Ben Settle

I’m gonna cut The Agora tapes contest short.

As in by thursday at midnight.

Here’s the deal:

Last month Agora Financial ($200 million per year publisher) flew me in to Baltimore to teach their copywriters and editorial staff about:

• Infotainment
• Using stories to sell
• Email marketing

’twas some of the most valuable content I’ve ever delivered.

And, they taped it and gave me copies.

However, this content is not for sale anywhere.

You can ONLY get it free.

And, you can only get it free if you (1) submit an honest & genuinely helpful, detailed, no-troll Amazon review for my new “Vampire Apocalypse” novel (not “Zombie Cop”, just “Vampire Apocalypse”)… and (2) I deem your review worthy of being one of the 3 best submitted.

Again, I’m ending this contest Thursday night.

Got more than enough great reviews as it is.

(The 7 reviews submitted so far fit the criteria perfectly.)

Also:

When you submit your review let me know which is yours. After all, I gotta know who to send the Agora tapes to if’n you win.

Get it?

Got it?

Good…

Buy “Vampire Apocalypse” and/or leave a review here:

www.EnochWars.com

Ben Settle

P.S. It’s a fast-reading book.

So, you have plenty of time between now and Thursday night to both read (can finish it in probably 2-3 sittings) and review it if’n you’re gung-ho about getting advanced training that was taught to one of the most successful direct response companies on the planet.

Giddy-up.

In which the question is asked…

“you recommend emailing everyday. but how do you keep generating content ideas in order to make it happen?”

A good question.

Here’s the way I see it:

If you’re positioning yourself as an expert (or even an ex-spurt) or a leader in your market… and don’t have something (anything) to say each day… then mayhaps you’re not the expert/leader you say you are.

Hey, don’t take this personally.

Consider it a challenge.

A challenge to study your market harder.

Dig more into your product’s benefits and applications.

And gain a deep (not shallow — like most people selling online) understanding of your competition, your market’s psychology (you have done a psyche profile of your market, right…?) and all the things that make you the best person to buy from or hire.

More:

Plus, you KEEP stuffing your mind with other facts and info.

Things unrelated to your business.

As the great copywriter Gene Schwartz taught, you keep feeding your mind with anything that will stick.

Then what happens?

All that info mixes in your mind.

Ideas pop out of nowhere.

And you start writing about things nobody else has even thought of before, making you an original voice that demands to be heard.

Getting ideas is no longer the problem.

It’s REMEMBERING them all.

Yeah, it’s work.

Weeks and months (and years) of work.

And it’s ongoing — you NEVER stop the process.

But this is what separates the men from the boys, and what will make emails flow out of you as naturally as BS flows from a goo-roo’s lips.

As for the “how tos'” of email…

That’s where “Email Players” comes in.

No, it’s not cheap.

And it’s not for the lazy.

It’s also not for people who are easily offended.

In fact, case in point:

The February issue is probably going to be controversial to anyone who is politically correct or doesn’t like when I teach business and marketing lessons drawn from my experiences selling in (and participating in) the dating market.

(I didn’t pick Valentine’s Day month to teach it for nuttin.)

Subscription details at:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

In which the question is axed:

“My question is, how do you get good clients who aren’t going to waste my time and pay peanuts just starting off if you haven’t reached ‘pro’ status yet? “

An interesting question.

Here’s my not-so-exciting answer:

If I could do it over, I would not have started with client work. I would have either created or found a product to sell, built my own list, emailed it daily, and did that, first. Then, I would have went and found clients.

So my advice is:

Start selling your own stuff.

One, you may not even need clients if you do it right.

Two, when you do deal with clients you will automatically have a lot more posture, and outcome independence, which is like catnip to clients as far as who they like to hire in many cases.

More:

Check out the upcoming February “Email Players” issue.

It’s not about getting clients per se.

But, if you apply the information inside it, you will attract all the clients (and customers, if you sell products and not services) you can stand.

Frankly, you’ll probably have to start a waiting list.

Bold claim?

Maybe so.

But this next “experimental” issue contains perhaps the most valuable information I’ve ever taught to date.

But, only for “Email Players” subscribers.

And, only if you subscribe in time here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

All righty then…

So last month Agora Financial ($200 million dollar publisher of books, newsletters and, now, health supplements) flew me in to Baltimore to teach their copywriters and editorial writers about:

• Infotainment
• Selling with storytelling
• Email marketing

They also taped them and gave me copies.

These recordings are not for sale for any price. But, I will give them to a few worthy folks for the bargain basement price of free simply for doing a noble deed for humanity.

What noble deed do I speaketh of?

Leaving a “Vampire Apocalypse” Amazon review of course.

(What’s more noble than that???)

So, here’s the deal:

I will give these recordings (in downloadable mp3 format) to the top 3 “Vampire Apocalypse” reviewers and then let everyone know when the deed is done. (I’m gonna pick the winners as fast as possible, so best get your review in soon — today, ideally — if you want a shot at these trainings.)

But first…

What do I mean by “top reviews”?

It means reviews that are:

1. Genuinely *helpful* to would-be readers

2. Detailed

3. Troll free

And that’s it.

Them’s the rules.

Again, I’m wanting to pick the winners fast.

So get your review in lickety-split.

(If you haven’t read it yet, worry not, it’s a fast read.)

It’s over yonder at:

www.EnochWars.com

Ben Settle

On this week’s “Ben Settle Show”, we rap about:

• How being dirt broke gives you an advantage when learning a new skill. (If you’re hurting for money — Good! Your learning curve will be even faster if you follow my advice.)

• The problem with people who spend $10k per month on books, trainings, and seminars.

• Why it’s better to read 10 great books 10 times, than 100 great books one time.

• A secret way of using an ordinary dog leash to speed up the rate at which you learn new information.

• How to “leverage” a corporate job to master any skill you want twice as fast as it would normally take. (Still stuck in a job? Then you’re in luck — just do this and you’ll speed up your knowledge base way faster than you would otherwise.)

• Why focusing on the “ninja” tricks is idiotic when learning something new. (And even when you aren’t learning something new.)

• What word to use in ALL your marketing if you want to sell to a “newbie” market.

• How to form a profitable mastermind group (and what exact people you should approach).

• Why you should strive to be the dumbest person in your mastermind group.

• How freelancers can “insulate” themselves from the financial ups-and-downs of doing client work.

• How to force your brain to learn new information faster and more efficiently.

• A little-known way of using ezinearticles .com to (1) learn any skill you want to master twice as fast (or faster) and (2) get more clients and customers for whatever it is you sell.

• What the “Ken test” for copywriting is… and how it can make your ads far more persuasive and profitable than your competition’s.

• How to put your copywriting knowledge (even if you’re new to it) on “steroids.”

• And lotza mo’…

Download this bad-boy here:

www.BenSettleShow.com/itunes

Ben Settle

“Email Players” subscriber Josh Earl askeths…

How have *you* personally studied copywriting?

There are a ton of different things I feel like I need to be doing, like:

– Handwriting ads (did this for a while, and it was really useful but time consuming)
– Analyzing/studying great ads
– Studying the market(s) I’m involved in
– Reading/rereading classics like Breakthrough Advertising (on my second time through, awesome stuff), Scientific Advertising, etc.
– Taking courses
– Actually writing and testing copy 🙂

I only have a few hours a week, so I’m trying to come up with a small set of things I can do regularly to improve, like a musician practicing scales.

As you can probably tell, I tend to be analytical/systematic about this stuff. 🙂

I’d love to hear about what you did when you were getting started, and what you do now.

Thy request has been received, processed and…. accepted.

But, with a “twist.”

Here is what I mean:

On tomorrow’s “Ben Settle Show” podcast I will show you how to master the art and craft of copywriting 10 times faster than you would otherwise. But, I’m going to “rebuke” your question’s premise and generic-ize the info so it applies to learning ANY skill quickly.

(Not just copywriting.)

It’ll be up on iTunes tomorrow.

Watch for my signal.

To download past episodes in the meantime, go here:

www.BenSettleShow.com/itunes

Ben Settle

Came a Facebook comment yesterday from Boykie Mackay:

I gotta admit, I got sucked in as well. I got caught in the B.S POOP (Ben Settle Powers Of Optimal Persuasion).

I hadn’t read a non-fiction book in quite a while and figured I’d get Zombie Cop (to learn the art of storytelling and “infotainment”, off course), but I got hooked!

One page turned to the next, and before long I’d finished the book
in one sitting.

I did kick myself later for the time I could have used more “productively” in other activities.

Ahhh, well …

Guess I’ll have to kick myself again for the next day I’ll put aside to get through Enoch Wars !!!

See?

Told you.

My poop doesn’t stink.

And, neither does the Zombie Cop’s or Fezziwig the Vampire’s.

You can read the first chapters free here:

www.EnochWars.com

Ben Settle

Not that you should care…

But I no longer have a copywriting apprentice.

Due to reasons I won’t bore you with, I decided she will no longer be my apprentice. (And no, I’m not looking for another one, so don’t be a dumb ass and ask after I just said I’m not looking for one.)

But, I occasionally still help her out.

Sometimes give her advice.

And, steer her away from the pitfalls.

(And, can you believe it, she listens better now that she did when she was my apprentice… dames…)

Anyway, here’s the point:

Recently, I looked at a headline she wrote.

It was pretty good, too, and would get the job done.

But, I knew it could be better. So, I quickly batted out a new headline and sub-headline and emailed it back to her.

Her response?

“you ass. you did it again. No matter how good I think I am getting at this…. you always show me up by multipliers.”

My retort?

“You don’t have to beat me. You just have to try and keep up…”

And that’s the lesson my dear little fledgling:

A lot of times you could be studying something written by someone with much more experience (and talent) than you, and get discouraged.

Like maybe you’re not good enough for this business.

Or that you’re inferior.

Or any kind of self-defeating thinking.

Don’t.

Everyone starts somewhere.

Even the great Gary Bencivenga (universally considered the world’s greatest living copywriter) said he sucked out loud (not his exact words, but you catch my drift) for the first 10 years of his career.

Ten years!

And that’s the best of the best.

So fret not if you’re struggling at this.

Work on it every day… don’t be afraid to make mistakes… and realize that, even if you do suck, if you know your market and have a hot, responsive list… you can write “C” (even “D”) level copy and still make out like a bandit.

BTW…

If you want to hire my former apprentice let me know.

But, a word of warning:

She doesn’t suffer fools gladly.

She’s not going to work for a percentage of your business or JV with you or anything like that — cash only, Toots.

And, she’s busy.

She’s not cheap, either.

(Full disclosure: I get a finders fee. But I am not apprenticing her, so don’t hire her thinking you’re getting a package deal like before. I will give her some advice or guidance or whatever if I’m in a generous mood, but 99% of it is her.)

Anyway, reply back if you’re interested.

I’m going to “screen” people.

So send as much detail about your project as you can.

(I’m quick to delete on the first sign of bullcrap.)

That’s it for today.

Word up.

Ben Settle

Ever since following the esteemed Matt Fury’s sage advice about relentless, daily emails (rain or shine) I have seen near magical things happen in my business.

Yes, sales have gone up exponentially.

(Not just mine, but clients, when I did client work).

But, also market influence. Opportunities springing up out of nowhere. And, even access to events, products, ideas, masterminds, etc you won’t be privy to just lobbing tweets all day.

Plus, mailing daily has another “perk”:

Selling things to people they thought they didn’t want.

Case in point:

A couple days ago I got this email:

“Though I have no intention of buying your Zombie Books (we’ll see if your emails can convince me otherwise!) but I am enjoying your podcasts and emails.”

Then, the very next day:

“I originally told you I had no intention of buying either of your books. I lied. You won me over with the bit about the sex-crazed grandma. Both books  downloaded and ready to be read.”

Turned to the Ben-side of the Force with 3 words.

(Sex-crazed grandma heh)

And you know what?

He’s not the only one.

The “Zombie Cop” (my first novel) reviews are peppered with “I don’t normally read these kinds of books…” comments. But, because I relentlessly, ruthlessly and, yes, obnoxiously mailed about it day in, and day out when launching… their asses belonged to me.

My point?

There’s power in persistency.

In consistency.

And, in insistency.

All right enough.

Normally, I’d plug “Email Players” here.

Which shows you how to pump out all the emails people love to read and buy from your greedy little heart desires.

(And, do it daily.)

But, I’m gonna plug my new novel, instead.

See what all the fuss is about here:

www.EnochWars.com

Ben Settle