Ben Settle

Today’s “Ben Settle Show” is round two of my political views.

Like last time, there’s nary any actual business, marketing, selling, etc tips in sight. It’s just little ol’ elBenbo’s thoughts on such things as:

• Abortion (I broach this fun subject once again)
• Minimum wage
• Discrimination
• Hate crimes
• And, we even touch on feminism a bit — but not too much, as I’m saving that particular treat of a topic for its own show in the future

Anyway, a merry time was had by all.

Here’s where to download your lovin’:

www.BenSettleShow.com/antipreneur

Ben Settle

“Email Players” subscriber Mary Rose Maguire writes on Facebook:

In a weird way, Ben is almost like the AA for marketers. I’ll speak for myself, here… Before I was “hooked” on the people approving of me by the open rates and zero unsubscribes. But then I noticed that I was just doing enough to not rock the boat… to say what I thought people would like… to remain trapped in mediocre marketing because to take a risk (and possibly have unsubscribes) seemed impossible for me to do. Or at the very least, unpalatable.

^^ it’s true.

If there’s one thing I want to be known for it’s this:

Freeing people from the strangling ropes of the mainstream and majority — not only in the marketing arena, but everywhere in life. The majority is very often wrong (not just business).

So it is in email marketing.

And copywriting.

And just about anything else.

If you want me to personally indoctrinate you with this way of thinking then check out my “Email Players” newsletter.

It ain’t cheap.

And, it’s not for people who need “approval.”

(From clients, gurus, colleagues, their wives, whatever.)

It’s for free thinkers.

For people not afraid to be different.

And, for those who want to stick out in their markets.

Here’s the link:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Last month I was “privy” to someone giving another person bad advice.

It was about copywriting.

And, while practically everything my advice-giving friend said was solid and right on the money… there was one piece of info that was downright bad info that could have made the person (who I also know) receiving the advice look like a wannabe and get lower quality clients.

Just about 99% of my friend’s advice great.

But 1% was bad.

And, that 1% was bad enough where — like a gnat wriggling around in a bowl of potato salad — it would have made the rest of the advice tainted and rendered inedible to use.

The moral of the story?

Actually, there are two:

1. If you’re a newbie seeking advice, take all info with a grain of salt. Don’t believe something just because that’s what everyone else is doing (if anything, that’s a good reason NOT to do whatever it is)

2. If you give advice, double check your work

For example:

There are a lot of newbie copywriters coming on the scene.

And, a lot of them simply can’t afford to pay a seasoned pro a lot of money for consulting and coaching, etc. So, they will turn to less experienced (but still good enough) copywriters for advice, critiques, analysis, etc. If you are that person giving the advice, double check everything you say with someone who has more experience than you.

Guessing can cost people a lot more than money.

It can cost them their reputation.

The effectiveness of their brand.

And, even their very livelihoods.

Awright enough of this.

To check out my “Email Players” newsletter, go here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Okay, so, here’s what’s cookin’ today:

One thing people seem to be struggling with in marketing-land is finding the right coach or teacher or product to learn whatever it is they want to learn (copywriting, emails, social media, blogging, traffic, list building, whatever).

Well, I have something to say about this.

C’mere a little closer so you can hear.

Back in 2007 when I moved to the Oregon coast I decided I wanted a dog. So, each day I’d go down to the Curry County dog shelter and walk a different dog. The dogs loved being walked, it helped socialize them (so they’d be more likely to be adopted), and it was a lot of fun.

For months I walked dogs like this.

Day in, and day out.

And, for months, I still couldn’t pick one I wanted.

I liked most of them well enough.

But, not enough to adopt.

Then, one day, I went in and saw this long-bodied (like a hot dog) basenji-corgi mix. And, through the fence we instantly “regarded” each other. Like the farmer and pig Babe in the movie “Babe”. (Except my dog didn’t pee on me). I walked the dog, had a blast, took her back and then went home. That entire weekend I kept thinking about that dog. Usually when I walked a dog I’d take them back and pretty much forget about them. But, not THIS dog. This was MY dog. And, both the dog and me knew it. So the next week I adopted her and she’s been my constant companion ever since.

The point of all this?

It’s the same with picking a coach or teacher.

You have to “walk” a lot of them to know which is the right one. You have to get on their lists, read their writings, watch their videos, buy their products, and spend time learning about them and, if you can swing it, talk to them. When you see the right person, whose style is in perfect harmony with yours you’ll know it.

You will simply regard each other.

And, you’ll know that person is who you want to learn from.

Now, I don’t do coaching.

Not one-on-one coaching, at least.

But, I do do “virtual” coaching (so to speak) via my monthly “Email Players” newsletter.

To see if we “regard” each other, go here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Who needs Obamacare when you have elBenbo care:

Hey Ben-

My wife’s pregnant.

We are self insured… meaning high deductible, zero benefit.

Why am I telling you this you ask?

Because when I found out she was pregnant and our baby was going to cost us $12-$14,000 out of pocket I said..

…”PianoFool is gonna pay for that baby”

And it has paid for it so far and will pay for it in full after I make a couple more products.

Then I simply email my list (which are expecting to hear from me, thanks to you) and they buy stuff.

That simple. So Ben…

…your method which allows me to create that connection and expectation with my list is truly buying my baby. So essentially you are.

So thanks.

It’s what we do around here.

To learn how to do the same, go here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

This week’s podcast is a bit of an experiment.

It’s a look at how I think, work, and come up with loads of email ideas when writing ads, as I dissect one of Producer Jonathan’s sales letters live, on the air. If the feedback is big enough, I’ll do more shows like this (picking ads from people from the audience).

Anyway, here’s the link, go get ya some:

www.BenSettleShow.com/antipreneur

Ben Settle

A little while back, Producer Jonathan Rivera (who produces my podcast) asked me to look at his ad for this podcast services.

So I did.

And then I told him:

“The problem isn’t with the copy, the problem is who the copy is written to.”

In other words:

He was trying to create demand.

(Sell people on wanting to do a podcast.)

But, as I told him, it’d be much easier and more profitable to talk only to people who (1) want to start a podcast but have no idea how and (2) people who already have podcasts but are frustrated with all the details of making it work, sound good, get new listeners tuning in, monetizing it, yada yada yada.

Anyway, that’s when I had an idea.

An awful idea.

The elBenbo got a wonderful, *awful* idea.

And that idea was to critique Producer Jonathan’s ad on the air, live, hot-seat style. The result was what we both considered to be an extremely valuable podcast episode where we get deep inside the psychological side of copywriting… and I show him (and, thus, the audience) how to pull out dozens of email ideas for whatever you sell.

Anyway, that episode airs tomorrow.

I’ll let ya know when it’s on iTunes.

In the meantime, check out our past shows here:

www.BenSettleShow/antipreneur

Ben Settle

Lately I’ve been digging on Twitter more and more.

I do still read Facebook due to the private group I co-own on there, and the usual time wasting reasons.

But, mostly, I’m spending more time on Twitter.

For one, there’s less grandstanding and mindless complaining. It’s also far more entertaining (even better than TV). And, there’s less of a herd-think going on there than on Twitter.

Less of everyone all using the same herd-think phrases, for example.

(“just sayin'”, “that is all”, “said no one ever”, etc etc).

It’s like Flakebookers don’t think because they don’t have to.

Not so much on Twitter.

At least, not with the people I follow.

(Which is very few, admittedly, I mostly just like to follow thought leaders and movement-builders — even, sometimes, people I disagree with, you can learn a lot about audience building following the right kind of people on Twitter).

More:

Twitter is also practical for writers.

(Of any kind.)

After all, it forces you to be a pithy writer.

And some of the best writing “exercise” you can do is boil down a message into 140 characters or less.

Anyway, that’s it for now.

More herd-bucking lovin’ here:

www.BenSettleShow.com/antipreneur

Ben Settle

Got this message a few weeks back:

Ever since I discovered you about a month ago, my daily days (is that the wrong way of saying it? Haha, who cares right!) literally involve you ALL day. 

From your emails, to your podcast, to your courses. 

It seems my mind thinks more about you than it does for my girlfriend 😉

No creepy vibe intended. 

Anyways, keep up the amazing work. You’ve inspired me to do my daily emails (2 weeks strong now!). 

Later!

Where you go, there I be…

You now, there’s actually a lesson here. A lesson I teach (via demonstration) every day in these emails and every week in my podcast, and every month in my “Email Players” newsletter.

Did you catch the lesson?

No?

Too bad.

Because it’s a super profitable one.

More creepy love vibes stalking opportunities here:

www.BenSettleShow.com/antipreneur

Ben Settle