Ben Settle

“Ben I never see you at IM seminars, why???”

Internet marketing seminars?

Ugh.

I can think of about a gazillion other places I’d rather be than an Internet marketing seminar. Not saying they are ALL bad by any means. But there are many reasons I’ve never been to one (I might venture forth from my cave in 2012 to attend one, depending on where it’s at…)

The biggest reason is time.

There better be something worth learning to go.

For example:

If Gary Bencivenga ever did another seminar, I would probably hop on a plane and risk getting molested by the TSA to attend.

But these other ones?

Nah, I’ll pass.

The Internet marketing ones are mostly just for networking anyway, from what everyone tells me.

Not much meat on them bones.

And so they don’t hardly seem worth it.

In fact, most of them sound like nothing more or less than Internet marketing “needle exchanges” — where instead of drug addicts swapping dirty needles for clean ones… you got dreamy eyed goo-roo fanboys coming back to exchange the worthless “shiny new object” info they learned at the LAST seminar they attended for all new shiny new object info they think will make them a bajillion dollars.

Alright, that’s it for now.

I may not be big on seminars.

But I AM big on newsletters.

The good ones are like a seminar in an envelope, anyway.

That’s the goal with “Email Players”, at least.

You can get the skinny on it at:

Ben Settle

Sucker! Sucker! Oh, sucker…
Yeah, I am a liar
Yeah I like it…I’ll lie again and again
And I’ll keep lying
I promise

-Henry Rollins
“Liar”

Ever hear “Liar” by Henry Rollins?

It’s about how he purposefully (disturbingly) lies to a woman TRYING to ruin & corrupt her.

No remorse.

No guilt whatsoever.

He LIKES lying

He LAUGHS about it.

And, he LIVES for it.

Anyway, I can’t help but hear that song whenever our presidential candidates yap away.

Like this, for instance:

“And then you meet me
And your whole world changes
Because everything I say is everything
you’ve ever wanted to hear
So you drop all your defenses and
you drop all your fears
And you trust me completely
I’m perfect In every way”

Reminds me of people fainting at Obama rallies…

Or, check this one out:

“I’ll hide behind a smile
And understanding eyes
And I’ll tell you things that you already know
So you can say
I really identify with you”

Ha.

Romney doesn’t do THAT, does he?

He feeeeeeels your pain, right?

What?

You think I’m out of line? That this is THE most important-est election ever? And, the country’s fate lies (ha) in the balance? (Like *every* election… the manipulation the powers-that-be gets away with is astonishing…)

Alright enough.

I can see people angrily hitting reply to this email.

Yes!

Do it!

Write me a 5 page email about how WRONG I am!

Or, I gotta better idea…

Use that energy to write your LIST an email.

To, you know, sell something.

Hey, you can be a sheep or a wolf — the sheep put their faith in politicians, while wolves make their own way. (No matter who’s in the White House or the OUThouse.)

Anyhoo.

Time to take care of bid’niz.

Go here for advanced email training:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Hmmm.

Seems reader Martha wasn’t happy about last week’s FaceBook email:

“And just when i was about to sign up for email players…you let me down Ben”

It’s amusing she thinks I care.

I don’t.

In fact, she’s exactly the kind of person I DON’T want subscribing.

And, have even refused to sell to in the past.

Why?

Well, I’m sure she’s a good enough cat and all.

So it’s nothing personal.

But you don’t read my stuff to get the warm fuzzies from political correctness or to not get anything but my unrepentant opinion. (And, let’s face it, if it’s my opinion, then that makes it a *fact*). What’s funny is virtually everyone agreed with my opinion (i.e. fact) FaceBook is stealing guys’ ballz because they know I’m right about it, and am just one of the few willing to say it.

Whatever the case, I’ve said it before:

I don’t practice “attraction” marketing.

I’m a REPULSION marketing kinda guy.

That means being polarizing.

Saying things that WILL sometimes offend someone. (Hard not to when people are so easily offended today…)

And (gasp!) telling the truth.

That’s just the way I roll, Batman.

In fact, let me be perfectly blunt:

If you want to subscribe, great!

Let’s make lots of $ales together using email.

If you don’t, I couldn’t care less.

So it’s ALL good either way.

The newsletter ain’t everyone’s cup of tea.

And, neither am I.

If you got the right stuff, subscribe here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

A couple years ago I saw a funny cartoon.

Basically, it was from Mr. Subtle — the guy who has designed a few of my book covers — and he was making fun of how copywriters think compared to the rest of the marketing world (specifically, people who actually understand the principles of direct response).

Anyway, it went something like this:

He put up a cartoon image of two human brains.

One of the brains was a copywriter’s brain.

And the other a marketer’s.

Both brains were sectioned, like pie slices, with each “slice” being representative of what’s most important by the size. So, for example, in the copywriter’s brain, it had the copy being a big piece of the marketing pie, while the offer and list were smaller slices.

And the marketer’s brain was the opposite.

His brain showed the offer and list being most important.

(With the copy being much smaller.)

Anyway, kinda funny stuff.

And very true, too.

It’s amusing how many copywriters think they’re little “gods”, responsible for “millions of dollars in sales” when, in reality, their client’s offer, product, list, etc had FAR more to do with all those bags of money than their little lame killer headlines or whatever were.

Not saying copy isn’t important.

But it’s not the sales “panacea” it’s hyped up to be.

This is why I teach both email writing AND marketing in “Email Players”.

The one without the other is like a car without a steering wheel.

(Which is why so many emails crash & *burn*…)

No fluff.

No wasting time with nonsense.

And no messing around.

Just hardcore email info you can use to beef up sales fast.

Subscription info at:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

I don’t hang much on FaceBook.

Sometimes I’m on there for S&G’s or because I want to say something to get a rise out of people for my own amusement. And when I do log in, lately I’ve noticed something kinda… disturbing… inside:

All the constant emotional whining by guys.

It’s no big deal when women do it.

I mean, that’s what women do (they “emote”).

But guys?

You gotta be kidding me.

We’re talking grown men incessantly whining about everything from their jobs and financial problems… to women who have SPURNED them (gee, I wonder why)… to how much they hate Obama or Romney (depending on which brand of kool-aid they drink)… to how everything sucks, life is terrible and the list goes on.

Bitch, bitch, bitch.

Moan, moan, moan.

It’s like put the dress away, dudes.

And sac up, already.

But here’s the million nickel question:

Why is this happening?

What is it about FaceBook that turns men into girls?

I have a theory about that.

And here it is:

Like I said, when women do these things, I don’t really care. Women emote and that’s just how they deal with things. That’s natural and normal. But the problem is, there’s this social theory (that’s eerily accurate) that says you are (more or less) the sum of your 5 closest friends. And since a lot of women hang out on FaceBook emoting all day, these guys can’t help but become more like the females emoting around them.

These dudes probably don’t even realize it.

It just… happens.

So anyway, that’s my theory.

Yes, there’s value in social media.

Or, at the very least, fun.

Just don’t let it turn you into a skirt.

Go here next:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Once in a while… I get stuck for ideas.

Considering how many emails or sales letters or other writings (newsletter issues, books, products, etc) I’m creating at any given time, this can put a serious damper on one’s productivity mojo.

(Especially when writing multiple daily emails…)

So what can you do about this problem?

What I do is, I take long hot showers.

And I kind of just stand there… and think.

What do I think about?

YOU, actually.

Specifically, what things I can write about to help make your emails (and your business) more profitable. Then what happens is, that hot water pouring over my head stimulates the “creative” part of the brain and — BAM! — out pops ideas.

Usually LOTS of ideas.

So MANY I have trouble capturing them all!

(I use a memory technique to do it.)

In fact, wanna know something funny?

I got the idea for THIS email taking a shower yesterday.

Anyway, something to ponder.

Of course, getting ideas is one thing.

Profiting from them is a whole other bag.

So if you want to start turning those ideas into cold, hard cash in your hot little hand (using email) check out the “Email Players” newsletter.

That’s what each issue is about.

Combine what you learn with a hot shower and you’re unbeatable.

Deadline for the next issue is Thursday.

To subscribe in time, go to:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Here’s an interesting question that came in…

“Ben I have heard writers talk about the kinds of music they listen to when writing helping their craft. I am curious what you listen to or if you recommend anything when writing emails and copy???”

This is different for everyone.

My friend Greg Perry (most published computer book author on the planet) says to listen to Baroque music.

(As he says, “if it ain’t Baroque, don’t fix it!”)

Gary Halbert once said that music actually raises your IQ, I think.

Stephen King listens to hard rock.

Some even listen to love ballads (Henry Rollins, I think does this).

Me?

I listen to epic movie scores.

Actually, that’s not true anymore.

At least, not lately.

In fact, for the past few months I have been listening to a very special kind of music (from a very specific band) that has helped my writing at least 10 fold. I know it sounds weird, but after I started listening to this specific band when writing, I noticed writing getting… easier. In other words, my emails got tighter, more interesting, and had more “heart.”

(If you catch my drift…)

One day I finally figured out why:

This band’s lyrics are basically email “templates.”

Yes… you could say this about a lot of bands.

But this particular music is especially worthy of study if you want to write emails that get people to buy your products and services. We’re talking VERY simple lyrics that are also kind of deep, at the same time.

There’s the surface stuff and then there’s the stuff between the lines.

On the surface it gives warnings learned from the writer’s own mistakes, his own flaws, and his own inner demons.

And between the lines, you’re getting ballads of human nature, life and loss.

That get you thinking and, sometimes, even behaving differently.

JUST like a good email.

Hellz, just like ANY good piece of copy.

Who is this band?

And, how can you turn their songs into money in ye olde piggy bank?

The answer is in the November “Email Players” issue.

(Ain’t I a bastard? haha)

Hey, this is powerful stuff.

And my boyz & girlz will have the inside scoop.

It goes to the printer next week.

Subscribe in time here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Below is a note I got from “Email Players” subscriber Jonathan Rivera.

He took my system and has RUN with it.

And thus, he regularly keeps eagerly coming back month after month, and sends me new updated testimonials along the way. In fact, he reminds me each month to send his issue “just in case” so there is no delay.

I have several subscribers who do this.

And, it’s awesome how much success they’re having.

Anyway, below is Jonathan’s latest one:

Yo Mr Settle – what’s up my friend.

I’m sorry I dropped of the grid for a while, but it’s pretty much your fault.

In August I redid my autoresponder for my big ticket subscription product (people pay me $600 per month for 1 year) Instead of the 3 emails I was sending in the first 30 days I opted to put the Settle magic to work and upped the anti – sending 12 emails over thirty days.

The results…

I signed $28,800 in new business that month with a list of less than 40 people!

Wondering what people pay me $600 per month for?

An apartment.

Anyone who thinks this stuff won’t work in their business just needs to figure out how to translate it to what they do.

The point to this email is not to swell your head, but merely to let you know I just sent you $97 for this month’s eMail Players – make sure you send it to me pronto so I can make even more money off what you teach me 😉

Thanks for everything,
JR

Hey, I’m not guaranteeing everyone will make out like bandits.

But mostly, those who don’t aren’t applying the info.

(And will often admit it.)

So let me be crystal clear with your righteous bootay:

“Email Players” is NOT intended for everyone.

Its NOT for “price shoppers.”

And, it’s NOT for people who don’t apply what they learn. (Or who read, nod and go “okay, what else ya got???” before applying the info first.)

I can’t stand people like that.

They suck the life out of you.

And so, I don’t want anything to do with them.

What I want are doers.

Implementers.

And, yes, players.

(Or those who want to be players in business.)

Thus, the name of the newsletter.

Anyway, here’s where to subscribe:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Behold, this note from “Email Players” subscriber Alan Sawyer:

Yo Ben,

Hope you’re good.

Just got this back from some dude:

“I was wondering if you offered any email copywriting services? 
I wanted to get some custom emails written… Let me know.”

I read a little about copywriting, I subscribe to your email players newsletter and I’m a bad student only sending out a couple of emails per week. I shoulda just gone ‘full bore’ and emailed daily. Would probably be a whole lot better at writing copy in general and emails in particular. Anyways, this week I’ve had someone ask me to do a headline for them. And an old employer ask me to write a sales letter for his Carpal Tunnel Syndrome product. And now this dude asking for emails.

More than a co-incidence?

And thanks for the add to the Google group.

My intention was never to be a copywriter. Nor did I think I was anywhere near being able to charge money for it.

But not going to say no to the experience (or the money).

My point… you’re right. This stuff works.

Alan

And another validation my system kicks booTAY.

Ponder this:

A lot of people don’t realize how my way of writing emails not only makes you *instantly* stand out from your lame competition, but would-be clients are attracted to you like a goo-roo to a get-rich-quick scheme.

After all, my methodology makes you unique.

Makes you interesting.

And, makes you valuable.

This is a whole *other* benefit to learning my system.

Anyway, food for thought.

Especially if you are a freelancer.

To subscribe to “Email Players” go to:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle