my favorite client!!!

Writing daily has strengthened me in areas I didn’t know I was weak, and I understand, for the first time, how important it is to just be consistent.

That consistency and those writing lessons have absolutely affected how I write for this client. No way they’d be having me on board full time if I weren’t an Email Player. No way in the world.

This retainer, all by itself, adds 5 figures to my annual income. As a single mom who has struggled through having copywriting self esteem issues, low-class jackass clients that I created due to aforementioned low self-esteem, and a general fear of marketing, this is HUGE!!

I’m starting to think that being an Email Player is all I need to really get good at this copywriting thing.

Thanks, Ben Settle! You’re such a blessing in my life!

It’s what we do ‘round here.

I ain’t just whistlin’ dixie about “Email Players” and the benefits thereof.

If you do it exactly as I command in the “Email Players” newsletter, you almost can’t help but be successful — even if (as Christi discovered) you have some “bad writing” holding you back (like low self esteem, etc.)

Don’t worry about that stuff.

I got this, and will keep you on track.

But, only if you join my inner sanctum.

January issue goes to print soon.

Hop on the B-train here while you still can:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Came a response to one of my emails last week:

(About how I often choose people sometimes years in advance for roles they will play in my life — whether they be a customer, client, business partner, etc.)

6:37 am

Subject: Get a life man!

[yawn] My 4 year old talks like you do

Get a life

Then, just 15 minutes later, this one rolled in:

Hey Ben,

How would you feel if I wrote an email to my list about THIS email.

Something like you had plans for me 5 years ago that I wasn’t even aware of.

Then talk about my success with the Ben Settle email plan.

And you could use it as a testimonial… and I could kill 2 birds with one stone!

The first email was from some random troll.

Probably someone seeking my attention.

(I daresay he just got it…)

The second?

From Doberman Dan Gallapoo… one of the world’s top copywriting and marketing minds, former Gary Halbert apprentice (they lived together for 43 days working on various direct mail projects, etc), freelance copywriter for prestigious companies like Agora Financial, gotten testimonials from guys like Dan Kennedy, and the list goes on.

Point is, success leaves clues.

And, trolls do, too (like droppings).

Kinda reminds me of a similar incident with the August 2014 “Email Players” issue.

One guy complained it wasn’t worth the money etc (a guy known for sitting on the warrior forum all day)… and another (Pete Godfrey, one of Australia’s top copywriters) talked about how much money that issue made him because he, you know, applied the info.

Anyway, here’s the point:

If you’ve ever been tempted to troll me, I hope you do it.

Really, do. it.

I can always use the fodder.

But, I would also advise you to think carefully, first.

Which of the above guys do you want to be like?

Mr. 4-year old daughter troll?

Or a guy like Doberman Dan?

A warrior forum chatter?

Or a guy like Pete Godfrey?

Just another random guy looking for attention or to blame someone for their problems or to get some of the evil out by randomly trolling elBenbo?

Or someone who implements, makes sales, and is successful?

If you’re the former and a loser, well, happy trolling.

I will simply make you my unofficial marketing “intern” as I use your email to make sales with.

(Hat tip to blogger Mike Cernovich for that idea — making trolls your interns)

If you’re the latter, check out the “Email Players” newsletter.

January issue even contains (amongst many other things) 3 copyright-free emails anyone can use (but especially people in coaching in a health-related field), or can be easily tweaked for most any other kind of product or service in a nice little profitable sequence your list will love to read and buy from.

It’s a great “jumping on” issue for people new to my world.

And, the deadline to get it is coming up fast.

Go here for more info:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Good night nurse, we finally done made it.

Today marks the 100th “Ben Settle Show” podcast (nobody is as surprised we made it this far than me and Producer Jonathan) where we answered questions live, and on the spot (no safety net).

Here’s a list of 19 things we rapped about:

• An old MLM trick that lets newbie freelance copywriters make money without even having any paid clients.

• An inexpensive pill you can get on Amazon without a prescription for shrinking man boobs, soothing prostate problems, and almost having the sex drive of a teenager again. (Nothing to do with marketing or selling, but it came up — so to speak — and so we talk about it briefly.)

• Two things you can say to your wife or girlfriend if she’s getting too chatty and you want her to shut up so you can have some peace. (Again, nothing to do with marketing, but… let’s face it, what guy doesn’t want to know this?)

• How to find your own voice and style of writing copy, and not sound like just another Internet marketing hack.

• One thing a copywriter can do to stick out from all the other copywriters. (Nope, it’s not having the best portfolio, it’s not being the best networker, and it’s not even being the best ‘writer’ — but this one thing I used to do got me hired by a prominent marketer, even though I had less talent and less of a track record than many others he could have hired).

• What to tell clients who are on the fence about hiring you.

• What really scares women away from podcasts and emails. (Two chick callers both said this, and it goes against what every mush cookie on the planet thinks and assumes.)

• Why so many people with “expert” status and positioning are broke and angry because nobody listens to them.

• An almost unbelievably accurate way to know if your ads will be successful without running a single test.

• Best way to promote a book if you want it to become a #1 New York times best seller.

• The best free source of website traffic (that’s more buyers than mere browsers) you can ever get.

• How to get peoples’ hands (literally) shaking as they type their credit card in the shopping cart because they want your product so badly.

• What to do to your book titles to make them go “viral.” (This secret was used to create two of the most profitable book titles of all time.)

• How to “manipulate” your brain chemicals (without surgery) to change from having an opportunity mindset to an investor mindset.

• Why so many bad products online get “evangelized” by customers as being good.

• The 2-step formula I use (and have been paid thousands of dollars to do for others) to name products.

• The world’s most feared negotiator’s secret to never being boring in your marketing.

• Why being a peaceful person can keep you broke, frustrated, and held back from reaching your goals and true potential.

• The best survey question to ask in an email to find out exactly what people want to buy.

• And a HO bunch MO…

This sucker is packed with info.

And, it’s free to download (for now), here:

www.BenSettleShow.com/antipreneur

Ben Settle

“Email Players” subscriber Matt C. Milne? writes in the Flakebook group:

Sorry to be a suck up, but I think I realized my appeal to Bens ways…

I’ve followed and been a part of quite a few groups who teach how to manufacture authority by writing books for Amazon and then everyone in the group buys and reviews each other’s books (which I guess is fine).

Then they pay someone to post their articles to nbc, fox, abc, cbs and cnn, so they can say as seen on…

And then you use all of that new Authority to teach you how to teach other people how to do Facebook ads.

It seems pretty rare for any of those guys to have a passion for direct response.

All that to say it’s nice to be in a group that’s lead by someone who has real authority and has a passion for direct response.

Do people actually teach doing that?

How amusing.

Especially since, there are much better and easier (and far more profitable and lasting) ways to make yourself a credible expert and even an outright celebrity (if’n that’s what you want) in your niche and industry. In fact, tomorrow’s Ben Settle Show podcast (100th episode that we recorded live with Q&A last month) shows you exactly how to do just that, in addition to a bunch of other valuable lessons and tips.

I don’t recommend missing it tomorrow.

Especially if you are wasting away your life doing the amazon circle jerk above.

More about the show here:

www.BenSettleShow.com/antipreneur

Ben Settle

elBenbo gets blessed with constructive criticism:

“Hi Ben – Constructive criticism – Your emails are like a load of trees – and I am trying my ass off to look for some wood. I love your style – your creative mind I am in awe of – but I’m getting sod all value.”

Mayhaps he should try harder.

Any thinking person (and even many non-thinking persons) can extract lots of value from my emails.

Yes, even the more pitch-oriented ones.

And to prove it, following are the last 10 emails that went out (starting with the one he initially responded to last weekend) along with their subject lines and the “value” (or lack of value, if there was none) inside.

Subject line: The pussification factor

Even though it was a blatant pitch to listen to my (free and value-packed, mind you) podcast, the review I quote still illustrates the power of being authentic and polarizing, something a lot of people who claim to be email experts still need to learn.

Especially, those giving unsolicited constructive criticism…

Subject line: The Law of Zoe

This baby taught the power of not being needy to get clients… and to do the opposite and run the other way in your marketing — something that made me a lot of fees back in my client days.

But hey, if someone couldn’t pick that obvious lesson, well…

Subject line: How to become famous

The value in this email was even spelled out word-for-word:

“It’s not the style, it’s about you.”

In other words, when it comes to writing emails it’s FIRST about your personality, your stories, your words, and your ideas (and not style or swiping or whatever). This one lesson alone can make anyone — even if you’re a brand spanking newbie — a lot of the green stuff.

That is, of course, unless you’re stuck in chasing bright shiny object mode…

Subject line: I need a higher quality virgin

This one had two powerful lessons for the (free) price of one. The first valuable lesson of which was about the importance of clarity. Specifically, how one misplaced word can change the entire meaning of a sentence. (Think maybe that might have an affect on a sales pitch?) Maybe that’s not a “ninja” legendary rockstar lesson.

But, many a wannabe ninja rockstar legendary marketer writing drivel should take to heart…

Subject line: Scraping off babe copywriters stuck to the bottom of my boot

Easily one of the single most profitable lessons I could impart on anyone who does consulting, freelancing, and coaching: Take off the marketing and copywriting hat and learn how to actually sell. Hellz… I even told you what questions to ask when selling to a client…

Subject line: Even when I’m nice I’m a jerk about it

This one shamed people a bit (myself included) who claim to be direct marketers but can’t make a deadline to get free stuff. If you use deadlines (as I do, and as everyone should) then this has lots of value even if “between the lines”…

Subject line: What’s it going to take to get this free eBook in your hands

Yes, I was launching my new novel. But, I offered a free eBook worth many times the cost of the $3 and some change novel. Still, for the sake of argument, we’ll call this a no-content email…

Subject line: Feminist investment secrets

This email promoted a free podcast, along with all the tips inside that episode, many of which have put a lot of rupees in elBenbo’s hot little pocket. The podcast is free, too. Free value that costs zilch. So while the email had no value, the link inside did…

Subject line: An email demon behind every bush

Another book launch promo, offering a free eBook. But, we’ll put this in the no-value column just to do it…

Subject line: Why liars make such good buyers

This one was talking about the life-or-death importance (from a sales and marketing point of view) of observing what people buy vs asking what they want. In some ways, this is the single most valuable marketing lesson you can ever learn.

That is, if’n you put it to use…

So there you go.

Out of the 1o prior emails my friend above complained about having sod all content, 8 not only had value, but high quality value to boot (or linked to high quality value).

That’s 80% value, even if they each had a pitch inside.

(Which is part of my methodology)

Compare that to the typical “how to do email” ratio goo-roos bandy about of 50% content (no pitch) and 50% pitch. (Which pales in comparison to my ways if sales is your scoreboard and not open rates or whatever.)

Hey, it’s like I always say:

You can lead a goo-roo fanboy to value but, you can’t make him think…

That’s also why I don’t like those types buying any of my products anyway. They are not bad people or anything like that. But, they don’t appreciate hard-won knowledge that doesn’t fit the bright shiny object stuff their dopamine-addicted brains crave.

Not the kind of customers I want.

Especially going forward in 2016 and beyond.

I only want the exact opposite kind of customer.

The kind that implements, then makes money, then seeks more, then implements, then makes money, then seeks more, implements, makes money… etc perpetually bettering themselves.

Like, for example, new subscriber Zac Dillon.

He told us in the Flakebook group that he had a bunch of products on his site sitting there collecting dust that nobody bought. So he took an email tip I taught recently (i.e. he implemented) inside “Email Players”, applied it to a weekend promo, and got an influx of new sales, while also training his list to jump on his offers sooner rather than later (which will make him many more sales in the future).

That’s the kind of info I teach in “Email Players”.

Actionable tips.

With clear examples that you can use as templates (not swipe material).

And, that are simple to implement and are immediately profitable.

I can teach you my loving ways, too.

But, you have to take the first step.

You have to make a decision you’re sick of not making the sales you could be making… that you’re going to invest the $3.23 per day to subscribe… and that you’re going to implement, build a list and find an offer (you will need a list and an offer or nothing I say will help you)… and that you’re going to stick with it.

No complaining about “info overload.”

(It’s a mere 16-pages per month… that’s reading a half page per day to keep up — shut off the TV and Facebook for the 86 seconds per day that takes, if need be.)

No expecting to be rich by next Tuesday (you can make sales fast, but it’s not a “get-hog-nasty-rich by next week kinda thing).

And, no complaining about the cost.

(Even a bum rattling a paper cup on the street can afford $3.23 per day.)

All right, enough.

I’ve already said more than I know.

If you’re ready, here’s where to subscribe:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle