Ben Settle

It’s bid’niz time…

Recently “Email Players” subscriber and one of the “founding fathers” of Internet marketing (he built his first website back in 1995, and his first product did $250k — which is almost $400k in today’s money, and that was without hardly any of the same advantages, foresight, marketing tools/products to learn from, etc we have in 2014) Michael Cheney said:

Clicks up. Sales up. Engagement up. I’ve even had people ask me if I’m one of your students! 😀

And I haven’t even received my first issue of your newsletter yet (all this from looking at your emails and the EP playbook)

Thank you, thank you. I want to give you a hard data case study soon. Am collecting info on clicks and sales etc. to share with you.

I am LOVING the process.

Thanks man – you have revolutionized the way I see this business, how I can interact with people and re-ignited my passion for writing, storytelling and marketing.

I respect the hellz out of guys like Michael Cheney.

Guys like him are one of the reasons any of us sell online at all.

After all:

They took the pioneer arrows. Optimized and perfected the online marketing education and tools we take for granted. And, paved the way for the rest of us.

The point?

Other than the above, there isn’t one.

Except maybe this:

If a guy like Michael Cheney can benefit from “Email Players”, then maybe, just maybe, you can, too.

Only one way to find out my little droogling.

And that’s to give it a whirl.

Subscribe here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Let me tell you a story.

Last Summer I co-taught a webinar that was basically doing critiques for customers. And I’ll never forget the one critique where the email said:

“You need this product.”

Our response?

No we don’t.

Quite frankly, unless you sell something that will save someone’s life or something like that, they don’t need your product.

And saying it is pure neediness.

Call it “projection”, if you want.

The customer doesn’t need your product.

But, the signal you are giving off is you need their sale.

Nah boo.

Listen up, listen good, and never forget:

If there’s one thing that will destroy your sales, kill your reputation, repulse people (customers, clients, potential JV partners, even service providers you want to hire) away from you, and reduce your personal “brand” to less than zero it’s being needy.

Now, there are lots of neediness “tells.”

Way too many to cover in this email.

(And yes, almost everyone I see pitching stuff in emails and especially on flakebook are riddled with these tells.)

But, one big one is telling people they need you.

If you say that in your emails stop.

Just… stop.

Starting yesterday.

It comes off as desperate.

It’s a bit insulting.

And, yes, it’s needy.

My “Email Players” newsletter teaches you how to write 100% non-needy emails that people love to read and buy from.

It’s the opposite of needy.

And, the opposite of what most people do.

Subscription info here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Today’s “Ben Settle Show” podcast contains a ton of advice for both freelance copywriters and their clients, including:

• How to profit from sales letters your clients never use.

• How to get clients to respect your time without saying a single word.

• Shackles clients put on copywriters without even realizing it. (If you’re a client who does this, you are basically castrating your sales, pissing off your copywriter, and almost guaranteeing you attract nothing but the bottom of the barrel talent.)

• Dumb reasons why even the best ads are never tested by clients.

• The real reason why so many truly talented copywriters can’t get work. (This is one of the main reasons some copywriters are saying “to hell” with doing client work, and why a lot of clients will have to one day settle for nothing but mediocre talent.)

• A secret way to use an ordinary telephone to make sure your clients always respect your time.

• The #1 reason why all copywriters should take on clients… even if you hate their guts.

• The little talked about benefit to doing client work that can result in tens of thousands of dollars in your pocket you never would have gotten otherwise. (It’s worth doing client work for a while — even if the thought repulses you — just for this reason.)

• Why some married freelance copywriters tend to be more stressed out and miserable than non-married freelance copywriters.

• The Avengers secret to making oodles of money as a copywriter without selling your soul to a client or stressing over running your own business.

• And a whole lot more…

Here’s where to download it:

www.BenSettleShow.com/itunes

Ben Settle

An “Email Players” subscriber asks…

“Last month I jumped on an opportunity to do a copywriting apprenticeship, and it’s going really well so far. Making peanuts but learning a ton. I *love* copywriting. Since I’m going to be working for clients of my own soon… I’d love to hear more about what you didn’t like about client work–maybe in a future podcast. And are there any copywriters who are happy working for clients? I hear the “clients suck” refrain a lot… I know there are horror stories, but why do they suck when you have good ones?”

I thought that was a great question.

Certainly, a lot of would-be copywriters wonder this.

So, guess what?

I have heard y’all’s cries.

And, I’m taking mercy on you.

Here’s how:

Tomorrow’s “Ben Settle Show” podcast answers this question.

And, gives advice for both freelance copywriters AND would-be clients, that will make everyone’s lives easier and more profitable.

Watch for my email tomorrow.

In the meantime, download past episodes here:

www.BenSettleShow.com/itunes

Ben Settle

Yesterday I spanked on open rates.

Today?

It’s gonna be opt-in rates.

Whenever I see people bragging about their 50, 60, 70 percent (whatever inflated number they throw out there) opt-in rates I almost have to shake my head.

I’m not saying high opt-in rates are bad.

But, they ain’t always what they’re cracked up to be.

Think of it this way:

Imagine two marketers selling the exact same product, get traffic from the exact same sources, and offer visitors the exact same bribe/gift/bonus if those visitors give up the goods and opt in.

The only difference is their capture pages.

Marketer #1 puts zero barriers up to weed out the losers.

Thus, he gets lots of freebie seekers.

Lots of drama queens.

And, lots of people who “hulk out” if you pitch anything.

Yes, he gets lots of opt ins — including lots of people riding the goo-roo carousel — going from one site to the next, downloading every “FREE!!!” offer they can, with no intention of investing in themselves — either financially or in terms of time.

Not so with Marketer #2.

He does things differently.

He puts barriers up.

He doesn’t want just “anyone” opting in. He values his time and what he has to offer his market far too much for that.

So he does things like:

• Doesn’t use hyped-up language (he goes the opposite direction — tones it down)

• Makes people check a box before they can opt in

• Clearly says they’ll be getting mailed promotional emails daily

• Even lets them bypass opting in altogether to see the content on the site, if they choose (i.e they are not forced to opt in, only if they want the bonus)

• Doesn’t even really highlight the bribe (it’s there, but it’s not the main headline)

Now, let me ask you…

Which marketer gets the best quality subscribers?

Which has to deal less with freebie seeking time wasters?

Which deals less with people complaining about getting “too much email” or too many offers being sent?

Which has people more open to being pitched offers?

Which has better sales “posture”?

Which has more peace of mind?

I rest my case, Counselor.

I couldn’t care less if I have high or low opt-in rates. What I care about is the quality of the people who opt in.

Yes, I want a bigger list.

But, I want it to be a qualified list first and foremost.

Marketing heresy?

I hope so…

Either way, I’ll leave you with this little ditty:

There was a direct response marketing company (I think it was MindValley, but don’t quote me on that) that did a test with their opt ins, tracking to the sale.

And you know what they found?

Their higher opt-in pages lead to LOWER sales.

While their lower opt-in pages lead to MORE sales.

Now, again, to be clear:

I’m not saying not to test your opt-in pages or that a higher opt in rate is always bad.

There are just too many factors at work.

Each site is different.

And, each marketer is different.

What I am saying is, if you’re going to test this stuff, and revolve all your offers, ideas, products, etc around the intel those pages fart out at you, make sure you’re testing to the sale — not just the opt-in rates.

Which leads to more sales?

Which leads to more customers?

(Who you can back end sell other stuff to — the whole point of direct response marketing.)

Opt-in rates are soft metrics.

Just like website “hits” are.

They have their uses.

But, they can be misleading.

And, keep you making less sales.

All right.

Enough of this.

Let’s move on to something else:

The next “Email Players” issue includes a bonus (call it a Christmas gift) packed full of great info for building lists. But, not just any old kind of lists… I’m talkin’ about lists with qualified potential buyers.

But, a caveat:

It’s very “newbie friendly” info.

So seasoned traffic guys won’t get much out of it.

(Maybe they’ll find a nugget or two, though.)

If you want in in time to get it, go to:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

True story:

Once upon a time, I attended a conference that was supposed to reveal a bunch of “cutting edge” email marketing info.

I was eager to go.

Had my note pad ready.

And, was ready to get my learn on.

But, there wasn’t much to learn.

I’m not saying the conference was “bad.” Actually, for their target market, it was great. (Corporate drones who are clueless about email.) But, much of what was taught was old in 2002. Like making your emails interesting (wow! really??), and using offline methods to make sales too, and telling stories, etc.

Again, not bad info by any means.

But cutting edge?

Nah boo.

Another true life story:

Sometimes I get pitched by auto-responder companies (not personally, but just because I’m on their list) to attend their conferences, trainings, etc.

I rarely bother beyond a good skimming.

(Or if someone shows me something I should see.)

Why?

Because an auto-responder’s agenda is NOT the same as mine. The ones I’ve seen always seem far more interested in open rates, and clicks, and reducing opt-outs, and analyzing every little soft metric… with nary a mention of sales.

But, here’s the thing:

My agenda is not lots of opens.

(Couldn’t care less about ’em)

Or to have fewer opt outs.

(I celebrate opt outs, they mean more sales)

Or more clicks.

(Why would I want unqualified or uninterested people seeing my sales pages?)

Or having a giant list.

(Why would I want to pay for leads who are never going to buy?)

All those things can be nice, I suppose.

Just like it’s nice if your website gets lots of “hits.”

But, they can come at the expense of sales.

How so?

Because if you are mailing in a way where you get lots more sales (i.e. the way I teach) you will likely have way more opt outs, a smaller (but tighter and FAR more qualified) list, and you may or may not have lots of opens and clicks.

I know a few people who disagree with this

And that’s okay.

It’s not a crime for them to be wrong.

But, remember this:

Opens, clicks, less opt outs, big lists, don’t put food on the table.

Sales do.

And like it or lump it:

Higher opens and clicks does not automatically equal more sales.

It’s just the opposite sometimes.

Frankly, even some spammers get super high opens/clicks, but that doesn’t mean they’re making a crap ton of sales. And I have seen enough tests from multiple sources (not just my own) where high open rates and high clicks resulted in LESS sales, not more.

But, just to be clear:

(For the hyper literalists)

I’m not saying auto-responder company training is bad.

Or that tracking opens, etc is worthless.

You can get good intel from that.

If the spirit moves you, do it.

But, make sure you take all those tracking results with a big fat grain of pepper if you aren’t tracking to the sale.

For info on my “Email Players” newsletter, go here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

More about being uncommon…

Not long ago, I got a doozy of a testimonial from “Email Players” subscriber Yoav Ezer who told me what happened doing just the 30-day game plan I teach in the “Email Players Playbook” (the book that comes with your “Email Players” subscription).

Here is what happened:

(writing a daily email JUST for 30 days)

A week ago I finished your 30-day challenge. And these were the results:

– Sales were up by 100% – Which is very surprising because our prospect list is small and a large percentage of those prospects already bought the product.

– The crazies came out of the woodworks

– A reader asked if he could interview me for his podcast

– I was asked by another reader if he could hire me to write emails for him.

– Got more than a few emails from readers that said how much they enjoyed the new style of writing

So many benefits writing a measly little email each day.

As you can see, it went beyond money.

It created opportunities, too.

Like people wanting to interview and hire him.

Anyway, it’s more proof my system works.

At least, for people who apply it.

And, who have at least a modicum of direct marketing knowledge (i.e. have an offer people want and an ever-growing list of those people they can mail to).

Like I said yesterday:

Only about 3% of online marketers qualify.

The rest need not apply.

(They don’t last long anyway.)

If you want in, here’s the link:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Last week I re-watched one of my favorite movies:

“Miracle”

It’s based on a true story about the US hockey team that won the gold medal in the 1980 Winter Olympics. The US was basically written off as a joke and the Soviets were favored to destroy them on the ice — especially since the average age of the US team was 21-years old, and some of the Soviet players had been playing for over 15 years.

Thus, the US’s win was dubbed a “miracle on ice.”

(Hence the title.)

Anyway, here’s why I bring it up:

One of the best parts of the movie is when bad ass coach Herb Brooks (played by Kurt Russell, who delivers the line brilliantly) says:

“This cannot be a team of common men  because common men go nowhere. You have to be uncommon.”

Very true, Mr. Brooks.

And guess ye what?

This is GOOD news for you and me.

Why?

Because it sadly doesn’t take much to be uncommon.

These days just showing up makes you uncommon.

Even 1-2 hours per day of solid work (not being “busy”, but work) is all and you’ll do what will look to others like you’re moving mountains. Most people are lazy, unmotivated, and far more eager to find new ways to get a constant facebook, twitter, or texting-induced dopamine drip all day than accomplish something.

Don’t believe me?

All right, tough guy.

Then I’m going to prove it.

For the rest of the month do this:

1. Spend the first HALF hour (just 30 minutes — not even an hour) of each day writing an email designed to sell something your market wants.

2. Send that email to your list.

3. Watch what happens.

Just doing that will change everything.

What’s that?

You want help writing them emails?

That’s where “Email Players” comes in.

It’s a print newsletter that costs $97 per month (it’s not for price shoppers or opportunity-minded people, it’s for value shoppers and investment-minded people). It comes with a book that shows you how my system works. Then, each month you get advanced training on what I’m doing in my own ventures (not just selling “Email Players” but in other niches I work in — like the dating niche, golf niche, prostate niche, and stuff I’m helping my apprentice with, as well as other niches I’ve written for in the past, like weight loss — all are aggressive, high competition niches, not easy ones.)

Anyway, where was I?

Ah, yes.

The newsletter.

It ain’t for the casual marketer.

And, you’re expected to work hard implementing.

Quitters, dreamers, and sloths need not apply.

As for everyone else leftover?

(Roughly 3% of online marketers by my estimate)

Here’s the link:

www.EmailPlayers.com

See ya on the flip side…

Ben Settle

About a month ago I wrote about Ben-o-nomics.

What is Ben-o-nomics?

Well, it’s my opinion (and I’m right) that the longer out you build your auto-responders, you’ll bring in a lot more sales than it may seem on the surface. So, for example, let’s say you have an auto-responder sequence that’s 90 emails long.

(What I suggest at a bare minimum.)

But, almost all your sales happen on days 1-7.

Maybe you get one or two sales per month after that.

Is it worth it to build it out so far?

The answer is yes.

Over the long term, even 1-2 extra sales can add up to hundreds more sales (especially when you count back end transactions from those couple extra sales) over the coming months, years, decades, etc. Plus, some people just aren’t ready to buy right away. Maybe they just don’t have the money. Maybe the problem your product solves simply isn’t painful enough yet, but they stick around in case it “flares” up. Or, maybe they’re just procrastinators.

Who knows what it is?

What matters is, you take a long term view.

One or two extra sales per month can compound on itself over time.

And, turn into many extra rubles.

(Especially if you have a strong back end.)

Anyway, below is an update on that lesson.

(From the “Email Players” subscriber who originally asked.)

“Quick update on my case study from last time. The one you used not long ago on your daily email Ben-onomics. I kept writing my daily emails. Added more sales. What’s interesting is that most of those sales were from subscribers who weren’t responsive from the beginning (weren’t opening or clicking anything). But for whichever reason, one day they open this particular email or another and they buy pretty much only from this single email. So hey, it’s worth the effort. Especially if it stays fun writing those emails.”

That’s the trick, isn’t it?

If it ain’t fun, it gets hard.

That’s why I teach how to write emails that are both fun to write for your readers read.

(And fun to buy from).

Speaking of which…

The next “Email Players” issue includes a valuable Christmas gift.

I won’t say what it is.

But, I will say this:

If you want a bigger list, you’ll be a smilin’ mo’ fo’.

Subscription info here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle