Ben Settle

“Thanks Ben, you a–hole,” said Producer Jonathan when I gave him the “guidelines” for picking the top 3 iTunes “Ben Settle Show” reviews for the recent contest we had.

“What’s the matter?”

“How’m I supposed to pick the 3 best? They’re ALL good!”

The only guidelines I gave him were:

“Imagine a would-be listener is on the fence about wasting their time listening to a podcast, which 3 would put them over the top?

Problem is, almost all would have done the trick. So, MUCHO thank you’s to everyone who participated.

We really appreciate it.

But, if you didn’t win, don’t blame me.

Just remember:

It’s all Jonathan’s fault…

(Although you may be eligible for a consolation prize.)

That said, the winners are:

1. Sandy Espinoza, who gushed:

“Ben is my inspiring Go-To guy!”

There aren’t a lot of women in this field and sadly i have been taken advantage more than once by the supposed “goo-rus”. But not Ben-he has been honest, authentic, funny, informative, thought provoking and I have learned so much by his emails, podcasts and products. He is a wealth of honest information and I am so grateful every day that I found him, the podcasts and newsletters. If you want a real deal and not some “goo-rus” BS, stick with Ben, he won’t lead you wrong. I look forward to everything he puts out because I know i will learn something that will help me in some way whether its business personal. Always thought provoking, pay attention to what he says on his podcasts and other materials that he puts out there..you wont be sorry.”

2. Brad Millon, who pondered:

“Don’t be fooled by the Anti-preneur title!

It might take you a couple podcasts to see how Ben’s ideas compound but once you binge listen to a couple of podcasts you’ll quickly see how his concepts and anti-preneur attitude combined with your action taking can boost your marketing and profits no matter if you are an online info marketer or brick and mortar store owner. I found myself going back and listening to these podcasts on almost a non-stop loop as later podcasts opened up insights I missed on the early ones. In my humble but somewhat accurate opinion you should listen to at least three podcast before passing final judgement on whether this podcast is for you or not. Listen to these before Ben realizes the value of info he is giving away for free!”

3. Russell Martino, who saideth:

WARNING: LISTENING TO BEN SETTLE’S PODCASTS MAY HURT THE U.S. ECONOMY

Listening to Ben Settle podcast may save you from spending thousands of dollars on travel, and thousands more on high-priced courses on copywriting, marketing, advertising, sales and negotiation. Nationwide this could amount to hundreds of millions a year not flowing into the economy. I love the podcasts because Ben’s insights on marketing and copywriting are a mile deep. He has great stories and quips … and, selfish creature that I am … I listen, (and often take notes), because I nearly always get IMMEDIATE VALUE that I use in my business. (His “make me an offer” tip in the podcast on negotiation resulted in a client paying me nearly DOUBLE the fee I would have asked – thanks Ben!) Each podcast is loaded with master-level advice on sales and marketing. For me, the content is solid gold. If you own a business, or make a living helping business owners sell more of their product or service, I do both … you’ll subscribe, you’ll love it, and you won’t miss an episode.”

So there they are.

Sandy, Brad, and Russell…come on down!

Send me your snail mail address and I’ll mail you the “Crypto Marketing Secrets” book to your doorstep, and shoot you a link to the Agora tapes downloads.

Also, one more thing:

If you submitted a review during the contest and lost, I’ll send you a “consolation prize” just for giving it a shot.

Everyone’s a winner this time.

But, you only have until tomorrow at midnight (Pacific Standard Time) to claim it.

After that… too late.

(Hopefully you’re reading this in time.)

And people say I have no heart.

Sheesh…

Ben Settle

P.S. If you have never heard the show, but are interested in partaking of my forbidden antipreneur “fruit”, go to:

www.BenSettleShow.com/antipreneur

True story:

I was once listening to Dany Kennedy talk about the paradox of how he rails against using manual labor to sell with… while he’s on stage speaking and selling his products.

(i.e. doing manual labor).

I’m certainly no Dan Kennedy, but I can relate.

Call it hypocrisy if you want.

(You wouldn’t necessarily be wrong.)

But, for better or worse (I just know it works for me), I’m a…

• Novelist who doesn’t read novels
• Podcaster who doesn’t listen to podcasts
• Email marketer who rarely reads emails
• An affiliate marketer who doesn’t sell products via affiliates

And yet… here I am telling you to buy my novels, listen to my podcast, read my emails, and buy from my affiliate link (when I sell stuff as an affiliate).

Can we say “disconnect”?

But wait, my hypocrisy gets better!

I also write marketing, copywriting, business, and sales books… but rarely read books about marketing, copywriting, business, or sales. I much prefer reading autobiographies of great people who have conquered their fields, scuttled their competition, and accomplished great things.

But, not marketing people.

Or sales people.

Or, even business people, necessarily.

You see, instead of reading about the newest way to squeeze out an extra .005% response or learning another way to outsource… or get more done in less time… I’d rather read about how the musician Yanni went from sleeping in his friend’s basement, dirt broke and with no future… to becoming one of the most successful musicians of all time (even if I think most of his music is too dainty for my taste). Or how author, columnist, and right wing political commentator Pat Buchanan went from being a brawler always looking for a scrap on the streets of Washington D.C., getting tossed in jail, and causing hell everywhere he went… to becoming one of the most prolific political writers of our time and advising presidents. Or how a desperate Stephen King went from getting hundreds of rejection slips for his stories and having to type on a broken typewriter balanced on a child’s desk on his knees in the back of his cold trailer home… to becoming perhaps the most popular fiction writer in history.

And those autobiographies are just for starters.

There’s also the late football great Walter Payton.

And filmmaker James Cameron (who made the 2 highest grossing movies of all time — and let me just say, the extreme and borderline sociopathic stuff that guy does just to get a single camera shot for a scene in a movie that most people won’t even probably notice is crazy…)

And my boy coach Mike Ditka.

And comic book creator Stan Lee.

And, most recently, General Douglas MacArthur, whose real life exploits in wars and battles (both on the battle field, and in politics) make anything Hollywood could cook up look like the Mickey Mouse Hour.

Lookee:

All these autobiographies 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 autobiographies of great men aren’t the same things you’re going to learn in yet another best-selling business book on Amazon or in an 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.

This is the kind of material that changes your brain.

Forces you to be more adaptable.

And, dare I say… turns you into an infidel in your niche — as you automatically start doing things the opposite of how everyone else is, not caring what people think, and developing a powerful “anything that gets in your way DIES!” mindset that’s as rare as hens teeth these days. (People fake this attitude in social media all the time, I’m talking about “for realz” having it.)

My point?

I once heard this advice:

“If you want to do great things, don’t read great books. Read books about great men.”

(That’s more of a paraphrasing, but you get the gist…)

So it just seems to me that, if you want to conquer and rule over whatever it is you do… read about great people, and how they thought and worked… how they stared Desperate in the face and kicked its ass… and how they (to quote one of my favorite movies “The Shawshank Redemption”) sometimes crawled through a river of shit and came out clean on the other side.

Anyway, something to think about.

Do whatever it is you think is right.

I’m not here to tell you what to read or not.

If you want to read about yet another super secret ninja rockstar gangsta persuasion technique, then have a party.

Me?

I’m gonna get back (right when I’m done writing this) into reading about how General MacArthur inspired such a fear and awe in his enemies, that the Japanese obeyed (and practically worshipped) him over even their own emperor after WW2.

Okay.

One last paradoxical hypocritical note:

Yes, I think you should read biographies of great men before reading yet another thing about sales, marketing, persuasion, etc.

But, I also think you should check out “Email Players”:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Well, this sucks out loud.

Got word last week from Michael Senoff that the world’s “most feared negotiator” Jim Camp joined the choir invisible. Jim Camp was the guy the FBI called when they wanted to teach their agents negotiation strategies, and his methods were used by over 100,000 students and were featured on CNN, CNBC, The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Inc., and more.

I first heard him on an interview Michael Senoff did.

I must have listened to that interview over 50 times.

(And still listen to it once or twice per year.)

I never met the man in person, but did get to be a co-guest with him on one of David Garfinkel and Brian McLoud’s “Fast Effective Copywriting” webinars last year and he was a true class act. He also confirmed for me on the air a tactic I use in emails is not only completely ethical (sometimes people accuse what I do as less-than-nice when I prey upon my market’s insecurities in my emails and ads), but also highly effective and something he did when he was negotiating high level deals.

Anyway, I want to honor the guy.

So, below is the #1 lesson I learned from him.

I use it in my sales copy, emails, blog posts, when I’m negotiating with someone, or even if I’m wanting to convince someone to do something I want them to do.

Here it is:

“Vision drives decision”

It’s ALL about your prospect’s vision, not yours.

One example Jim used was seat belts. It’s been proven over and over seat belts save lives and, as Jim pointed out, every day someone of great intellect dies in an automobile accident not wearing a seat belt. So what do we do? We lecture people on it. We threaten to ticket people. We try to “intellectualize” the idea of it (which simply creates objections…)

None of which works very often.

Jim’s solution?

Ask questions that create a vision:

“Where is your head going to end up if it smashes through the windshield at 50 mph?”

Or, if selling gasoline:

You could go into a dissertation on the the different octane levels and what they mean and do or, you can say…

“How many miles can you afford to cut off of your engine life?”

Or, selling water filters:

You can launch into a pitch about how your filters get rid of 99.9% of chlorine or whatever, or you can pull a Jim Camp (what he said when selling them door-to-door to get people to hear him out):

“Just tell me you don’t want softer hair and I’ll leave.”

More:

He had a quote that drives everything I do in copywriting.

(In fact, I used in every speech/training I gave last year)

And that is:

“You’re always safe in the other person’s world”

What that means is this:

As long as you stay in their world, talking about their problems, fears, frustrations, and desires, telling stories that are interesting to them, and ultimately making everything you say about them, you cannot bore people (boredom equals death in marketing), you cannot lose their interest, and you cannot really screw up.

But what do most people do?

They start with their product first.

They try to “pitch” right away.

And, they often flounder as a result.

Anyway, it’s one of the single most profitable lessons I ever learned about selling, copywriting, and persuasion.

No, there’s nothing “ninja” about it.

And there are no tricks or tactics to celebrate.

It’s just sound, principled thought and communicating in a way that is in perfect harmony with the laws of human behavior.

Bottom line?

Jim Camp left us one helluva legacy.

I highly suggest you study his books.

Check out the interview he did with Michael Senoff.

And, if you want to see how I apply his ideas to email marketing, crack open any issue of “Email Players” at www.EmailPlayers.com — most of what I teach is influenced by Jim Camp in some way, shape, or form.

So RIP, Mr. Camp.

It was a pleasure to have spoken with you.

Enjoy your next adventure…

Ben Settle

Last week I did something I rarely do:

Partook in a Facebook group conversation beyond a mere smart ass comment or drive-by one-liner. What happened was, a friend has a service where his team makes their clients a ton of sales by testing and tracking and building funnels, etc. Anyway, they had made one particularly big client a hog-nasty pile of money, but that client was getting some bad advice on the sneak by some 3rd party, and suddenly didn’t think they needed my friend’s service. Thus, they were always talking my friend’s ideas and plans and strategies down during their meetings, etc.

In other words:

The game was pretty much over anyway.

But, he was wondering if there was a way to salvage it?

My advice?

Fire them immediately, of course.

Or…

Go all General MacArthur on their asses.

Here’s what I mean:

During one of the more famous battles of the Korean War, General MacArthur wanted to land his troops in the Port of Inchon, which was admittedly dangerous and super risky, but would give the Allies a huge tactical advantage if it worked. The Chiefs all had their say, saying no, they couldn’t do it, too risky, won’t work, etc.

What did MacArthur do?

Keep pleading his case?

Argue?

Get mad?

No, what he did was, he silently listened to all the naysaying and nervous-nellying without uttering a single word. Then at the end, when everyone was done and declared their decision not to land in the Port of Inchon, General MacArthur took his corn-cob pipe out of his mouth and clanked it into the ashtray, stood up and said:

“Gentlemen, I will be landing in Inchon this September or you will have another commander.”

Aaaaaaand that’s how it’s done.

Here’s the way I see it:

If you’re in a situation like my friend was in… instead of stressing about it, pull a MacArthur and let your client (who thinks they don’t need you anyway) writhe around, gasp, gape in awe, and back down. Or (if you’re lucky) they’ll just fire you and release you into an ocean full of bigger, better paying clients who value you.

It might sound “unorthodox”, I suppose.

But, I like making people ante up.

And would have things no other way.

For more of my “unorthodox” ideas, go to:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Worst way ever invented for starting an email

On today’s “Ben Settle Show” podcast:

• The single worst way ever invented for starting an email. (Producer Jonathan winced out loud when I gave an example of this. It’s embarrassing even reading emails that start this way.)

• Why it’s silly to worry about email opt-outs.

• How sending so-called “good will emails” hurts not only your sales… but your list, too.

• How one of history’s greatest marketing minds tests his ads (which is, not-to-surprisingly the opposite of what most online marketers do).

• Why the idea of the USP has been butchered and can actually work against you.

• Why you can make more sales spending 30 minutes writing an email than you will spending 3 hours writing it.

• How to get money “chasing” you, instead of you chasing it.

• How to write opt in pages to get high quality leads eager to solve the problem your product helps with… instead of do-nothing mush cookie moochers who just want free stuff.

• Why I no longer have a copywriting apprentice.

And the band marches on…

Come and get your love here:

www.BenSettleShow.com/itunes

Ben Settle

Tomorrow’s “Ben Settle Show” podcast covers 7 more “Email Players rules” (success maxims, philosophies, etc I do business and live life by that have made life a lot easier and more profitable).

The prior 21 rules were:

(Out of context, of course, you have to listen to the shows for the full story on each one, that’s the way my beady, rat-like mind works…)

1. Email is talk radio

2. Be your own best client

3. First hour of the day belongs to you

4. Don’t put your customers on a pedestal

5. The customer is always wrong

6. Don’t let facebook steal your balls

7. Put your own oxygen mask on first

8. Write drunk, edit sober

9. Don’t let your customers steer your ship or you’re gonna end up on the rocks

10. Be a leader not expert

11. Don’t reward bad behavior

12. If you want to know what someone really wants, observe what they buy

13. It’s better to be respected than liked

14. Cut people out who complicate your life

15. Spew lukewarm people off your list asap

16. Don’t play with guns in the dark

17. Don’t try to save a damsel if she loves her distress

18. If someone is going to cast you as the villain, then you might as well play the roll well

19. If it ain’t controversial it’s probably not worth writing about

20. If you have fun writing it, they’ll usually have fun reading it

21. Don’t sell yourself for free

Anyway, another 7 are on deck tomorrow. The 21 rules above are rapped about in episodes 21, 30, and 34.

You can listen to ’em here:

www.BenSettleShow.com/itunes

Ben Settle

Jason Moffatt writes:

(Re: last Sunday’s “Ben Settle Show” podcast)

Thanks for the reminder on that Halbert stock letter close. Used it this morning and have already drummed up around $11K of business so far if we decide to take each client. I reckon it’ll double by the end of the day, but then I’ll definitely be in a position where I won’t be able to let everyone buy. Good problem to have 🙂

(They don’t call him “Profit Moffatt” for nuttin’.)

Anyway, it’s a doozy of a close.

A true masterpiece.

And, something everyone who wants to learn about persuasion and influence should study in my humble (but accurate) opinion.

To hear it read and “dissected” go to:

www.BenSettleShow.com/antipreneur

And, listen to the most recent podcast.

More:

If you leave us an honest, detailed, non-trollish review before Sunday at midnight, and Producer Jonathan deems it one of the top 3 reviews, I’ll be sending your righteous self two gifts:

1. The Agora tapes

These are 3 trainings I did in December for Agora Financial:

• Infotainment
• Email marketing
• Selling with stories

You cannot buy these recordings anywhere.

(For any price.)

You can only get them free.

But, the downloads are yours if your review makes the top 3 reviews.

And, secondly…

2. “Crypto Marketing Secrets”

This is the entire 30-issue run of my old “Crypto Marketing Newsletter” rag I used to publish before “Email Players”. It’s not for sale anywhere else, for any price, either. And since it was $27 per issue, and 30 issues long, this is a “for real” $810 value.

But the time, it is a wastin’.

This contest ends Sunday at midnight.

Plus, it sometimes takes iTunes a while to publish reviews. So if yours isn’t published on iTunes by the deadline…

You’re out!

(Regardless of how good it is).

Here’s the shiny, “candy like” link:

www.BenSettleShow.com/antipreneur

Ben Settle

Recently I was asked:

what in your humble opinion would you suggest I do from a complete newbie stand? I mean where do I start…

The not-so-humble answer?

“just put something out there and start selling.”

I know… I know…

Easier said than done, eh?

Or is it?

Let me give you a real world example of how just taking ONE step (even if it’s just listening to a podcast) can *potentially* (your milage will vary of course) lead someone down a path going from $0 to $15k (or higher) in as little as 90 days.

Checky:

A while back “Email Players” subscriber Nicholas Lal posted this note of gratitude in the private Facebook group Ryan Healy and I run for our paying customers:

I have to also thank Ben Settle, because the first few issues of his newsletter were great but I still didn’t know what I wanted to do. Until he included the bonus interview with The Solo Guy Igor Kheifets.

I reached out to Igor, spoke to him for about 3 hours. Ended up signing up for coaching with one of his top students and I sit here today as a very reputable seller in the solo ads industry. Cranking out at least 3 emails per day, practicing different things Ben has taught, and in the last 3 months I’ve done over $15,000 in sales with an email list of 10,000+ and growing daily.

5 months ago I couldn’t even tell you what a solo ad was. I was barely just learning how to write emails (which I’m still not great at but getting better).

Through Ben’s podcast I got to know Jonathan Rivera, better who along with Darin are my real estate mentors. And through Jonathan I met Jim Yaghi who is teaching me traffic. It’s just all one big family at the Podcast Factory. And now I got this dog…err… Doberman named Dan in my car on a new podcast. I can honestly say between Jonathan’s 4 shows he produces I have listened to every single show.

This is my year, I told myself I want to be our or corporate America by the time I’m 35. I may not may that goal, but I think I’m well on my way.

It’s just a small step, as I don’t think solos is what I want to do forever. But the point is one $97 a month subscription to Ben planted a seed in my head that in 90 days I exploded into a business that generates enough money to pay the rent. And up until now he probably had no idea.

Thanks guys!

The lesson?

If you don’t know where to start, look at the ground, take a step… and start walking (figuratively speaking). Yes, during your walk through the big bad business ‘hood you’ll get lost, confused, be given bad directions, walk in circles, and possibly even be chased by a dog or two.

But so what?

At least you’re moving.

And, it beats licking corporate boots forever, yo.

More:

If you want a little guidance on what to start with… may I (in a blatantly biased manner) suggest listening to a few episodes of my “Ben Settle Show” podcast?

And if you’re REALLY motivated?

Write an iTunes review for it.

Because, until Sunday the 3 best reviews (as judged by Producer Jonathan) will win:

1. The Agora tapes downloads
2. “Crypto Marketing Secrets”

And those will only further help you towards thy goals.

But time is of the essence.

The contest ends Sunday.

Details are *impatiently* waiting for you to read here:

www.BenSettle.com/blog/my-latest-contest-for-over-800-in-prizes

Ben Settle

Whenever I attend one of the local entrepreneur meet-ups here in The Burgle, I always (always!) get handed at least a few business cards. And, in many cases, the person mindlessly handing me their business card asks if they can have my business card.

Of course, I don’t have a business card.

(Never needed one.)

And, in one case last year, some chick even tried to debate me on why I “need” one, and how I’m missing out (something like that — I tuned her out the second she handed me a business card for something I am not even remotely in the market for).

Anyway, these people used to annoy me.

Now?

They amuse me.

And, it will further amuse me next time someone tries to shove their damp business card in my hand while asking for mine, when I say:

“I don’t have a business card, but I dominate the first two pages of Google for my name”

Heh.

The way I see it, there are two kinds of business cards:

1. A regular business card (like you see people hand out)

2. And, what I call a “bid’niz” card:

A dominate presence on Google for your name. Or a best-selling book. Or a popular podcast. And the list goes on.

Anyway, just something to think about.

On to other news:

One of my “bid’niz” cards is my podcast.

It’s called:

“The Ben Settle Antipreneur Show”

And, for the next few days I am having a contest where the 3 best reviews (as judged by Producer Jonathan, not me — so it is at least a little less biased…) will get:

1. The Agora tapes downloads

(a series of trainings I did for $200 million publisher Agora Financial last year about infotainment, email marketing, and selling with stories — these are not for sale anywhere for any price, you can only get them by winning this contest)

2. My “Crypto Marketing Secrets” book

This is a physical book.

(That I mail to winners, at my expense)

It is a compilation of the 30-issue run of my old “Crypto Marketing Newsletter” that ran from 2010 to 2012. Each issue was $27, which makes this a for-realz $810 retail value worth of prizes.

(Not to mention the value of the Agora tapes).

Want to win these goodies?

Then here’s what to do:

1. Go to www.BenSettleShow.com/antipreneur
2. Listen to some episodes
3. Leave an honest, helpful (to would-be listeners) iTunes review

Producer Jonathan’ll pick the winners next week.

If’n you’re one of them, the above goodies are yours.

But, you best hop to it.

iTunes sometimes takes time allowing reviews through (especially if it’s your first iTunes review). So if it’s not up by Sunday at midnight, yours won’t be counted no matter how good it is.

So chop! chop!

That review ain’t gonna write itself…

www.BenSettleShow.com/antipreneur

Ben Settle