Ben Settle

Here’s a “timely” story:

After last Sunday’s “Ben Settle Show” podcast (where I talked about paying yourself in terms of time amongst other things), a dude told me about his adventures at a IM seminar once. Apparently, a bunch of people were going to eat during a break at a restaurant a mile or so away from the seminar. And, when they walked outside everyone whipped out their phones and fiddled with their Uber apps. Uber, of course, being the newest bright shiny object for transportation. Apparently, it’s better, faster, and cheaper than Taxis and, well, everyone’s doing it, so it must be the thing to do, right?

Well, not so fast, Chachi.

In this case, it was the opposite.

This person said they all waited some 15 minutes or so for someone from Uber to pick them up, yet there were 3 fat yellow Taxis right. in. the hotel. drive up. waiting there to take them anywhere they wanted to go.

“But Uber is really cool and cheaper than taxis,” one of them said.

Sigh.

Look, I have nothing against Uber.

That’s not the point here.

The point is, here was this small crowd of successful Internet marketers who thought saving 80 cents or whatever was more valuable than their time. Yes, I know it was just 15 minutes. But it’s not the amount of time that’s the problem here, it’s the corrosive affect not valuing time has on people.

This mindset carries over into business, too.

I see it all the time.

Like people who spend weeks screwing with their wordpress instead of hiring it out to a trained pro to “save money.” Or the schlub who spends hours each month trying to do their own taxes and bookkeeping instead of having someone who’s versed in the ways of the IRS and audit/asset protection do the deed to, you know, “save money.” Or the newbie who changes his own oil, mows his own lawn, and sprays his own yard for bugs (instead of outsourcing these tasks to experts at these things) to, you know, “save money.”

And so on, and so forth.

All that time is gone.

Poof.

You’ll never see it again.

Unlike spent money, you cannot “make” back spent time.

You can only spend it.

And, when it’s gone, it’s ain’t returning.

Anyway, I know this falls on mostly deaf ears.

But, it’s the one or two people who take it to heart I care about.

The rest of y’all?

Well, go ahead.

Keep stepping over dollars to pick up pennies.

Those of us who value time will see you from the top…

One of the benefits of “Email Players” newsletter is, you can learn what’s taken me over a decade and Lord-knows-how-many failures, frustrations, and trial & error to make lots of sales with email in just 16-pages each month. All presented in a simple to use and easy to learn way you can immediately (the same day you get it) use to make lots of the green stuff.

Anyway, that’s that.

Subscription info here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

I want to talk about yesterday’s “bull crap” email.

It was about how to tell if people are full of BS who you want to buy from or not. After I wrote that email, it dawned on me that it helps if you had been burned a lot early in life — when your young, impressionable mind was still forming opinions, judgements, and observations about your fellow kids on the playground and adults ruling over you.

Take my friend DB, for example.

We were best pals in 4th grade.

When he first moved to town, we hung out at school all the time and was always asking if I wanted to come over and hang at his house. Being a shut-in even at that age, I always declined. That is, until his beady, rat-like mind realized I was always playing tetherball on the school playground.

So he says, “My brother just installed a tetherball pole!”

I said “yippee!!”

And, made arrangements to go to his house one day.

That entire morning at school he kept talking about how his brother was out there patting the concrete down and making sure everything was cool with the tetherball and how much fun it was gonna be.

Long story short:

I go to his house.

But, there ain’t no tetherball.

In fact, there was nothing to do whatsoever.

“Where’s the f*&#@! tetherball?” I asked.

“…”

So he looks around and points over to a swing set. And he grabs the swing and starts pushing it towards me. “Well, we can play tether ball like this, you get on that side…”

“TF is wrong with you…”

(I don’t know if I said that exactly, but you get the gist…)

Anyway, it was the first of many cogs in my BS radar.

Moral of the story?

It’s like I said yesterday:

Assume everyone is full of crap until proven otherwise — even if they are super “persuasive” and tell you everything you want to hear.

I don’t care if it’s a big name guru.

Or a small name goo-roo.

Or, if someone’s running social proof on you.

We’re all full of crap until proven otherwise.

SPURN this advice at your peril…

You can read about my flagship product here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Read the letter carefully, though. And, if you have even a doubt about it, don’t subscribe.

Get it?

Got it?

Good…

Ben Settle

This email has been a loooooong time coming…

Comes an often-asked question:

“ive sat in on so many webinars from different people just to lurk that my head is spinning..i would love someone to help me but unless i have lots of $$ it doesnt seem to be an option.. and then theres the others with new ones popping out of the woodwork everyday- all the ‘gooroos’ how is anyone ever supposed to figure out who is real and who isnt when they are sprouting like weeds on a daily basis..and i cannot believe that every single person is making 10 figures a day x 7 days a week selling the same stuff and doing IM-i mean really??”

My 100%-not-to-be-questioned answer:

Assume we’re ALL full of crap until proven otherwise.

Yes, even me.

(*Especially* me.)

• Don’t believe someone just because they attach themselves to a bunch of gurus and are always hanging around with them.

• Don’t believe someone just because they claim to have “test” data (data without context is completely irrelevant to you for a multitude of reasons — yes, others’ tests serve as useful beacons and idea-generators, but at the same time, for all you know they are lying or withholding info, plus one lists’ data isn’t going to magically translate to yours — too many intangibles, like positioning, list relationship, brand, offer, message-to-market-match, and the goo-roo band marches on…)

• Don’t believe someone because they shower their advertising with “proof.”

• Don’t believe someone if they are always showing you their lavish lifestyle (you’d be surprised how many people have a Mercedes in the driveway but no food in the fridge…)

• Don’t believe someone just because they take a position where they are the ones calling out the scams and nonsense perpetuated by gurus, goo-roos, etc. (like I do a lot).

• Don’t believe someone just because they’re a good copywriter or marketer.

• Don’t believe someone just because they’re a “rockstar” in your market and everyone faints like liberals at an Obama speech every time they tweet something.

• Don’t believe someone just because they’re blatantly honest about their flaws. (Called “candor” which is quite powerful in advertising.)

• Don’t believe someone just because they’re so charismatic they can charm the birds out of the trees. (Many a serial killer, psychopath, and garden-variety con man is charming and charismatic, after all…)

• Don’t believe someone just because they have 10 pages of glowing “performance” based testimonials (not just “golly gee whiz I really Really REALLY like your product and stuff” testimonials). Testimonials can (and often are) be faked and exaggerated.

• Don’t believe someone just because they have no bad reviews online, and it’s all good reviews.

• And so on, and so forth.

In short:

Don’t believe anyone using any of the above trust-building principles and tactics — yes, even though I highly suggest YOU use (most of) those same principles and tactics. (I certainly do.)

After all, they can be (and are) misused by the corrupted.

So, what can you believe?

In my humble (but accurate) opinion…

Demonstration.

It’s the single most powerful way to prove your case. And, it’s the single best way to prove someone isn’t full of crap.

Hey, want to know if I’m full of it?

It’s easy.

Take the stuff I teach (1) in these emails (2) on my podcast (3) on my “media page” (over a dozen hours of hard audio and video training on there, free) and (4) in the free “Email Players” issue you got when you subscribed to this list. (And before anyone asks… if you foolishly lost that issue, no I won’t send it to you again, I’m not your mother here to wipe your snot nose, you’ll have to sac up and re-subscribe).

Anyway, go ahead and apply the stuff I teach.

Did it work?

No?

Then don’t buy anything from me.

Seriously.

Save yo bling-bling.

I don’t claim to be the end-all, be-all.

Fact is, there are *many* people my stuff does NOT work for. Particularly, people who are uptight, afraid to try new things, (gasp!) offend anyone, incurable perfectionists, plagued with analysis paralysis, can’t make a move without permission, or who play to not lose instead of playing to win.

They’re much better off going somewhere else.

(To someone who will coddle and tolerate them, I won’t.)

But, what if my stuff did work?

Well, then keep using whatever you used, and if it makes financial sense (and you can afford the whopping $3.23 per day it costs) take off the training wheels, subscribe to my paid subscription “Email Players” newsletter, and implement what’s in there each month.

And you know what else?

You can apply this same criteria to anyone.

Is there a guru you want to learn from but, don’t know if they’re the real deal? Then apply the stuff they give away free (or buy one of their products) and apply it.

Did it work?

Good!

If not, move on.

Bottom line:

Don’t trust anyone.

Especially not someone who gives you similar information, setting themselves up as the kings who “knight” others as being good or bad guys. (Like I’m doing in this email, now that I think about it…)

We’re ALL guilty until proven innocent.

And, even then, forever on probation.

That’s the attitude I take.

And, you know what?

It’s saved me lots of time and money.

Go thou and do likewise.

Then, check out:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

In this “timely” Ben Settle Show podcast, we reveal…

• A secret website I write a column for that is a brilliant example of infotainment.

• Why it’s *always* the man’s fault. (I blame men for everything, even when it’s not our fault, and here’s why…)

• Why you must pay yourself first if you ever want to achieve financial independence. (And the 2 ways to do it: One is in money, but there’s also another — equally important — way hardly anyone ever talks about.)

• A book of parables that shows you exactly how to build wealth. (Thousands of people attribute this book as building their wealth. Here’s what it is called, and what’s inside…)

• How to inoculate yourself from unethical clients pushing you around and playing games with you because they know you want their fee.

• How to speed up the time it takes to get out of having to work at a job.

• How to cut in half the time it takes freelancers to be liberated from having to do client work and just sell their own stuff.

• How to become a super fast writer (I discovered this by complete accident, and it works like gangbusters to speed your writing up.)

• What to remove from your bedroom if you want a good night’s sleep. (When I took this item out of my bedroom I went from 5 hours of interrupted sleep to 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep and zero insomnia.)

• My plan for ushering in world peace.

• And a ho’ bunch mo’.

Grab your podcast love here:

www.BenSettleShow.com/antipreneur

Ben Settle

Tallyho:

For the past couple months I’ve been writing columns for another (non business focused) website on the sneak. I first saw this site last summer, immediately knew it would be a hit, and is a perfect example of how to implement infotainment to make your content stand out like a fart in study hall.

(But in a good way).

Anyway, several weeks ago I wrote about money.

And time.

And, how to be a master of both.

(Instead of being a slave to them, like most people are.)

What is this website?

Where can it be found?

And, what exactly did I write about?

Patience, my pet.

All your questions will be answered tomorrow on the latest “Ben Settle Show” podcast, which will be up bright and early.

I’ll shoot an email when it’s ready.

What should you do until then?

Do your part to beat the terrorists by listening to past shows:

www.BenSettleShow.com/antipreneur

Word up.

Ben Settle

Time for a bit of tough lovin’…

A reader asks:

I totally respect and understand your decision for sticking with print. However it would be nice to consider being able to get a digital format (maybe Kindle or something) for those who travel from spot to spot and don’t want to rely on someone else scanning it and emailing it over.

I’ve answered variations of this question before.

But, it’s been a while.

And so, I’ll reiterate my position:

If you want it bad enough, you’ll find a way to receive it (despite the inconvenience — real or imagined), and devour it probably 10x’s more intensely than everyone else, and profit from it 10x’s more abundantly than everyone else, precisely because it IS so inconvenient.

This analogy isn’t exactly the same, of course.

But, I’m the same way with some things:

I hate watching videos, for example.

I prefer audio.

That way, I can listen/learn while walking my dog, etc.

So I tediously take the time to rip the audio off of videos using an RCA cable and a voice recorder. (Yes, I know there’s an easier way, but so it is…)

Anyway, it’s a total pain in the gluteus assimus.

But guess what happens?

I use and benefit from it FAR more as a result. What I don’t do is ask the publisher/author/marketer to change their formatting and delivery mechanism just for lil’ ol’ me.

After all…

If the product’s good, they’re doing me a favor.

Not vice versa.

As far as my world-traveler readers:

I promise elBenbo doesn’t hate you.

But, hear you me:

There are services that will scan it for you. A quick Google search will take care of that, so that’s not really an excuse *if* you want it bad enough. Frankly, the added expense will simply make you value it more if you’re someone with an investment mindset (i.e. you value your time, implement the info, make money from it, and realize it’s a long term investment, not an overnight riches thang) instead of an opportunity-minded person (i.e. wander the goo-roo casino playing every game with the brightest lights, think of “Email Players” as an expense vs an investment, and are too weak-minded to implement…)

All right.

’nuff said.

I like making people jump through a few hoops.

It’s taken me many years, many tens of thousands of dollars, and many frustrating failures to learn the stuff I basically give away for what comes out to $3.23 per day.

Subscribing to my product ain’t a right, it’s a *privilege*.

To see if you qualify go here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

(Read carefully, especially the end, before subscribing.)

Ben Settle

Piggy-backing off yesterday’s email…

(About only selling “Email Players” as a physical newsletter, and not a digital pdf or whatever), “Email Players” subscriber Tim Mitchum chimes in…

I was just talking with my wife last night as I was reading your “physical newsletter”, telling her how last year I canceled a much less expensive newsletter because they switched to digital. At that point I stopped actually consuming it.  

A little side note:  

I have noticed three things specifically that have changed about the way I do business since joining Email Players. 

1) Profits have more than doubled

2) I include a buy link in every email when answering a prospects questions (why not pitch there also?)

3) I have implemented pre purchase question limit.  If you ask 3 questions then you are not allowed to buy.  I have found that asking more than 2 questions is simply looking for the reason why it “wont work”, and someone with this mentality will always find it.  

How about that?

Not too many testimonials give actual content and value these days… but Tim pulled it off (I found his 3 question limit particularly brilliant, and will be implementing…)

More:

I’ve written about this a lot on my blog.

There are so many reasons why I believe in selling a premium priced product physically and not digitally.

One reason is, ironically, because so many people are preferring digital.

Lemme ‘splain…

Let’s say your market primarily buys only digital.

(Kindle, pdf eBooks, membership sites, etc.)

And, they do this because they hate the clutter, it’s a pain in the ass when moving (it is), and they don’t want a room full of info products and books, or to have to bother selling everything on eBay or giving it away (which is also a pain in the ass dragging all those books, binders, DVD’s, etc everywhere).

So, they go “all digital.”

But, your bad self comes along and refuses to sell digital.

But, you also have a high quality product that really does work and really does solve whatever problems (or grant whatever desires) your market wants.

i.e. people are gonna buy it anyway.

Well, guess what stands out on the book shelf?

(What very well may be the ONLY book on the shelf… impossible to ignore.)

Guess which product is far more likely to be consumed?

Guess which is likely to have more… *impact*?

Not only impact from it being a tangible thing in their hands, but from the intense dopamine rush they get when it arrives by mail (compared to the weak dopamine drip they get when they get to click a link to a pdf… ooh…)

Reminds me of a story Paul Hartunian once told.

Paul is da man when it comes to getting media publicity.

And, he’s a big fan of FAXing press releases.

While everyone else is using email, Internet sites, etc, he is shooting his press releases out by FAX. And, one time, a reporter called him up to interview him. And, during the call, the reporter said something about how reporters prefer emailed press releases.

Yes, even though the reporter just responded to Paul’s FAX.

(And probably has a thousand unopened email releases in his inbox.)

Goes back to the basics, my little droogie:

Ignore what people say.

Observeth what they DO.

Follow that tidy piece of advice and there will be peace.

Subscribe to “Email Players” here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Your King & Master,

Ben Settle

Comes irrelevant feedback about “Email Players” being a physical product, instead of digital:

How disappointing.

For someone so ahead of their time……..you are doing some pretty retro stuff.

Wonder how much money you are leaving on the table for not wanting to get out of your comfort zone and move onto digital currency and digital products.

Yo!

When you decide to step up your game, let me know.

I’ll still think about joining.

but until then, Ill just keep enjoying the free tips you give in your emails.

Thanks and I wish you nothing but success with your old school mailing methods.

Ahh yes.

Nothing like the sweet smell of assumption — drifting off the keyboard like the steam that wafts off my dog’s early morning poop in the brisk air.

Sooooo many foolish assumptions.

Let us tick them off one-by-one…

Assumption #1:

Comfort zone.

Considering I also sell digital products (across multiple markets), including a 1-click upsell after someone subscribes to “Email Players”, he placed his foot squarely in his mouth with that one.

What else can I say?

Except, maybe, this is why instead he should have *asked*:

“Ben, why not digital?”

He would have learned exactly why I make it physical (I’ve written about this extensively on my blog), and, even more importantly, the results of doing so.

Assumption #2:

Leaving money on the table.

Clearly he’s never seen my stick rates.

(And didn’t bother to, you know, *ask*.)

Or, others’ physical continuity vs digital stick rates.

(The ones who do physical products right, at least.)

Or, the results of what happened when I first launched and made several “exceptions” for various subscribers. (HINT: With just one exception, every. single. one. of the people I sent it to digitally turned out to be the biggest pain in the ass customers, wasted a lot of my time, constantly complained, and didn’t value the info much less use it…)

Assumption #3:

Old school mailing methods.

He implies they don’t “work” as well.

Which is amusing.

Assumption #4:

Thinking about joining.

I’ll save him the trouble:

Already blacklisted his email, name, and IP address.

Why?

Because I’ve noticed (from selling this product for almost 4 years now) that people who don’t ask questions before making assumptions like this, are terrible leads for any of my products — especially “Email Players” — and not the kind of customers I want. The fact he thinks the old school stuff (especially physical products) is somehow ineffective *alone* makes him a terrible prospect for anything I sell. He’s much better off getting an epic ninja legendary rockstar WSO or buying from the latest goo-roo launch.

We’ll both be happier…

So anyway, moral of the story?

The old adage:

“assuming makes an ass out of you and me”

… is incorrect.

It only makes an ass out of you, not me.

So don’t do it.

“Email Players” subscription info here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

I saw an ironic meme on Facebook last week.

Basically it is a message from a student to the US government. It says the German government gives you free college tuition. The Finland government welcomes anyone in the world to get any level of education at no charge. The Danish government will not only let you in college free, but give you $900/month for living expenses for 6 years. Then, it says in America you get loans at 10x the interest rate we charge banks. If you don’t pay they’ll garnish your paycheck. If you declare bankruptcy, you still owe. And, textbooks aren’t even included.

Then, of course, it ends with education is a “human right.”

Is all that true?

Let’s assume it is.

My question to the eager beaver millennial who probably wrote it is, if a college education is so important to you… and if you think it’s too expensive in the US, there are obviously plenty of colleges in other countries who will let you attend free. Why not move to Germany? Or Finland? If you *really* believe your precious college edu-ma-cation is going to be worth so much, it makes zero financial sense for you to remain in America.

Maybe I’m missing something.

But, it sounds way cheaper to:

1. Pack up and move abroad (including changing citizenship)
2. Live off your favorite government’s teet
3. Even bring family with you

… than attend a US University.

After all, I hear tell it’s roughly $9,139 per year tuition to attend a *public* university.

(Even more for out-of-state or private tuition.)

That’s $36,556 in four years.

Plus, that’s not even including text books (which are more expensive than a lot of high ticket info products…), housing, food, transportation, and other fees. In fact, according to a site that tracks this, combined it’s an average of…

$23,331.00 per year.

That’s $93,324.00 for 4 years!

(Not even including the interest on any loans…)

And, since your college edu-ma-cation is so valuable and so One-Ring-of-Power-precious, surely you will have no problem finding yourself a high paying job, no?

I mean, isn’t that what degrees do?

Help get you high paying jobs?

So what are you waiting for?

A Republican to take office so you have an excuse to leave?

go, Go, GO!

According to the meme, Germany, Finland, the Danish government… they want to take the tired, the poor, and the edu-ma-cation-starved yutes.

You’re wasting your life in the US.

And, you’re wasting money, too.

Why pay for it when you can get it free abroad?

Why pay almost $100k on college staying in America when you can get free college and, in at least one case (again, according to the meme), get $900 bones per month free!

Don’t give me your excuses about not leaving family, etc.

Take your family with you.

It’ll be way cheaper.

Hey, they can ALL get free college!

Yes, I know you love your country.

But you can love it from a distance.

If college is your ultimate goal and is a human right, and your kids MUST HAVE IT too… then why in the world would you stick around the evil overpriced US? It’s not like anything is gonna change around here any time soon, after all. Time’s passing whether you go or not — why not go now? Why wait? Why pay $90k+ when you can save that money and get your education free? Airfare, moving expenses, paperwork… that’ll barely dent the $90k+ you’ll be saving and is a pittance compared to what you’ll be making once you have that golden-like degree. And since other countries are so much better to their people, you should have no problem getting a job or all the government assistance you need while your strong, independent self gets that priceless degree.

Wait a minute…

What???

You still don’t want to leave?

Really?

Even after seeing how it’s cheaper to leave? Our education system has obviously let you down then.

Okay, fine.

Then let your uncle elBenbo give you another option:

Start a business online.

No degree required.

Plus, you can do it in 4 easy steps:

1. Find a market with an urgent pain

2. Create (or find, as an affiliate or licensee) a product that solves that problem

3. Start building a list

4. Mail it daily

5. Join the “Email Players” newsletter when it makes financial sense to do so. (Unlike the countries above I don’t provide education free. Get your house in order first. I want people with a proven offer and a list — even if a small list — I can help ratchet sales up with using my system)

My way is pretty inexpensive, too.

And, you don’t even have to leave the country.

When you’re ready, go here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle