Ben Settle

In today’s “Ben Settle Show” podcast I bloviate about:

• Why the 2 “most mailed” sales letters in history had no headline.

• The 1st (most important) thing I taught my copywriting apprentice.

• My “dumbed down” 5-step million dollar sales letter process. (This is the exact same “structure” I’ve used to write every 7-figure earning sales letter I’ve ever written — including ads that are still running, unbeaten by other copywriters, for the past 7 years.)

• The second most important part of your sales letter (the headline is #1, most think the PS is #2 — but they’re wrong. It’s this other part we talk about.)

• How to get not just attention… but *undivided* attention in your ads and sales letters.

• How to arrange it so even people who don’t think they need your product will suddenly realize they do… and even buy it on the spot.

• The #1 mistake people make when writing stories in ads.

• The best TV show to watch if you write sales letters. (Each episode is basically a sales letter “template” and in line with one of the late great copywriter Gene Schwartz’s criteria for movies copywriters should watch. Of course, we talk about what movies he insisted copywriters watch, too…)

• The single most important skill to learn if you write ads. (And nope, it ain’t telling stories, writing headlines, good “writing”, or anything most people talk about.)

• Why I rarely use a “PS” in emails.

• How to master writing bullet points. (Many times people will buy very expensive products because of ONE bullet buried on page 18 of a sales letter… simply because a bullet got ’em and they had to buy. Here’s the best way to learn in the fasted time possible…)

• The 2 copywriters I study the most. (I admittedly base this 5-step sales letter structure on their ads.)

• A “no creativity required” way to write sales letter stories.

• And a ho’ bunch mo’…

Get your sales letter lovin’ here:

www.BenSettleShow.com/itunes

Ben Settle

Here’s some of the best ad advice I ever done got:

“If you are not running enough tests that are really flopping, then you are not doing your job…A very good copywriter is going to fail. If the guy doesn’t fail, he’s no good. He’s got to fail. It hurts. But it’s the only way to get the home runs the next time.”

Who said that?

The late great grand puba of marketing Eugene Schwartz.

Speaking of which…

You only have one day left to get his famous seminar for only $20 (regularly $297), plus a swipe file of over 500 ads and the “Copywriting Jam Session” teaching I did with Doberman Dan about our “process” of writing ads.

Details at:

http://www.CopywritingGrabBag.com/labor

Where was I?

Oh yeah, Schwartz’s testing advice.

And he wasn’t just whistlin’ dixie, either.

Case in point:

While back I wrote a fartload of squeeze pages for a client. Not just 2 or 3 test panels… but 20-30 test panels. Some of them play it “safe” (not veering too much from their current control) and some are so off the charts crazy different, they probably thought I was a nutcase for even submitting them.

But you know what?

I fully expected 95% of those tests to FAIL.

To me they are all dead ads walking to that great electric chair of cyberspace where probably only one of them will survive the onslaught.

In fact, my first test failed by a fat 20%.

And that’s good!

Did not bother me one bit.

I knew it’d either win big or lose big.

And that’s really the name of the game.

I mean, what would you rather have — 100 “play it safe” tests that add up to a 100% increase over weeks or months… or one BIG winner that beats your control by 100% in a day?

Which do you think will make you money faster?

Something to think about.

To paraphrase one of the great American minds:

“Failure is COOL, Beavis.”

Ben Settle

P.S. The $20 Eugene Schwartz seminar sale ends tomorrow (Labor Day here in the US) at midnight. This is by FAR one of the most valuable copywriting trainings I’ve ever used (and I STILL listen to it regularly).

Usually it costs $297.

But if you hurry, it’s yours for a mere $20 spot:

http://www.CopywritingGrabBag.com/labor

I got the “bug” to rap about copywriting today.

In fact, what I want to do is apply the famous “KISS” (i.e. keep it simple stupid) mantra to this subject and see about taking some of the “sting” out of it for people.

(It ain’t nearly as complicated as people think.)

Sound good?

OK then, let’s use a golf analogy.

My favorite golf teacher likes to say:

“Golf is a game of angles. The fewer the better!”

In other words:

It’s easier to use a swing with fewer angles than a swing with lots of angles. And, he’s right. When I apply his teachings I hit the ball exponentially more consistently, and with way less frustration.

So it is with copywriting, too, my little droogie.

Keep it to as few “angles” as possible, and it’s MUCH easier.

And guess what?

In tomorrow’s “Ben Settle Show” I strip copywriting down to as few angles (just 5) as possible with an almost laughably simple “formula” I have used to write nearly every single 7-figure earning sales letter I’ve ever written (including some ads that have run for the last 6-7 years without being beaten by other copywriters).

We’re talking 5 simple steps.

(As opposed to the 40-point checklists floating around online.)

Nothing fancy.

No bells and whistles.

And, nothing complicated.

It just don’t get more simple than that, babycakes.

It’ll be posted tomorrow.

In the meantime, download past shows here:

www.BenSettleShow.com/itunes

Ben Settle

Behold…

My all-time favorite Eugene Schwartz headline:

“Should Any Man Be Given
This Much Sexual Power Over
Women?”

This baby was on the outer envelope.

And it pulled MUCHO orders, too.

Here are a few (of many) reasons why:

• Isn’t “salesy” (doesn’t make your guard go up)

• Question (it’s almost neurologically impossible to ignore a question you want to know the answer to)

• Short (easy to process)

• Curiosity provoking (I mean, c’mon…)

• Amusing (but not “slap stick”)

• Has none of the usual hype & non-sense most ads talking about sex have (you can say many things about this headline, but “hype” ain’t one of them)

How many Internet goo-roo headlines do you see like this?

The answer is zero.

That’s because most goo-roos hyping themselves up as copywriting experts too wouldn’t know a good ad if it bit ’em in the prostate gland.

Anyway, I can rap about this all day.

But the best way to write headlines like Schwartz did is to listen to HIM talk about 3 of his best-selling headlines himself in his famous Phillips Publishing speech.

This speech normally costs $297.00.

But you can get it for just $20 (for the next few days) at:

http://www.CopywritingGrabBag.com/labor

Yes, this IS an affiliate link.

And if you buy from it, you also get a huge 527 ad swipe file (with some Gene Schwartz ads include), plus a copy of “The Sales Letter Jam Session” I did with Doberman Dan about the process of writing ads (how to build an ad from the ground up).

Hey, like him or not Gene Schwartz was THE MAN.

This speech is in my top 10 copywriting trainings.

And today you can get it for just $20:

http://www.CopywritingGrabBag.com/labor

Ben Settle

P.S. Another of his headlines that kicked bootay is:

“71-Year Old Man
Has Sexual Congress
5 Times Per Day”

He talks about this one in this speech, too.

Grab it for $20 here:

http://www.CopywritingGrabBag.com/labor

A common copywriting question:

“Ben I’m new to copywriting people keep saying to copy out world class ads in my own handwriting. do I really need to be doing this? Is it really that helpful it sounds boring lol!”

I get why people ask this question.

It IS boring.

It IS tedious.

And, it IS rather unappealing sounding.

But, the answer is:

Yes.

Do it.

Do. it.

Starting tonight.

The reasons people give for doing it (i.e. Gary Halbert’s “neurological imprinting” theory) are very sound and, I can say from first hand experience, it can make a huge difference in not only your ads… but the speed in which you get really good.

It’s actually a lot like the “steak & eggs” diet.

I’ve been doing it the last couple weeks.

And, since it’s fresh on my mind, I’ll use it as an analogy.

Basically, what you do is ONLY eat steak & eggs.

(Drenched in butter.)

And that’s it.

Nothing else — except water.

(And a weekly “re-feed” day where you eat anything you want.)

It was taught by an old school body building guy for getting rid of excess fat really fast and, yes, it works like crazy — not just for me, but for lots of other people who do it, too (like the personal trainers I know who recommend and do it themselves — hat tip to my boy Dan Meredith who taught it to me).

But, like copying ads out by hand, it’s boring.

And tedious.

And, yes, sounds unappealing.

But (again, like copying ads out by hand):

It’s also super simple (it doesn’t get more simple).

Works really fast.

And, gets you to your goals a lot faster.

In fact, I will even say this:

Just like with the steak & eggs diet, where every day you are (noticeably) a bit leaner and lighter… when you copy ads out by hand you should be *noticeably* better after each ad you do. By “noticeably”, I mean, the next time you write an ad for a client or your own product, you will no doubt notice it’s a bit easier than it was last time.

You’re a bit faster at it, too.

And, your ads are bit more persuasive.

More:

Like the steak & eggs thing, you don’t need to do it long term.

You do it juuuuust long enough to get to your goals.

After that, you will unconsciously apply the structure, format, and particularities of the ads you’ve been copying out by hand, and apply them to your own work, without even having to think about it.

So anyway, that’s my tasty answer.

And, if you (gasp!) doubt me, test it for yourself:

Write out 10 ads in your own hand.

Then, write an ad of your own.

The difference should be night and day.

But, there is a caveat:

They must be truly GREAT (not just good) ads.

In other words…

Don’t do this with any online sales letters (and especially not a sales letter during a launch) — look at the old school direct mail ads, where people had to spend money to test them, and not just slap them up on a page and blast an email to their list.

What’s that?

You don’t know which ads are great or not?

You want some guidance?

Then check this out:

Right now Michael Senoff is selling his $297 Gene Schwartz product for just $20. And, if you buy it by the deadline (Monday at the stroke of midnight) you get a free bonus:

A swipe file of over 527 classic ads.

(All neatly typed up in Word format).

This collection includes ads from the best of the best.

Like Gary Halbert (my favorite ads to copy out by hand)… Gene Schwartz… David Ogilvy… And hundreds more. All yours to study, model, and copy out by hand to get that neurological imprint of what it’s like to write world class ads.

But time’s short, my little droogie.

Grab it all (for a measly $20) here:

www.CopywritingGrabBag.com/labor

Ben Settle

I ever tell you about my “crash course” in copywriting?

Basically, it went down like this:

For better or worse, other than little odd copywriting jobs here and there (that paid little or no money) I got my real education by taking on copywriting assignments where I got paid ONLY on commission.

No freelancing fees.

Nothing up front.

Either my ads made money… or I was out a bunch of time, energy and resources.

Kind of stressful, to say the least.

Especially since, I only had a few copywriting resources.

Plus, time for studying the craft was limited. I was working a job at the time, was helping in a small office cleaning business, and my only time to study was in the car while driving to and from work and on my lunch breaks.

What did I listen to?

Was it the “usual suspect” crop of goo-roos?

Hardly.

I didn’t have time for nonsense.

So I had to pick my “teacher” wisely.

Thus, I popped in a CD I had made of the legendary copywriter Eugene Schwartz giving a seminar to Phillips Publishing.

This seminar is sort of a “legend” in itself.

I have seen A-list copywriters (who were in attendance) rave about this seminar, about how it helped them compete against the highest paid copywriters in the world.

And I can see how, too.

This seminar gets deep not just into the “technique” of copywriting… but also the psychology of the craft.

Such as how to “think” like your customers.

How to structure your ads so people BELIEVE you.

And how one of history’s greatest copywriters would sit down for just a few hours a day and hammer out one giant winner after another after another… without struggling with writers block, doubt or insecurity (even though he was competing against the best writers on the planet, with enormous amounts of money at stake).

Anyway, this seminar literally saved my business.

Frankly, I don’t think I’d have made it without this seminar.

There wasn’t all that much advanced copywriting training around back then (that I could afford, at least). And because of this seminar, I was able to survive writing ads on pure commission.

I was also able to pay off a LOT of debt, too.

(Including paying off my car — a huge deal at the time.)

Well, guess what?

That seminar is not easy to get anymore.

In fact, it sold recently for as much as $297.00.

But, you can get it for the next few days for a measly $20, and nothing else here:

http://www.CopywritingGrabBag.com/labor

Yes, this IS an affiliate link.

And if you order from it today, you get “The Sales Letter Jam Session” I did with Doberman Dan Gallapoo (about the “process” we go through when writing ads – very advanced stuff). Michael Senoff will send you a secret link to grab it, along with your seminar after you buy.

Anyway, here’s the bottom line:

This seminar is one of my top 10 copywriting resources.

And this $20 offer is so generous it borders on ridiculous.

But time is short and you have to hurry.

This deal ends Monday (Labor Day) at midnight:

http://www.CopywritingGrabBag.com/labor

Ben Settle

P.S. Hang on… got some more goodies for you:

In ADDITION to the Copywriting Jam Session bonus, If you grab your $20 Schwartz seminar today, Michael will also throw in his famous 527 classic ad swipe file (all neatly typed up in Word format) — which includes ads from Gary Halbert, Joe Karbo, Ben Suarez, Claude Hopkins, Eugene Schwartz, David Ogilvy, Maxwell Sackhiem and hundreds more.

Here’s where to get your copywriting learn on:

http://www.CopywritingGrabBag.com/labor

So I got a confession to make.

Not long ago I was reminded how annoying it can be to hang out with me when my socks are off, especially if I’m on the phone with someone in a business capacity or reading something about marketing, or passively learning (via audio, video, etc) something.

How am I annoying?

Because I pick my toe nails when in deep thought.

Yes, my little droogling… I will sit there for hours slowly and carefully using my finger nails to “trim” my toe nails.

That means a constant “clipping” sound.

Clip!

Clip!

Clip!

As my greedy fingers pick away at my toe nails, trying to create that ever-elusive perfect clipping that doesn’t turn into a hang nail or (even worse) dig too deep whereas I gotta get a real pair of clippers to fix it.

Anyway, why should you possibly care about this?

Because, believe it or not…

I get some of my BEST ideas picking my toe nails.

In fact, last time I was lectured about how annoying it is to others (hey, there’s the door…), I thought about how I’ve been doing this for years.

Researching for an ad?

I pick.

Thinking up ideas for an email?

I pick.

In deep thought solving a marketing problem?

I pick.

The result?

I don’t know if there’s something subconscious going on (as I mindlessly pick my subconscious mind is “slipping” me ideas) or what.

But I do know I get a TON of good ideas this way.

And profitable ones to boot.

I can even remember a specific one.

I was doing some market research for ad for a client several years ago and was picking away at my toes with reckless abandon. Ideas came at me left and right. So many… so fast… I couldn’t even keep up with them!

The result?

That ad has earned multi-millions in sales.

(And still has not been beaten in 7 years.)

Was it cuz I pick my toe nails?

Maybe.

Probably.

Hellz… I’ll just say yes.

And you know what?

There’s a powerful marketing lesson here.

Did you catch it?

(And no, not saying to pick your toes.)

Read the between the lines and you’ll see it.

In the meantime, check out:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

So I recently dived back into the golf market.

And, since it isn’t information I’m selling (which I was selling before) but something completely different, that nobody else is (at least not using the format and mechanism we are), I had to re-examine the market a lot more closely.

In other words…

There are no competitors to study.

No ads I can analyze to see how they approached it.

And, no swipe file of ads to raid for guidance.

Ordinarily I’d have been flying blind.

But, I wasn’t.

You see, my fine feathered little droogie, your boy Ben has an ace up his sleeve when it comes to learning about what a list (and market) wants so he can better sell to them.

An ace I rarely see anyone else use.

An ace I learned by observing an ooooold school ad agency.

What is it, you ask?

Well, what I did was, I used this trick I learned by studying what the Norman B. Norman agency would do to get inside their market’s head and psychology when they created their ad campaigns, and applied it to our Facebook group.

(We don’t even have a list).

The result?

I got TONS of market intel.

I know exactly what their objections are. Exactly how much they want what we’re offering. (Without even knowing it exists yet.) And, exactly what to say in the copy, emails, etc.

It’s the ultimate market research shortcut.

And guess ye what?

I reveal exactly what it is and how it works in the September “Email Players” issue.

Best part:

It’s simple.

Quick to apply.

And, mucho profitable, too.

Subscribe here to get it in time:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

“The world is changed with a checkbook”
– Paul Hartunian

The above is one of my favorite quotes. And, like it or lump it, it’s 100% true — the world really is changed with a checkbook.

Not hashtags.

Or handwritten signs on tumblr.

Or good thoughts.

Or positive thinking.

Or the law of attraction.

Or electing “your” politicians.

Or Facebook “likes.”

Or soaking the middle class and rich in more taxes.

Or social media images with the guy who played Willy Wonka espousing someone’s political or ideological propaganda.

Or Obama.

Or corrupt bureaucrats.

Or the United Nations.

Or… or… any of that nonsense.

No my little droogie, it comes from a checkbook.

And oftentimes, several checkbooks.

For example:

One of the organizations I support (with my checkbook, not by holding some dorky little sign up or simply retweeting them with a hashtag) is called “The Innocence Project”.

You know what they do?

They help get innocent people out of prison.

And, they do it with DNA testing, re-examining peoples’ cases, uncovering fraud and corruption in the legal process, etc.

They’ve helped exonerate over 300 people so far.

That’s 300 people who were (on average) in prison for 13 years (including 18 who were on death row) enduring all the usual fun times prison has to offer:

• Dodging rapists

• Corrupt & violent prison guards

• Wondering when (or if) they’ll see their spouse or kid again

• No freedom

• Constant fear & physical danger

• Food that’d make a rodent sick

• And the list goes on…

Well guess what?

When the Innocence Project takes a case on, it isn’t some fool waxing stupid on flakebook and trying to shame people into liking a post that pays for the work it takes to get the innocent man off.

It’s a checkbook.

Or, in this case, lots of checkbooks.

Lots of people putting their money where their mouths are.

Anyway, the point?

Nothing to do with marketing.

No business insights, either.

Not even (gasp!) anything about email.

No, the point is this:

As a business owner with financial independence (or someone working on being financially independent)… and who has the ability and opportunity to work for yourself… call your own shots… make your own paycheck… control your financial destiny… you have the chance to affect real change.

The kind of change that saves lives.

In his “System Club Letters” Ken McCarthy put it best:

“One of the best things you can do for your country is to become economically independent – and use your economic independence to take a stand against the forces that routinely undermine our communities and our country. If people like us don’t do it, who’s going to?”

Good point, Mr. McCarthy.

Anyway, something to chew on.

My vehicle of choice for financial independence is email.

It’s what I teach in “Email Players” each month and it’s something you can learn, too.

If you want to master using this vehicle, simply do this:

1. Log off facebook for a few minutes

2. Go to this link:

www.EmailPlayers.com

3. Apply the info each month

This last part is important.

If you don’t apply the info, it won’t do you a lick of good.

(And, you’ll be wasting your time.)

Alright.

That’s that.

Next time, baby…

Ben Settle