Ben Settle
Your Daily Email Addiction
Let’s get cerebral about your business a moment:
In late 2017/early 2018, I radically started to change my business model. Up until then, I’d been using a very specific business model I eventually taught in-depth back in the 2013 “Email Players” issue, that I still recommend to people. Especially newer businesses, or super successful people who make lots of the green stuff “on paper”, but managed to complicate, bloat, and convolute their businesses to the point where they run like hamsters on cocaine each day, just to keep the lights on and pay for their lifestyles.
I let that business model ride for about 9 years.
Then, two things happened in the Fall of 2017:
1. I realized how close I was getting to that ever-elusive 7-figure (gross not net) mark.
I crunched some numbers and realized all I had to do was add another $50k or so to my sales, and I’d be over the finish line that year. But, if I kept being a slacker with my one main upfront offer model (I used to only promote “Email Players” practically every day), and nothing else, there’d be no dice.
2. I heard the great Dan Kennedy teach something in his 7-Figures Academy course.
Something I “already knew” in some ways.
It’s actually somewhat related to the classic “Acres of Diamonds” story.
But, I had not been implementing what he said.
Anyway, short story way too long:
I (barely) made it across the 7-figure finish line in 2017 doing it.
Then, in 2018 I aggressively expanded, experimented with, and tested doing more of what got me there, noting what worked and what didn’t work, what made more sales vs what made less sales, what kept my business more-or-less just as simple, but required some effort — and sometimes lots of effort temporarily. In fact, I spent 2018 and this first half of 2019 building offers to get everything up and running the way I wanted, and easily blew right past the finish line that year.
Until finally, as of recently, I got the business model all dialed in the way I envisioned it.
Which brings me to the deal:
I’m teaching my newest business model in detail in the June “Email Players” issue.
I believe any online business can adapt it to their needs, too.
And, adapt it regardless of market, niche, product category, or type.
(i.e. selling products, services, information, eCommerce, freelancing, whatever)
Obviously, your mileage will vary.
There is no such thing as identical businesses, getting identical results. And there are literally hundreds — if not thousands — of variables that apply to me and my business that won’t apply to you and your business. But I believe pretty much any business can use and adapt this model’s structure to potentially go from 4-figures to 5-figures, or 5-figures to 6-figures, or 6-figures to the low 7-figures.
I do not believe it can take you much higher than low 7-figures, though.
That is, unless you have a team or a long-suffering assistant, which I don’t have or want.
And, you also probably would have to sell way higher ticket products and services, coaching, events, etc to do so — which I also don’t have or want. Either way, with the right offers in place, I believe you can keep your business not only extremely simple and relatively stress-free, but also extremely profitable and relatively complication-free.
But big or small, you will have to have these attributes:
1. The willingness and stomach to send a ton of emails each month — the one-email-per day shtick I used to do won’t cut it for this.
2. The ability to resist complicating it — hard for many to do.
3. Ways to find or create a lot of offers — in fact, the biggest challenge you will likely have is finding offers to sell worthy of your brand and your list’s time/money.
All right, enough.
The deadline to get this June issue is approaching fast.
I have zero sympathy for anyone who wants to learn what I am about to teach in this issue but procrastinates until the last minute and loses out. Frankly, procrastinators won’t be able to make my business model work, anyway. Nor will people incapable or unwilling to think forward, and can only react in the moment.
Now that I mention it, it takes a lot of patience, too.
As well as the discipline to delay financial gratification.
And, even more important… the character to stick with a decision long-term.
I suspect that makes 95% of anyone reading this unqualified. And, those fine feathered little drooglings are welcome to keep reading the free emails and being spectators.
But, for those left who are both interested and up for the task?
Here’s where to subscribe before the deadline when the Ben tolls:
Ben Settle
Currently, I’m reading a book called:
“Marvel Comics: The Untold Story” by Sean Howe.
It’s a lot of stuff their PR people don’t really want known.
At least, that’s the gist of it, I believe.
Anyway, I’m only 100 or so pages in.
And, I read a paragraph from the book about its original founder – pre-60’s, before it got huge. And the business model sounded incredibly similar to many of the early shameless internet marketing “guru” eBook peddlers’ attitudes back in the 90’s and early 2000’s, and in some cases even more flagrant today.
Here is the quote I am talking about:
“He [Goodman, original owner of the company that would become Marvel Comics] devised a simple formula for success: ‘If you get a title that catches on, then add a few more,’ he told Literary Digest, ‘you’re in for a nice profit.’ It was all about staying on top of trends, not providing anything more than disposable literature. ‘Fans,’ he decreed, ‘are not interested in quality.”
Here’s why I bring it up:
It’s very easy to get seduced by following trends, get a shallow grip on one, then become an “expert” and sell it, only to hop to a new trend soon after.
Example:
If you’ve ever seen someone go from being an expert about Facebook one day, to being a storytelling expert the next day, then a manifestation coach the next day, followed by being a crypto currency goo-roo, etc, you’ve seen this business model in action – even if they don’t have the same ruthless nature as the old eBook kings did.
I’m not saying that doesn’t work.
But, it’s not ideal for a long term, solid business model.
Speaking of which:
The June “Email Players” issue is all about the business model I think works much better.
And, can be a lot more rewarding than being yet another former social media coach-turned-crypto expert.
Here’s the link to subscribe:
Ben Settle
I recently shot a video that is mostly intended for people with interest in taking out paid ads in my Email Players newsletter. But, after shooting it, I realized a lot of people can benefit from it.
Especially people who struggle with copywriting.
Or, who just need a wee bit of clarity about what makes great ads “tick.”
Here is the link:
Last month, I was telling “Email Players” subscriber and the “founding father” of internet marketing as we all know it Ken McCarthy about why — barring a death in the family — I refuse to do any plane traveling this year.
There is a burnout aspect to it after the last few years.
But, more than that, I find airports only slightly less depressing than casinos.
Last time I flew (back in October, when speaking at AWAI’s copywriting bootcamp and then the great Brian Kurtz’s master class right after that) it was intolerable.
Not just from the crowds.
But, the utter insanitary conditions of even so-called “clean” airports.
Anyway, Ken’s response (with his permission) is below.
It’s quite the lesson in and of itself for business people:
I’ll tell you, not only are they depressing, they are literally sickening – as are air flights and hotel rooms and restaurant food.
I can drive to Kennedy (LONG but doable) and I’m going to shoot for a place to stay with OPEN windows ideally where I can make some of my own meals.
I always found travel a little rough, but now that I’ve looked into the matter in depth I realize that when we go out into “the world” we might as well be crawling through a sewer.
In terms of toxins that are in the air, in synthetic carpets, chemical cleaners, air “fresheners” that are literally neurotoxins and on and on it goes. It’s quite a lot to process. Human beings aren’t built for it and in takes a toll.
You are right on the money to be living by the ocean and NOT traveling
And I can go into a lot more gruesome detail!
Some people depending on genetics, constitution, overall health – various factors – are a lot more impacted than others, but bottom line all these places – airports, airplanes, hotel rooms are absolutely ghetto-sewer shit.
It’s kind of a joke that we look at them as “luxuries”
This is why I couldn’t stomach being a so-called digital nomad.
I just don’t see what’s so exciting, thrilling, fun, and great about traveling via one petri dish to another full of human stench, terrible hygiene, communicable diseases, boogers, farts, screaming kids, nosey travelers, long lines for terrible food, sticky bathroom floors, and other assorted horrors that airports & hotels offer.
This why I’m far more content being a Baggins than a Took.
Adventures don’t just make one late for dinner.
They can make you toss that dinner, too…
All right, enough warm fuzzy feelings for the traveler’s soul.
It’s not all doom & gloom.
Because if you know what you’re doing, you can use plain, simple emails to make sales anywhere — at home, in an airport unfit for human habitation, or even in a dirty hostel or Airbnb in the middle of nowhere while occupying the house with 5 total strangers all sharing a bar of soap with a pubic hair stuck to it.
To learn how I write such emails, go here:
Ben Settle
An eager-beaver reader asks:
Hey, Ben.
After binge-reading your email newsletter few days ago,
something makes me curious.
You write long story email,
why don’t you write a blog post just like your email
and promote your post through your email newsletter?
The short answer:
I do it the way I do it because I kinda like getting paid.
I find this question fascinating in the same way I would find it fascinating if someone asked me, “Ben how come you don’t use MySpace?” In fact, I thought this silly idea of writing teaser emails to send people to long blog posts which then link to an offer, being better than simply putting the content in the emails with a link directly to an offer died off years ago.
But, apparently not.
About 10 years ago I would sometimes get challenged on this.
And you know what happened?
Every single person I know who tested it found their sales were not just better, but exponentially better… simply putting the content in the email instead of trying to screw around sending them to a blog post to generate comments or for SEO, etc.
That’s not to say not to use blogs.
I certainly do.
But, not when I want to make direct sales, except in rare circumstances.
Anyway, do with this info what you will.
Take it to heart.
Ignore it.
Or even SPURN it, for all I care.
But if you want to see the exact methodology Yours Crotchety uses, go here:
Ben Settle
Instead of writing an email again today, here’s another video. This time, from the pitch darkness in my cave of advertising gloom.
It’s about traffic.
And, specifically, where the best leads are “hiding” — which ain’t Facebook, Google, or any of the usual suspects.
This was originally just going to go to the private list for people interested in paid advertising opportunities in the Email Players newsletter, but, here it is in all its non-glory:
Sometimes your long-suffering servant elBenbo gets accused by the trolls and skeptics of using a bit of “puffery”… as if some of the things I claim about “Email Players” possibly be true, and are maybe even a wee bit exaggerated.
But, if anything, I think I’m holding back.
And, here’s a little venom for those nay-sayers proving why:
Your book “The Email Players Skhema” just detonated in my brain.
I started reading it today after it had been sitting on my desk all week. I got to page 10 and said, I need a fresh notebook to write down all the ideas that are blasting into my mind.
Here’s a sidebar note before I talk about just a few of the ideas that were generated.
Ben, you sometimes talk about Gary Bencivenga and with good reason. Gary is brilliant when it comes to copywriting. One of the best ever and acknowledged as such by the best of the best of his peers. I was at Gary’s once-in-a-lifetime retirement seminar May 20th, 2005, at The St. Regis Hotel in New York City, along with 130 of the most brilliant minds in copywriting, marketing and sales.
In addition to Gary “telling all” about how to become a successful copywriter, he revealed 2 of his “secret weapons” for generating ideas and bullets. Dale Carnegie’s book “How to Win Friends and Influence People” and Frank Bettger’s book “How I Raised Myself from Failure to Success in Selling”.
I have to be honest about this and I want to be perfectly clear!
Your Email Players Skhema book blows to smithereens both books that Gary Bencivenga said were for decades his secret weapons.
Here’s what I got from just the first several pages of your book where you detail your “13 ways to write subject lines that are almost impossible to ignore”.
For the record, I’m a real estate Broker and from the dozens of ideas generated here’s just 3 for subject lines that your book detonated in my brain for me to build an email list of hungry real estate salespeople:
From subject line secret #6 – Your average listing commission 5% – Mine 8.51%
From subject line secret #2 – They just “stole” $3,237.57 from your commissions
From subject line secret #3 – Highest ROI real estate training ever – every $1 brings $6.21I could go on with the ideas generated by your Email Players Skhema book and I’m only up to page 25 of your 135 page book. (Looks like I’ll be staying up most of the night.)
By the way. I’ve read thousands of books on just about every business subject.
My all-time favorite book however is the Bible. Today your Email Players Skhema book just hit #2 on my list. (It won’t go higher!)
Ben, your Email Players Skhema book is “Da Bomb”.
And I’m absolutely looking forward to your April issue of the “Email Players” newsletter!
Ben, you have my permission to use the above in any way your “obnoxiously twisted mind” sees fit.
Vic Pattenaude, Broker
The May issue goes to the printer shortly.
You’ll know if you’re too late because you won’t be able to order at the shopping cart — since it will be turned off.
To get this issue in your hot little claws, go here immediately:
Ben Settle
