Ben Settle

Sadly, a great movie director has joined the choir invisible:

Tony Scott.

This dude created one of my all-time favorite movies — Top Gun (from whence this email’s subject line is from). So naturally, I used his death as an “excuse” to re-watch it again (any ol’ excuse will do).

I kinda dig all the “missile lock” scenes.

What’s missile lock?

Missile lock is a guidance system for a missile, where it “locks” on a target and can track that target (and blow it up!)

Kinda reminded me of email marketing.

(Yes, everything reminds me of email marketing…)

Think about this:

It’s not unusual for someone to get on one of my lists.

Read the emails for days or weeks or months.

(Even years, in some cases.)

And then finally (finally!) buy, while taking the time to write me and say “OK Ben, you GOT me! I just bought your XYZ product, blah blah blah”

That’s why I say it’s exactly like missile lock.

My own “e-guidance” tracking system.

When someone joins one of my lists, the very first email starts trying to hone in on their position, looking for “good tone” (as Maverick would say), and, if they are a good prospect and need what I’m selling and it’s the right time and price and offer…

I get missile lock, babycakes!

They can’t shake me.

And they can’t outmaneuver me.

Oh they’ll try.

Especially with the skeptic in their brain warning them to be careful… and the procrastinator in their soul saying they’ll get to it later.

But eventually, they buy.

And their lives improve.

(With the problem they want solved destroyed.)

It just don’t get better than that.

Hey, don’t fret.

You can do the exact same thing.

I’ll show you how, at:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Got this interesting question about timing:

“Ben, I work a full time job, have a family and not a lot of time. I want to get my online business started but I’m thinking I should wait until I can focus on it more so I can make money faster. Thoughts?”

Yeah, I’ll give you my thoughts:

Time is passing anyway, so why wait?

In fact, as a wise Star Trek villain once said…

“Time is the fire in which we burn”

And it’s absolutely true.

Time is like FIRE.

Our lives are a giant forest, and the second we’re born a fire is set to it. During our lives we can do things to FAN those flames (like by not eating right, abusing drugs, etc) and burn the forest down faster.

We can also do things to SLOW it down, too.

But you can’t douse that fire totally.

It ALWAYS burns.

And eventually, ALL our forests burn down.

Maybe that’s hokey, but it’s true.

There is no “right” time.

There’s only TODAY.

Time is passing anyway.

The fire — fast or slow — is burning.

Why put it off?

If you’re marketing online, quit screwing around, start building a list and send it an email every day that sells subscribers a solution to their pains and problems. It’s fast, cheap and (if you do it right) extremely profitable.

So get crackin’ my friend.

Every day you put it off, you rob yourself.

For specialized help, check out “Email Players”.

The next “Email Players” issue is a perfect starting point for beginners in a multitude of ways — both the main content of the issue and also the bonus training that is shipping with it.

Both will help you get started FAST.

And, making sales much quicker.

Subscribe here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Yesterday while walking my dog on the beach, something hit me.

I ain’t talking about seagull poop, neither.

No… I was hit by a realization.

The realization of just how much impact all those years of mindlessly reading comic books had on my business, my marketing and even my income.

Yes… I’ve spaketh of this before.

But here are a few MORE things comic books do for marketers:

1. Make the complex simple

Comic book writers are forced to make complex concepts (like physics, chemistry, psychology, etc) easy for younger minds to grasp.

Sales (and, thus, the writers’ jobs) depend on it.

This skill can’t help but rub off on anyone who’s read a few hundred issues of X-Men, Hulk, Spiderman, etc.

2. Direct response indoctrination

Pre-1990 comics are PACKED with the best direct response ads you’ll ever see.

Those copywriters were sales letter “super heroes” themselves (they probably even wore capes) that made the stoopidest things (X-ray glasses, sea monkeys, glow-in-the-dark neck tie, etc) irresistible.

3. Cross-selling

Those comic book publishers are the best in the world at leaving you on a “cliffhanger” each month so you’re forced to buy multiple other comics to see how the story ends. You may THINK you’re just grabbing an issue of Batman… until you realize you have to buy Superman, Green Lantern, Justice League and a half dozen other titles for the FULL story.

4. Personality

If you want a world-class education on how to inject personality into your writing, just crack open any of the old Stan Lee comics from the ’60’s and ’70’s. There’s a reason HIS characters (Spiderman, Hulk, X-Men, etc) are responsible for raking in billions of dollars in sales.

5. Outside the box thinking

My subconscious is bursting with strange and bizarre ideas from all those comic book stories that I often apply directly to my ads, books, emails and other writings today.

Anyway, those are some reasons marketers should read comic books.

I think you’ll find it extremely profitable reading.

And who knows?

You may even have fun.

Even if it’s on accident…

And BTW, one more thing:

I’m putting a special insert in the next “Email Players” issue that shows another (extremely profitable) secret for making sales I learned directly from my years of buying comic books.

A secret hardly anyone talks about.

Yet, it can INSTANTLY make you more sales.

(The first time you use it.)

I use it ALL the time now.

And people who know it don’t worry about sales.

Here’s where to subscribe in time:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Recently I saw an ad with an amusing headline.

It was from some marketing or copywriting goo-roo (forget which one) and was promising to show people how to use so-called “forbidden” persuasion secrets to sell more products or services.

Forbidden, eh?

Really?

Because I don’t know if I’d brag about that.

I mean, think about it.

The only way that description of a persuasion tactic makes sense is if the product teaches people to defraud customers or break the law.

Then maybe it’d make sense.

After all, there’s nothing “forbidden” about legitimate sales.

There’s nothing “dark artsy” about it, either.

Not if you do it right, at least.

In fact, real selling is the exact opposite:

Totally transparent.

Brutally honest.

And, yes, completely ethical.

I know!

But using terms like “forbidden” sounds sooooo coolio, right?

Hey, do what you want.

But just realize this:

The best customers balk at that sort of thing.

(In MOST markets, at least, there are exceptions…)

So SPURN me at your peril.

Before taking off, one more thing:

The September “Email Players” issue could get me in a bit ‘o trouble. No, there’s nothing “forbidden” inside. But methinks some people (especially women & mothers!) would like to see some of the info inside forbidden.

More:

It’s also a great “jumping on” issue.

Perfect for newbies and seasoned marketers alike.

Anyway, it goes to print in 2 weeks.

Subscribe in time at:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Oscar (NOT his real name) writes:

“I was hoping to receive more tips and free advice. I don’t want to buy anything. I just want to learn from what’s available on the net for free. If I want to pay for anything, I’ll sign up for a course at my community college to learn about copywriting.”

Funny stuff.

But, not all that uncommon.

A lot of people online have this kind of “allergy” to selling.

Yet, how can anyone possibly hope to sell their own products or services… if they shriek like scared little girls when someone sends them a sales pitch?

How can someone be a good seller if they’re not a good buyer?

Answer is you can’t.

At least, not long term.

For example:

How else are you going to know how it feels to stare at an order form, credit card in hand, hearing those two voices in your head — one telling you to buy, the other telling you to put it off until “later”? Seems to me unless you experience that feeling yourself (and often), you won’t know how to silence the “procrastinator” voice and magnify the “buyer” voice in your prospect’s mind.

I kinda feel sorry for Oscar, though.

(Don’t you?)

So, Oscar, here’s some FREE advice for you, amigo:

Quit being such a pussy and READ the sales pitches.

ALL of them —

Good, bad or fugly.

Why?

For one thing, you might learn something.

Heck — you may even want to BUY something.

And when that happens, make sure you keep that ad and dissect it line by line. Figure out exactly what it did to sell you… and then start using it in YOUR ads.

Trust me.

It’ll be one of the best educations you get.

Plus, unlike the community college…

It won’t cost ya a dime.

And hey, who knows?

One day you may even graduate to this:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

More and more, I get variations of this question:

My question is, since your writing emails everyday, and they appear to be up-to date and sent out within a week of when you wrote it (I’ve noticed) do you have emails that are in a email series, or do the same emails never get used again outside of that one day you sent it?

Example:

You send out Email X today, and then Johnny joins your list tomorrow.

Will Johnny ever be sent Email X?

I mean I guess if you writing emails everyday then email series aren’t necessary, but as you obviously know, some people have it set up where when someone joins their list, that new joiner will start recieving emails that were written a long time ago that the email series began with and will never catch up to the emails that early subscribers are getting now.

OK, let me ‘splain this.

The answer is:

It depends!

For example:

My BenSettle.com emails are fresh.

Other than the “welcome” email where I give you the free “Email Players” issue everything else is mailed fresh. Sometimes I may do an “encore presentation” email (where I recycle something I did before) but they are mailed fresh.

I recommend people do this for your “main” thing.

For other projects?

I recommend autorespondering them.

And, I recommend doing it FAST.

I did this for an eBook I sell.

I wrote some 94 emails over a month.

They are now going out daily to new subscribers.

And, that funnel converts like gangbusters.

I do this for another product, too.

And, I’ll soon be adding another to the mix.

Then another.

And another…

Until, one day, I have perhaps dozens of autoresponders with 30-90 days worth of pre-loaded emails going forth and working hard on my behalf, while I continue to write fresh emails for my main deal.

Emails are fun.

But, you don’t spend all your time on them.

(At least in my humble, but accurate, opinion.)

Make sense?

Of course it does.

So sally forth and do ye likewise.

For the “how tos” of writing email check out “Email Players” — where I show you how to write profitable emails fast… and in a way that’s FUN.

Ain’t nothing better.

Unless you (GASP!) h8 making sales.

More info at:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

What’s a Milquetoast Marketer?

Basically, it’s someone who is kinda wimpy in their marketing — always plays everything safe, never tries new ideas, and doesn’t experience the thrill of doing the OPPOSITE of established goo-roo orthodoxy with their silly rules and faux one-size-fits-all split test results.

Here are some “marks” of a Milquetoast Marketer:

• They test “whispers” instead of “screams”

• Are scared to try anything fresh, bold or original — slaves to the idiotic notion that creativity is bad

• Wimpy offers

• Fear of using take away selling (they ooze “neediness”)

• Not being relentless about following up (for “Email Players” subscribers — www.EmailPlayers.com — this ain’t a problem)

• Fear being personal or letting anyone see the “real” them

• And the list goes on…

Look, every market has its token goo-roo, right?

Maybe even several of them.

But what every market does NOT have is someone who breaks off from the bleating pack of follower zombies and shows a little backbone in their marketing.

A little originality.

A little bit of ingenuity.

Instead, all you usually see is a herd of Milquetoast Marketers running lame tests with headline colors.

Afraid to email their lists regularly.

And never get noticed by anyone.

Kinda creepy, IMH (but accurate) O.

Ouch.

Ben Settle

P.S. For more info on avoiding the dreary existence of Milquetoast Marketer-dom, check out:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Gary Halbert in his newsletters used to quote this old saying…

“No good deed goes unpunished!”

Case in point:

I hardly ever respond to email questions (Email Players subscribers being the exception). And if I do, they are addressed publicly as “fodder” for my daily emails so everyone can benefit from them.

But, one time I broke that rule.

And… I was reminded WHY I had the rule in the first place.

Here’s what happened:

I thought it’d be fun to mix it up and answer some of the dozens of questions that can accumulate over a week. Anyway, I answered one dude’s email question about auto-responders and he soon replies back with… a complaint.

Apparently, my “curt” answer bugged him.

Sure, he liked the info.

But he wanted a SALUTATION, dang nab it!

A friendly greeting.

And some fraggin’ “cordiality.”

Amusing, isn’t it?

And kind of useful, too — as it was a solid reminder of the “gimme gimme gimme” mentality created by the Internet Gary Halbert wrote about lo them many years ago, and why I should be trying harder to REPEL such people.

Hey, what can I say?

I see biz lessons in everything.

Even in dorky complaints.

I’m a glass half full kinda guy…

Ben Settle

P.S. Another cool thing that happened is it reminded me just how cool my “Email Players” subscribers are.

They ask great questions.

Are eager to learn and get better at email.

And rapidly apply the info taught.

They don’t whine and complain about info.

They use it.

And they’re a pleasure to deal with.

My kind of people.

To see if you qualify for this exclusive “club”, go to:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Let’s have a bit of fun today.

A few of my recent emails (specifically the ones when I was doing that “Copywriting Grab Bag” birthday sale) have gotten some very interesting feedback.

Some of it good.

Some of it nasty (yeah!)

And some of it… awesome.

Including a couple cool-cat testimonials, like the one from Michael Masterson (who I’ve been a huge fan of for years). And another from copywriter Mary Rose Maguire which was tongue-in-cheek.

But, at the same time, one of my favorites.

She said (in a linkedin group for copywriters):

“I’d run away with him if I wasn’t already married, was 15 years younger, and looked like Scarlett Johansson.”

Ha.

Hey, that’s how it’s done, ladies.

Hope you’re taking notes.

Remember, flattery WILL get you everywhere.

(So will food, gifts and, yes, cash…)

Anyway…

One more thing:

Recently I’ve been getting asked about consulting.

Do I do it?

And, how much does it cost?

The answer is yes.

And the cost is… pricey.

A cool $500 per hour.

But, I daresay it’s worth it.

In fact, Jonathan Rivera told me he did his first $1,000 day after taking the advice I gave him in a recent consulting session.

Not too shabby, eh?

No promises of results for you, of course.

So let’s not get nutzo here.

But, it’s proof I ain’t just whistin’ dixie when consulting.

If you’re interested, email me.

In the meantime, check out:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle