Ben Settle

Lemme tell you about the “black triangle” secret.

Back in 5th grade my teacher handed the class a list of tasks to do. The first task was to draw a triangle and color it in with pencil as dark as possible (so it couldn’t be erased). So we all went along and did all the tasks on the list, one after another (easy tasks) thinking we were clever until the last task — which was to “Ignore task #1”.

DOH!

Busted for not following directions.

For not READING carefully before acting.

This happens sometimes when I send out emails, too.

Like yesterday.

I wrote about why social media sucked for selling.

Yet, I got a handful of emails (some of them kinda emotional — sheesh, chill dudes) about how great social media is, how people are making lots of money with it, how it’s so important for community building, and networking, etc.

Sigh.

In other words, they didn’t read carefully.

They made the black triangle mistake.

Because I did not say social media doesn’t have its place.

(It does.)

Nor did I say it sucked for things like list building, lead generation, networking, contacting people to set up JV’s (I’ve set up several using Fruitcakebook in the past), meeting people you never would be able to otherwise, socializing, and, yes, wasting lots and lots of time.

It’s good for ALL those things.

But, it sucks for selling.

For actually pitching what you have.

Yes, there are a few who get away with it.

But for most?

Nada.

In fact, even if you make oodles of $$ with social media you should STILL be focusing on email first, and social media second.

Proof?

Okay, a real life example:

Many a social media fan was infatuated with the Obama campaign’s use of social media in the last election.

“Oh see how Obama is doing it!”

“See all the cashola they make with it!”

But truth is they made most their online $$ from email.

How do I know?

Cuz they admitted as much.

Last year their campaign said email was responsible for most of their $600 million in online campaign donations.

Not Flakebook.

Not Twitter.

Not any other social media.

Just good old, “retro” email.

I even wrote an “Email Players” issue about this a while back — analyzing what they did, and showing subscribers how they could apply that same mojo to their emails.

So relax, social media ex-spurts.

I don’t “bash” it as a whole.

I bash it as a method to sell.

Henceforth…

Read.

Think.

Then, reply.

Go here next:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Today’s my birthday.

And so I’m gonna write about one of my favorite topics:

Why social media sucks for selling.

Case in point —

A new report from marketing data outfit Custora found that over the past four years, online retailers have quadrupled the rate of customers acquired through e-mail to nearly 7 percent. Facebook over that same period barely registers as a way to make a sale, and the tiny percentage of people who do connect and buy over Facebook has stayed flat. Twitter, meanwhile, doesn’t register at all.

So readethed a CNN news story a while back.

No duh, eh?

It’s hardly “news.”

I’ve said this for years.

And the lamestream catching on to the obvious is only gonna help you if you know what you’re doing with email — since now email is gonna be the tool of choice for a ho’ bunch of folks who are going to switch their brand of kool-aid from social media to email.

And, they’re almost ALL gonna be doing email wrong.

Bad news for them.

Good news for me and my “Email Players” subscribers.

And that’s why:

Now. Is. The. Time.

Time to stop wasting all day on Flakebook.

Time to start writing daily emails.

And, time to continue to invest in hardcore email training.

I’ve long suspected email competition would explode when the social media sacred cow was tipped. And that’s why I’ve aggressively sharpened my email skills for the past 7 years (selling both mine and various client’s products — in some extremely overheated markets) while my competitors have whined about email being outdated or whatever.

I share my knowledge in “Email Players”.

It’s a monthly print newsletter.

And, yes, it’s expensive.

It’s not for price shoppers.

It’s for value shoppers.

More info at:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

A while back, one of my favorite “Email Players” subscribers Paul Mort wrote:

Been daily emailing for a month now.

the results are embarrassing.

More optins.
Insane feedback and MUCH more sales
ad strangely MUCH LESS work than writing huge ass blog posts that people put in their ‘to read’ folder to gather dust!

Yeppers.

Especially note his last point:

“MUCH LESS work than writing huge ass blog posts that people put in their ‘to read’ folder to gather dust!”

I had the exact same experience.

This is a big revelation for people after using my system.

Fact is, most people drown their readers in a pool of heavy ideas, themes and content in their emails — trying to “out content” their competitors like all their favorite goo-roos do and teach.

Screw ‘dat.

Sure, do long emails at times.

Even toss some deep thinking out there.

But, don’t drown ’em.

I show you how in my system here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

A while back one of my friends (one of the best copywriters in the game) was saying how badly he wanted OUT of client work.

How he was sick of slaving away for clients.

How it was just a “glorified job.”

And, how it was literally KILLING him.

(With the doctor bills to prove it.)

Below was my response to him.

If you’re wanting out of client work or just want to build an online business I think you may find it useful.

Hit it, Maestro…

I can relate.

I always hated working for clients.

Instead, I wanted to do the “partnership” copywriting model.

That way, I could JUST do the ad writing and get paid on the overall sales of a business (not just a one time fee). So I tried it in the golf biz unsuccessfully, then tried a similar deal with some folks in the biz opp market and this time all was well.

It actually worked.

At least, for about 4 months.

These people weren’t sociopaths looking to screw anyone.

But in December 2010 when I was on retainer for them, they started throwing all kinds of work on me, which was fine, I was getting paid pretty good.

But I didn’t enjoy it.

I liked the people well enough.

I got along with everyone.

They even offered to put me in one of the best hotels in Vegas for one of their events (how can you not like people like that?). But, I hated working with other people (I prefer to work alone). I hated being under anyone’s authority (In this case at least 3 different people…) And, I realized I was not building any of my own equity — and was, at the end of the day, still an employee (although a well paid one).

So what did I do?

The week of Christmas 2010 I wrote a business plan.

The goal:

To liberate myself from client work by end of 2011.

’twas a one year plan.

And I busted my gluteus assimus to achieve that goal.

I was doing that client work, plus building a side business in a male health niche (writing 10-20 articles per day, plus 5 auto-responder emails and my BenSettle.com daily email, plus editing the then “Crypto Marketing Newsletter”.)

I worked like a mule.

In the end it took only HALF as long.

I officially stopped doing client work August of 2011.

(Right in time for the “Email Players” launch.)

Anyway, I say this, to give you hope.

You got your ____ product, and you are formulating a plan. It may not take you long to bust out of having to do any client stuff at all. If I were you (and I was going to do this, but it’s not really my bag) is back end personal coaching for $1k per month (or more, whatever you want).

Get 5 or so coaching clients.

(With a waiting list for more in case any drop out.)

At that level you can pay your monthly nut, at least.

Plus, it liberates your time.

And, lets you build your info biz side up faster.

(No clients required.)

The part that sucks is the in between time of uncertainty and realizing you may have to change course a few times. For example, the strategy I was using for that side niche (article marketing) went belly up when Google (that very next month — after banging out almost 1,000 articles in a month) started killing article ranks (at least, the way I was doing it).

But hey, it’s the destination, not the journey, right?

Actually, I HATE that quote.

Just take me to the destination…

But just make a business plan and stick with it.

You might get there faster than you think…

Anyway, maybe someone needed to hear that.

Also, there’s one thing I left out:

My secret weapon for getting “client free” fast was email.

I’d already been mailing daily for a few years and had formulated and tested (in multiple markets) my own special launch process for new products (which is based on SIMPLICITY and only a few “moving parts”).

And so, that was essential.

Oh, and BTW…

I realize some people like doing client work.

And, I think it is a good option to have.

(Especially in this crazy economy.)

Just realize:

Using emails the right way gives you an instant edge.

The kind where clients seek you out.

And, not the other way ’round.

You can learn my system here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

This is for people who liked my “Zombie Cop” novel.

And, who wanted to have an update on when the sequel would be ready, what it’d be about, and what can be expected.

So, without further ado…

Let’s start with what it’s gonna be about.

After “Zombie Cop” I’m bored with zombies.

Not much else I can say on the subject.

So this next one will be about…

Vampires!

The working title is:

“Vampire Apocalypse”

And, I’m going to start banging out the first draft after next week. My goal is to hammer the entire first draft out in 7 days (14 chapters, writing 2 chapters per day). Will that happen? No idea. Probably I will run into some creative delays like I did on the first one (I hammered out the first 3-4 chapters in 3 days, then put it away for 3 months, go figure…)

But, that’s the plan.

As for the plot?

Well, I don’t wanna drop any spoilers.

But, I will say this:

I am going to do to the vampire mythos what I did to the zombie mythos — that is, tie it into some blatantly Biblical and historical events, and give my own unique “spin” on what I think vampires would really be like.

(i.e. And it ain’t anything Hollywood has done.)

As for the tentative release?

I’m shooting for sometime in December.

(Figure it’ll make a great “stocking stuffer”, yo?)

Why so long a wait?

Because my creative process works like this:

1. Write first draft

2. Let sit for at least 30 days (figure ’til after Labor Day)

3. Do 10 drafts — 5 of those drafts silent reading, 5 reading it aloud (this adds up to about 1 draft per week, which comes out to 10 weeks of editing time)

4. Send to my editor/publisher to edit

Anyway, so that’s the scoop on the sequel.

More info later as it becomes available.

Wait a minute…

What’s that?

You haven’t even read “Zombie Cop” yet?

Didn’t even know it exists?

Want to know more?

Well, anything I say about is is obviously biased.

But, I can say it’s gotten a ton of great reviews.

Including from writers and creatives I highly respect like Bob Bly (author of over 80 books, and easily one of the world’s top copywriters)… Greg Perry (the most published author of computer books on the planet)… and Kirk DouPonce (one of the most in-demand book cover artists in the industry — who designs covers for all the big publishers, like Simon and Schuster, McGraw Hill, Harper Collins/Zondervan and Thomas Nelson).

It’s also gotten lots of praise from my copywriting peers, too.

Like, for example, Jim Clair.

He’s the head writer for the #1 company on Clickbank.

He raved about it to anyone who’d listen when we hung out at our last couple Oceans 4 Mastermind events.

Then there’s also Kevin Rogers.

He’s a professional stand up comedian-turned-copywriter.

He told me on Facebook:

Zombies were never my thing, but you drew me in from the first chapter. You foreshadow like a master.

There’s also Carl Harvey — head writer at MindValley.

(Huge direct response marketing company.)

He told me it kept him up until 3 am and was “genuinely epic” — with the best opener to a book in ages. (He also said he read tons of Jack Reachers, John Grisham, etc and my hook is WAY more addictive.)

Agora copywriter Caleb Osbourne also chimed in.

He said (in his amazon review):

If you’re into ruminations about the secrets and mysteries of ancient times, Sacred texts, and the never-ending saga of supernatural battles of good and evil — again — you. will. love. it.

Anyway, I could go on and on.

Lots of great reviews.

There are a few nitpick reviews, too, of course.

(Including one where I got the reviewer to admit most of his criticism was inaccurate and that he hadn’t read it carefully enough, but I digress…)

But generally, the consensus is:

It’s a fun, easy to read book.

Gross?

Yes.

Violent?

Most definitely.

(One guy said he’d “pray for my deranged soul” after reading it. And my own cousin told me when her step daughter read it she said, “what’s wrong with your cousin??” heh)

A fast, entertaining read?

(Especially for people who don’t normally even read fiction?)

That was the goal.

And, the reviews all seem to say it succeeded on that level.

But, are they right?

Only one way to find out, babycakes.

That’s to read it yourself.

But don’t worry.

No need to read the whole book.

Or, even pay for it.

Amazon has a “see inside” feature that lets you read the first chapter and a half.

I always tell people to give it 3 pages.

If you don’t like it by then, don’t buy it.

You probably won’t like the rest of it.

Life’s too short — move on to another book.

Alright, enough of this clacking.

If you want to read the sample chapter, read through the reviews, and get a “feel” for if you should invest even a second of your time on it, then lurch on over to:

www.ZombieCopBook.com

Sheesh this was a long email…

Ben Settle

P.S. If you’ve already read “Zombie Cop”, and would be willing to give it an honest review, I’d definitely appreciate it. Each review helps get it ranked better in amazon (from what I can tell, at least), and so each one counts.

Gracias in advance!

About the so-called Gmail “crisis”…

Last year Gmail made tabs in its interface with different “folders” — where anything coming from an email broadcast automatically goes to a “promotions” folder — thereby putting emails (like this one I’m writing) into a folder flagging it as promotional or whatever.

Since then, panic has set in.

Probably dozens of people have emailed me about it.

My favorite being this one:

Are the new GMAIL “categories” (Personal E-Mails, Social Networks, Advertising) the end of Directresponse E-Mail Marketing? It truely is an Illuminati’s trial to low our Open and Clickrates and to spend more budget in Google Advertising, isn’t it?

Sheesh.

Drama queen much?

Listen, no need to panic.

Here’s my take on it:

(And, as usual, I’m right…)

I don’t know why people are worried. Frankly, guys like me (the few of us who know how to do email, that is) are profiting from it. But, even if you stubbornly refuse to want to get better at email, it’s still not that big a deal.

Why?

Because of things like this:

• Promos don’t necessarily not get read — in fact, I’d venture to say the BEST, most qualified prospects are reading the promotions tab emails, while the freebie seekers, advertising critics and people who are simply not that interested in fixing whatever problem your product solves will continue to ignore your emails as usual

• People manually move emails they want to read (duh)

• Many people use an email program (Outlook, Mail, etc) and not Gmail’s interface anyway

Bottom line:

It’s mostly a non-issue.

Especially if you use my system.

My boys and I celebrate this.

We now have less competition.

More on my system at:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

3 emails in one day…

We’re pushing it even by *my* standards, ain’t we, Hoss?

But, I got something else to say, this time for service providers (i.e. copywriters, web designers, programmers, professionals, coaches, consultants, yada yada yada) who want to get smothered in new clients trying to hire them — even if you’re kind of new, fresh off the turnip truck.

Check this out:

One of the questions I asked Ryan Levesque during the free survey funnel training (the recording is still up online, still free, still waiting patiently for you to watch it, until it’s pulled offline in another few hours) the other day is:

Does this stuff work for getting clients?

Got lots of service providers on my list.

And, I figured they’d want to know.

Ryan’s answer?

Yeppers.

In fact, using his system (just the free stuff he gives away at the link below, while it’s still up until midnight tonight pacific time) lets you systematize the whole process.

In other words…

You don’t have to cold call.

You don’t have to troll peoples’ sites.

(Like some of the desperate copywriters do — troll sites and telling the owners all the stuff they’re doing wrong, without even so much as asking what’s working first, but I digress…)

You need not hope, wish or chant dorky affirmations, either.

Just build his survey funnel.

Put it into effect.

Let the clients come to you.

Can it really be that easy?

Hey, I’ll let you be the judge.

It won’t cost you a penny.

And, it could get you overrun with new clients.

The training is still free here:

www.EmailPlayers.com/ryan

But, only until midnight.

After that, the page vanishes like a fart in the wind…

Ben Settle

I probably shouldn’t be telling you this.

(Ego reasons and all…)

But, I’ve been doing this paid newsletter thang for a while now. It started with my old Crypto Marketing Newsletter (30-issue run)… then my current “Email Players” newsletter (we’re on our 3-year anniversary this month).

And so, people often ask how they can do the same.

They love the idea of selling continuity.

They see me do it every day.

But, can’t figure it out on their own.

(Especially the so-called “reverse engineers”)

Well guess what?

That’s because my method is highly reliant on doing relentless, aggressive, “the hell with what anyone thinks” daily emails.

Most people don’t have the nads to mail daily.

Or to mail aggressively.

Or to do it persistently.

(Most only mail once per week or when “inspired” or whatever).

That’s the bad news.

The good news?

All is not lost if you want to sell continuity (like newsletters, supplements, membership sites, etc) but don’t have the time, inclination, desire or persistence to mail daily.

A way that is probably a LOT easier than my way.

May actually take less time.

And, dare I say, could be less effort over time.

And that way is…

(Drum roll…)

Using Ryan Levesque’s survey funnel training he still has up free until tonight at midnight (pacific time).

And before you even ask…

This is “for real” advanced training.

(Yes, even though it’s free.)

The kind of training you can use ASAP.

Yes, there’s something for sale, too.

(At the very end.)

But, you could use his free training on how his funnels work to sell continuity all day long.

But, time’s short my little droogling.

It’s only up for a few more hours.

After that, it vanishes.

Here’s where to watch it (free):

www.EmailPlayers.com/ryan

Hurry…

Ben Settle

In today’s entertainment-packed “Ben Settle Show” podcast:

• How to (ethically) use entertainment to kill your competitor’s sales. (And, how to protect yourself from this tactic if anyone uses it on you!)

• How to inject entertainment into ALL your marketing (emails, sales letters, podcasts, customer service, even when people unsubscribe from your list — the whole sha-bang).

• What exact site to send people to if they complain about your content. (It’s entertaining for you, but not so much for the people you fire from your business…)

• How telling people NOT to buy can increase your sales.

• How even boring people can be entertaining in their marketing.

• How to use entertainment to combat the people on your list’s ever-shrinking attention spans.

• A natural way to entertain people that is so simple even a 5-year old child can do it. (It’s also the single most persuasive way to sell something, too.)

• Why it’s your moral and ethical duty to be more entertaining in your marketing. (That is, if you care about your customers…)

• A secret way used by the smash hit TV show “60 Minutes” that can help you dominate your competition and multiple your sales almost overnight.

• How even a boring person can be entertaining (this works even if you have the personality of Elmer Fud).

• How to interview people for your podcast or products that makes your content so fascinating people can’t stop listening even if they want to. (If you do podcasts with interviews or create products based on interviews, just do this and your information will be 10x’s more valuable.)

• How to use entertainment to make your products more effective for your customers.

• And lotza mo’…

Download your Ben Settle Show lovin’ here:

www.BenSettleShow.com/itunes

Ben Settle