Ben Settle

Before I get into the meat of this email, an admission:

I know jack about real estate.

I’ve never sold a house or even bought a house.

And, I’ve never studied anything specific about the industry outside of attending a mastermind in April with a bunch of real estate investors (mostly) in the room, and maybe a trick or two rubbed off on me.

Anyway, that said, my dad recently sold his house.

And, before it sold he wanted my opinion on the listing.

I thought it was great, the photos were great, and the overall pitch was great… except for one thing. And that one thing is, it said it was 3 bedrooms when, in reality, he has two bedrooms and a little room he uses as an office that *could* be turned into a bedroom (by putting a wall up), but isn’t technically one now. His real estate agent said it’d give him way more leads (and I agreed) saying that. But, the problem with it was, he set up his visitors to be disappointed. If they went there thinking it’s 3 bedrooms and it’s really not (technically), how can they feel anything but disappointment and that maybe they wasted their time?

On the other hand:

I suggested saying it’s 2 bedrooms.

That way, the only leads that show will be expecting that, but then possibly pleasantly pleased when they see it’s more like 2+ bedrooms.

It’s the age-old “under promise, over deliver” thang.

Which, he started dabbling with.

Anyway, did it ultimately help him sell his house faster?

No idea.

(I should ask him about that…)

But, if home buyers are anything like other buyers, methinks it didn’t exactly hurt.

Again, elBenbo ain’t no real estate expert.

(Not even an ex-spurt)

But, we shall see.

Now, let’s get down to some bid’niz.

In exactly one week the July “Email Players” issues goes to the printer. One of the (many) lessons inside is a secret way of making your emails near impossible to ignore (assuming you’re talking to the right people in your market).

I originally learned about this from observing WebMD.

And, it’s a doozy, too.

Especially if you sell a product that solves an urgent problem.

Here’s where to subscribe:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Here’s a tale I’ve been itching to tell for a while:

Earlier this year I bought the infamous “Titans Of Direct Response” program created by Brian Kurtz and a plethora of old school direct response giants (er, titans, I mean).

It’s a very expensive product.

(As it should be).

But, also very cheap in as much as I more than multiplied the investment back quickly after going through it and applying certain teachings to my emails. Yes, my little truth seeker, even though email is not taught in the product per se… there are certain parts of it that are not only easily adapted to email but, probably will make you far *more* sales with email than with the mediums they are talking about in their respective sections.

The part that got me the most excited?

That has made me the most sales so far?

Dan Kennedy’s talk — hands down.

I always knew Dan Kennedy was a direct marketing genius… but I had no idea how deep his genius roots went until listening to his just-over-and-hour talk. The first time through I was walking my dog and I had to run back home to capture all the email ideas I got from it. Ideas I turned into lots of profitable emails for the golf business I partner in especially, as well as when selling my own products, and when selling a product as an affiliate in the mlm niche about how to be seen as an expert.

And you want to know what?

I talk about this in detail in the July “Email Players” issue.

I show you how I turned this info into a bunch of profitable emails, and explain how you can adapt what I did to your emails easily.

In some ways, this is the most valuable issue I’ve written.

The info has been invaluable to me.

(And will continue to be for years and decades.)

I reckon it’ll do the same for you.

(No reason why it shouldn’t.)

But, only if you’re a subscriber.

Anyway, she goes to print soon.

Subscribe here while there’s still time:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Producer Jonathan and Yours Truly cover yet another 7 “Email Players rules” on today’s Ben Settle Show podcast extravaganza.

Including:

• How to position yourself in your market (especially if you sell a service) so people gladly pay you more, give you more respect, and take your advice often without argument or resistance.

• Why the money is NOT in the list. (And how to use this knowledge to make your income far more secure and “bullet proofed.”)

• The Rush Limbaugh/Howard Stern secret to building wealth. (And without you having to become a multi-million dollar radio talk show host.)

• Why your customers are the last people you should ask about how to sell them.

• Why women are the last people a guy should ask about how to attract them.

• The worst time to send a girl flowers. (If you try to give a girl flowers at any other time than the time revealed on this episode, you will simply creep her out.)

• Why Bruno Mars is responsible for a lot of guys getting dumped.

• The best kind of candy to give a girl as a gift. (And no, it ain’t chocolate.)

• How to not make an ass out of yourself when giving advice to someone.

• Why trying to get rich quick ain’t always a bad thing.

• Best way for freelance copywriters to give themselves financial security. (And no, not talking about selling their own products, they simply need to do what we discuss on the show towards the end.)

• And more, more, more…

Download the next 7 Email Players rules right here:

www.BenSettleShow.com/antipreneur

Ben Settle

I’m a big believer in freelancers selling their own products.

Yes, even if you love client work.

Even if it pays you well.

And, even if you have a lot of fun.

Why?

Because, by selling your own products you (1) bring in income regardless of if you’re having a dry spell with client work (2) have more sales “posture” (you don’t *need* any one client, and don’t give off that needy vibe) and (3) it shows potential clients you’re not just another freelancer who maybe read a few books or whatever — you have proof you can sell with your ads.

But, what if you don’t want to mess with your own products?

What if you don’t want the hassle?

Don’t wanna deal with customer service?

Don’t want to get a merchant account, etc.

Well, there’s another way you can give your income rock solid security, make oodles more of the green stuff, and still work with clients selling other peoples’ products.

What way do I speaketh of?

Patience!

Give me some friggin personal space already.

I’ll tell you all about it on my podcast tomorrow.

(Along with 6 other “Email Players rules” — maxims, philosophies, strategies, and principles that have made my life a lot easier and more profitable — personally, professionally, and, yes, even romantically, which we’ll also talk about tomorrow).

Your homework?

Before tomorrow, check out a few prior shows here:

www.BenSettleShow.com/antipreneur

Ben Settle

After my 3 droogies and I promoted Ray Higdon’s “3-Minute Expert” product, and piled on more bonuses than probably anyone in that industry had ever seen before, some people have been asking around flakebook if all them bonuses is a good idea.

A few whipper-snappers even asked if it’s “ethical” or not.

The answer:

It depends on your list.

By that I mean, there are losers (and it takes a special kind of low class jackass to do this) who will buy just to get the bonuses and then refund the product. This is always done deliberately, too, despite all the rationalization hamster-spinning the refunders engage in.

If you have a lot of them in your market, probably not a good idea.

(Not a good idea to sell to that market at all.)

Otherwise?

It’s a great way to sell.

Selling the premium(s) is how a lot of direct mail and other direct marketing ads have sold oodles more of their wares for decades.

It’s not unethical at all.

It’s just smart marketing.

Which brings me to the point:

IMH(BA)O, the problem isn’t the tactic.

It’s Internet marketers.

Hardly any have a solid education in direct response.

Most have learned from someone who’s only sold online, ignore the old school masters, and have about as deep a knowledge of direct marketing history as the armchair scientists putting up Willy Wonka memes on Flakebook have of science.

So anyway, that’s my opinion.

Love it, leave it, or live it.

I care not either way.

Now for the important stuff:

Earlier this year, I fired up the TV and watched the magnificent “Batman: The Dark Knight” with the intention of pulling out a bunch of emails from the movie to send to my list over time. But, I ultimately decided not to use them for myself. Instead, I took these 10 emails, turned them into “templates” of sorts (although mostly geared towards business to business, they could be adapted to anything), decided to make them 100% copyright free, and include them in the July “Email Players” issue as a bonus.

Subscribers can use these emails however you want.

Even word-for-word, if’n the Spirit moves you.

All without paying me anything.

Totally copyright free.

But, only “Email Players” subscribers get them.

And, only in the July issue.

Subscribe here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Today’s “Ben Settle Show” shows you how to tell the difference between the wheat and the tares online, including:

• Why you can’t trust people who cry publicly. (Unless they do this one thing we talk about on the show.)

• The #1 most powerful (and profitable) attribute a business person and marketer can have… and why people who have this trait should be watched like hawks before giving them your time, money, or even your contact information. (HINT: Many a serial killer has this trait…)

• The best kind of testimonials you can have in your copy. (And why people who have these testimonials can’t be automatically trusted.)

• Why you can sometimes trust people with bad reviews more than you can trust people with good reviews.

• A secret way of turning negative Amazon reviews into more sales. (This technique can sometimes even get people to retract their 1-star troll reviews and re-write them as 4 or 5 star reviews.)

• A sneaky trick bad people use to get you to trust them.

• How to make almost 100% sure you never get screwed over by unethical business people.

• What sociopathic proof is… and why even otherwise-smart marketers fall for their lies and sell crappy products to their lists for unethical marketers.

• Why my BS antenna goes up whenever I see someone always in pictures on Facebook with lots of gurus.

• How to “read between the lines” when someone tries to dazzle you with their so-called test stats.

• When looking at other peoples’ test data can get you killed in marketing.

• What to “inject” into your ads to make them 10x’s more credible, believable, and profitable.

• A secret about a lot of “successful” people that, if everyone knew it, would probably shut thousands of businesses down overnight.

• How being a rat can be profitable (or be used to steal your profits).

• Why you can’t even trust people who ooze credibility and honesty.

• And the goo-roo band marches forth…

Download your anti-trust lovin’ here:

www.BenSettleShow.com/antipreneur

Ben Settle

Want to hear something weird?

About 4 years ago I was publishing a print newsletter called “The Crypto Marketing Newsletter” and, one day, I sent a free issue of it to my entire buyers list. Not just the newsletter subscribers, but anyone who bought anything from me whose snail mail address I had in my grubby little hands. Anyway, even though this particular issue was free, one person sent the issue back unopened (stuffed in another envelope) with a note saying “don’t charge my card, I’m not a subscriber…”

Does his skepticism of my free gift sound a bit extreme?

I don’t think so.

I can’t even blame the guy.

It’s a “survival mechanism.”

I mean, let’s face it… a lot of people really ARE pulling fast ones and using tricks and shady deals to make an extra buck. And it only gets worse as the economy gets deeper into trouble.

I learned this lesson all over again a few months ago.

We launched a new business in the golf market.

And, lo and behold…

The skepticism was off the charts.

(Even though with our offer there was no possible way they could be scammed or taken, all the risk was on us in every way.)

The point?

Skeptics make up a huge part of just about every market.

Do you know how to sell to them?

No?

Well, in tomorrow’s “Ben Settle Show” podcast I explain (1) why we should ALL be skeptical all the time of everything anyone and everyone says (yes, you should be extra skeptical of me as well) and (2) one thing you can do to cut right through even the most skeptical of skeptics.

It airs tomorrow.

In the meantime?

Download prior episodes here:

www.BenSettleShow.com/antipreneur

Ben Settle

Website reader John asks:

Thanks for the great information you provide in your daily emails.

Would you please answer a question:

Can everybody become a marketing master like yourself?

In a recent email, your ex-apprentice is asking you questions. Will she be as good as you one day, or are you one of the 1% with natural marketing super-powers?

If the answer is that, say in your ex-apprentice is not a ‘natural’, then just how good can the rest of us get? And is it all about hard work for us?

Obviously, I’m fishing for an answer that says even plebs can get good enough at this to make a decent buck.

Information appreciated,

John

elBenbo, one of the 1% of naturals?

Has marketing super powers?

A “marketing master”?

To quote my boy Johnny Carson:

“Don’t stop, this is America you have the RIGHT to worship!”

Aight.

Here’s the thing:

I don’t know why you think I have some kind of persuasion super power or master marketer status. I don’t. Those attributes apply more to the likes of the late Gary Halbert, Gary Bencivenga, and Jay Abraham, than to fanboy copywriters with a love for writing twisted monster novels so nutzo even my own mother won’t read them.

To answer your question:

You don’t need to be a “natural.”

(Whatever that means.)

You don’t need to be some kind of super marketer.

Frankly, you don’t even need to be clever.

It’s all about hard work and consistency. Pick something to master and work towards it. Every. single. day.

You’ll have frustrations and plateaus.

You’ll wonder if you’ll EVER get good at this.

And, yes, you’ll have failures.

The key is to learn ways to shortcut the process.

In my humble (but always accurate) opinion, this is where learning how to write daily emails using my system and subscribing to my paid newsletter shines like a cop’s flash light into a pulled-over drunk driver’s eyes. (And I’ve posted many testimonials on my blog to prove it.)

Best part:

It’s simple.

Ridiculously simple.

You just have to willing to work hard… Put in the time building your list… And, write & mail that list daily.

No jeenius necessary.

Not super powers needed.

More here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Title: How you’re being played for a sucker

This ultra short (just 8 minutes) “Ben Settle Show” podcast episode, Producer Jonathan and Yours Truly dance with you on the floor of what I call The Goo-roo Casino.

There’s a trick casinos play on people.

A trick where, losers think they’re winning.

And, thus, spend lots more money just to keep losing.

It’s a trick a lot of goo-roos in and even newbies in guru clothing (i.e. people who are brand new to marketing, yet are selling products claiming to work, even though nothing inside the products are proven to have worked for anyone — not even the idiots who created the product).

Is this trick being played on you?

Are you being a sucker?

Find out in today’s podcast at the link below:

www.BenSettleShow.com/antipreneur

Ben Settle