Ben Settle

Guess which marketing “sin” is the worst:

1. Being boring

2. Crappy offer

3. Bad spelling/grammar

Which do you think is the worst?

Well, you’re wrong!

The #1 worst marketing sin (the “unforgivable” marketing sin — like blaspheming your market) is not even listed above.

(I kinda moved the goal posts on ya there, didn’t I?)

It’s actually:

Selling what people ain’t buying.

And guess what?

This is even MORE prevalent with businesses selling online. It’s the #1 reason why people can write the best emails, have the best copy and know all the best persuasion methods… and still flounder around frustrated and confused.

It’s also tomorrow’s “The Ben Settle Show” topic, too.

I’ll let ya know when it’s posted.

Speaking of the show:

After this week’s podcast, we’re changing up the formatting a bit. Instead of it being an hour (give or take a few minutes) show, it’ll be a half hour.

This will make the show more focused.

Less burdensome for Producer Jonathan and me.

(It was starting to feel like — GASP!!! — work to us.)

And, easier to listen to.

(Especially for low attention spans).

Anyway, we’ve dropped a lot of profitable tips and ideas about selling, persuasion, marketing and gender relations (i.e. dating) so far.

Tips that can put more scratch in ye pocketeses.

You can listen to past episodes here:

www.BenSettleShow.com/itunes

Ben Settle

Let me tell you a story.

A little while back, I was doing a podcast interview when I was asked what is a good way for someone to position themselves as an expert in their niche, field or industry.

I told him he was asking the wrong question.

And, to fuggetabout being an expert.

Why?

Because, yes, people listen to experts.

But, they follow leaders.

Anyone can declare themselves an expert.

Not so a leader.

(By leader, I mean a thought leader.)

To be a leader people have to be following you.

You’ll know it when it happens in this particular bid’niz because suddenly you’ll notice people swiping your copy verbatim as if its theirs… or quoting you to their friends… or promoting you in their emails, podcasts, social media, etc without caring if you are aware of it or not… or mimicking your personality… and so on, and so forth.

Some of those things are good.

Some are bad.

And, some are just dumb.

(Like mimicking a personality.)

But be a leader you must if you want to be positioned in such a way where business automatically flows to you, where you’re the first choice for whatever you sell to your market by “default” (often without needing to read your sales materials), and where even if you don’t have the best product, people pick you because it’s “safer” to.

Anyway, positioning yourself as a leader is a “must achieve” goal.

Got lots of broke experts out there.

(Most don’t have a pot to piss in, or a window to throw it out.)

But, there are very few broke leaders.

And guess what?

In the next “Email Players” issue I show you one (of many) ways to quickly start positioning yourself as a leader (even if you’re still a relative newbie) at the expense of politicians, celebrities and even giant corporations.

A way I’ve used many times.

A way, yes, you can use too, amigo.

But she goes to print in less than a week.

Subscribe to get it here, while you still can:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Hear ye this…

Last September I was hanging out with “Email Players” subscriber Ryan Levesque in San Diego during our first “Oceans 4” mastermind workshop, and he started telling us about a way he uses to always get the arm rest when you’re sitting next to someone on an airplane.

It was very useful and interesting information.

(I even used it when I flew back home…)

But also quite profitable, too.

How so?

Because shortly after that, I figured out a way to use his tip and combine it with Twitter in a secret way to write lots of emails (this tip lets you potentially bang out a LOT of emails without splitting your brain open thinking up ideas) that have been profitable in both my main list (i.e. Internet marketing/email) and the weight loss niche, where I also used it, too.

More:

These emails are fun for you to write.

Quick to bang out.

And, people tend to love reading and buying from them.

And guess ye what?

In the May “Email Players” issue (which goes to the printer next week), I show you exactly how this trick works, along with an example of how I used it.

Again, she goes to print soon.

Subscribe in time here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

A brand spanking new “Email Players” subscriber asks about how to write a call to action:

Hey man, for the first time ever, I started emailing daily since Monday. One new story a day, and the only call to action is a link to my salespage.

And I’ve been getting sales (2-3) everyday! This is seriously a milestone because I’ve never hit that before.

I know I’ll read about it in the handbook, but I thought of asking you this now:

Any tips on drawing people to click in the call to action portion? It’s always the last paragraph.

How do I go beyond, “Btw, my new book can teach you more” and stuff?

I also read on your salespage that  a “Click here” may not work well?

Thanks man. 

First off, congrats.

You’re already kicking bootyus, so just wait to you get the material… you’ll get the why it works, and see endless examples and strategies for how to mail in a way people like reading and buying from.

Secondly, your call to action question:

Don’t get too caught up with it right now.

The only wrong thing you can do is have no call to action. Just like the only wrong thing you can do in email is not send one.

You’re still new so focus on writing them emails.

And what should eventually happen is this:

You’ll start just naturally banging out ways to ask for the sale and you won’t even think about it.

I know that sounds impossible.

But, it happens a lot.

The only exception is, I have run into people who are very methodical in their thinking and like to have things laid out systematically, in a sort of “paint by numbers” fashion.

That’s just the best way they learn.

If that’s you, try this:

Go through a bunch of my emails (or any email marketer you like) and study how we do it, then *adapt* it to your personality, offer and style so it sounds like an original you, and not a second hand version of me or someone else.

Yes, it’s work.

And, it’s time consuming

But, it’s the best way to do it.

(Getting your hands dirty doing grunt work like that is ideal.)

More:

If you’re really eager, or just low on time, I once wrote an “Email Players” issue that contains a call to action “swipe file” (Back issues available for sale only for current “Email Players” subscribers). What I did was, I went through hundreds (literally) of my emails, especially the ones that did unusually well, and pulled out the best calls to action segues. Each issue comes with a catalog where back issues can be purchased from, and you can get it from that, if’n you want.

Whatever the case, remember:

The only wrong thing you can do is have no call to action.

Even a weak CTA is better than none.

And, the more you do it, the easier it gets.

That’s it for today.

More “Email Players” info here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Behold…

A website reader and life coach shows exactly how he’s using email to kick some serious gluteus bootyus in a market where hardly anyone thinks daily emails work:

First of all, I’m still not a customer.

But I’ve decided to follow your example and test this daily email thing you are doing.

I’m a life coach and reasonably seasoned marketer, that was looking for a way to simplify my business.

I’ve been sending simple stories about my current clients struggles and accomplishments to my list for the last 25 days, and here’s what happened:

1 – Yes, there are people pissed off, telling me I’m not a “good” professional

2 – Yes, there are more unsubscribes

3 – Because I email everyday and the content matters, the number of complaints I get in each message is really pretty insignificant.

If I don’t email everyday, then the number of “complainers” will grow in my database.

In the past, that caused the number of spam complaints per email to be much higher than the expected for most services (aweber, mailchimp and so on).

It didn’t matter how high was the quality of the content I was putting out there, I would be treated as a spammer because I was “collecting complainers”.

I used to live with the risk of loosing the trust of my email marketing providers because of that.

Obviously, not receiving complaints was a huge matter to me, and I used to email only occasionaly to receive less complaints.

Your solution goes in the exact opposite of the direction I was using and now the problem is completely solved with the daily emails.

The daily messages serve to “wipe out” the suckers from my list, constantly, while I’m making sales.

I see the complainers now as a “plague” that I have to get rid of, every single day, for the sanity of my list.

But the best comes now:

4 – I’ve closed like $25K in coaching contracts in less than 1 month.

5 – I’ve sold $1660 worth of an ebook.

6 – There are several people asking me about my fees etc. I WILL sell more.

7 – I have an average of 15% of open rates in daily emails, which is actually more audience than most marketers will have even with lists that are 10x bigger than mine.

I have a pretty strong list. It’s a 20K subscribers.

In the past, I used to do a lot of stuff, like video marketing etc etc.

What I’m learning is: that’s not actually necessary. They help… But they’re not needed.

But here’s the takeaway that I’ve learned:

It’s only possible to write good, solid daily emails for a list if you are doing your homework and it’s actually capable of understanding your audience, delivering the results you promise.

In that sense, my advice to users who will use your strategies are this:

Work on your skills to help your audience. Then the emails will flow easily.

Thanks.

Rodrigo.

And that, my fine feathered droogie, is where “Email Players” changes the whole game for people — it builds thy skills.

Day by day.

Week by week.

Month by month.

And, yes, year by year.

(There are lots of people who have been with it since day 1, and the ones I hear from are all kicking booTAY).

I show you how to get tons of ideas.

Examples of emails I successfully use.

And, strategies that keep you lightyears ahead of your goofy competitors as they flounder around trying to keep up with you.

Is “Email Players” for everyone?

Hellz naw!

Like I keep saying:

It’s not for opportunity-minded people (as opposed to investor-minded people). Or, people who never implement. Or people who don’t have some kind of proven-to-sell offer and a list (doesn’t have to be a big list, but, a list ye must have, and be building it).

If that’s you?

Go buy another $7 WSO.

Or collect another FREE!!!! opt in bonus.

Or, haunt flakebook.

Anyway, next issue goes to print in 10 days.

Hurry:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

On today’s “Ben Settle Show” we pontificate about:

• How to make an “air tight” case to persuade people to buy products and services they normally wouldn’t even look at.

• How one of the world’s top sales trainers spins his product’s flaws into reasons to buy.

• Little-known ways how anorexia SAVES lives (yes, “seriously”).

• Why people who “troll” message boards, review sites and blogs can’t get chicks.

• 4 free (and proven) ways to build your list if you’re a rank marketing noob fresh off the turnip truck.

• Are business degrees really as worthless as the paper they’re printed on to online marketers? (Producer Jonathan and I weigh in with our humble — but accurate — opinions on the matter.)

• How to avoid getting “man boobs.”

• How to scare away trolls, complainers and “butt hurt” people who waste your time and energy.

• Why so many low class jackass cheapskate clients have such unusually big egos, and how to bring them down to earth when dealing with them.

• How to profit from 1-star Kindle & iTunes reviews.

• The perfect teacher to follow if you’re a newbie who wants to build a hyper responsive list without spending any money.

• A secret way to “barter” for website traffic.

• The best free lead generation method ever invented? (You won’t get the most leads from doing this, but the few you do get will be extremely qualified and, in many cases, ready to buy.)

• A Biblical case for mocking your enemies in your emails.

• How to “trick” your haters into writing your content.

• A lotza mo’ to chew on…

Listen in here:

www.BenSettleShow.com/itunes

Ben Settle

I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou were cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of My mouth.

Revelation 3:15-16

Oh yeah, baby!

The above is from the book of Revelation.

And while it has nothing to do with business or marketing or selling… I use it as my guide to business, marketing and sales in virtually every ad, email and marketing piece I create.

Why?

What’s the big deal?

Because I prefer my readers to be hot or cold.

Someone who is hot, is not only ready to buy, but is ready to solve whatever problem the product I’m selling solves.

And someone who’s cold?

They will move on.

Hopefully unsubscribe from my list.

And, find the solution/business/product that does turn them on — and spend their money on that, instead.

Hot or cold is GOOD.

Lukewarm is bad.

Lukewarm people suck up your time.

Waste your bandwidth.

And, never make a decision.

They are often the people who wander around from one list to the next… never buying, rarely committing… and always complaining.

They’re the blokes who want everything NOW.

Everything FAST.

And, yes, everything FREE.

Screw that sideways.

That’s why I do everything I can to “spew” them off my lists… to get them to unsubscribe… and, to hopefully, never hear from them.

Hey, I know that’s not “nice.”

But if it’s good enough for Jesus, it’s good enough for me.

And so, it’s the “Email Players” way of selling.

No… it won’t make you popular.

But it can make you more sales.

And make business more fun.

More:

The May “Email Players” issue shows you many ways on how to do just this — spew the lukewarm & unqualified would-be customers out into the abyss.

(And, get more sales as a result.)

This baby goes to print in 13 days.

Get in here while you can get it:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

So here’s the deal:

Tonight at 7:00 easter/4:00 pacific time, I’m gonna be on a webinar with Tim Erway — CEO of one of the biggest direct response marketing companies on the Internet (certainly the biggest in the home bid’niz industry) and my boy Ferny Ceballos. (A former rocket-scientist-turned-super-successful-Internet-entrepreneur.)

What will be yapping about?

Internet marketing, of course.

Specifically:

Teaching people who market online who’re confused about why it’s taking so long, not getting the results they want, and don’t know where to turn. I’m talking about people who wanna go full time and quit their jobs (ugh – who can blame ’em?), and are sick of NOT being where they want to be.

(Financially and otherwise).

Is that you?

Then we can help straighten you out in a quick.

More:

We’ll also be talking about their “No Excuses” seminar I’m gonna be speaking at in Vegas at the end of June.

That means there will be a (GASP!!!) pitch.

But, don’t worry.

We’re giving kick bootay info way in the webinar either way.

Info you can USE, whether you go or not.

(I only mention that because, let’s face it, mush cookies marketers who are afraid of being pitched need that kind of reassurance.)

Anyway, here’s where to register: 

https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/688649962

(Yes, that’s my raw and “wriggling” affiliate link)

See ya tonight.

Ben Settle

Let me tell you a story.

The names have been removed to protect the guilty, as this is a cautionary tale, not gossip.

Anyway, check this out:

Once upon a time, I learned of a product I really wanted to buy.

It was (presumably) high ticket.

And, I was ready to go — credit card in my hot little hand.

So I go to the website selling this product.

Opt in.

And anxiously await a link to buy from.

The first email comes 24 hours later.

I eagerly open it.

And, I’m ready to buy.

Except…

There’s no link to buy.

No mention of the product.

Instead, just a link to a video.

Same thing the next day.

And the next…

And now, I’m on like video #5 and still no way to buy or mention of the product. Just a “stay tuned for tomorrow’s video…”

This is loco.

This is not selling.

And frankly, is likely costing him sales.

How do I know?

Because I’ve already started forgetting about the product I wanted to buy and am deleting his dorky little video emails on sight. Probably, I won’t end up buying at all as the initial excitement has now long passed.

True, I could be the odd man out here.

And, there probably are times to do this sort of thing.

But, think about this:

I’ve been at this email game a while.

And I’ve noticed birds of a feather really DO flock together.

In other words…

If there’s one person not buying due to this guy’s fear of putting a link to his product in the emails for those of us ready to buy (even if passively — something is better than nothing) there are likely many more.

I know, I know.

It’s the goo-roo way to play these inane games.

To tap dance around selling.

Hey, do what ye will.

But it’s like I’ve said many times befo’:

If you have a product people want and can improve their lives… you have a moral and ethical obligation to at least let them know it exists.

Ideally every day.

And, in a way people LIKE buying from.

That’s where “Email Players” comes in.

I teach how to sell in a way people enjoy buying from.

No, it won’t make you rich overnight.

But if you got the right attitude, it makes selling much easier.

Subscription info at:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle