Ben Settle

So last week I gave away a free kindle book.

It was about email marketing.

And I believe it can help almost anyone with their emails. (Assuming it’s applied… I can guarantee it won’t do anyone any good if it’s never used and just collects digital dust…)

But, as usual, someone found a reason to complain.

Check out this zinger:

“Ben just a week ago you wrote an email talking about why it’s immoral to give your best information away free. Sounds hypocritical!”

Indeed it does sound that way.

But, as usual, the naysayer is wrong.

Giving that Kindle book away was not hypocritical.

It was smart.

And, it will likely bring me MORE sales later.

How?

Couple reasons:

1. That book is FAR from my “best info”

It’s just a small (very small) “taste” of the real food I have sizzling in my Email Players newsletter frying pan.

2. Kindle rankings

It gave a nice boost to my Kindle rankings.

And, it got a lot of great reviews, too.

Both of which will (over time) bring more website visitors… result in more “Email Players” subscribers… and further help brand me as “the man” when it comes to email marketing (not that there was ANY doubt about that already… HA)

Look, nothing I do is on accident.

I often plan things out 4-5 moves in advance.

In fact, one of my friends was joking how I have the mind of a super villain — and am just one bad childhood away from being a ruthless dictator bent on world domination!

Muhahahaha!!

(I’ll get to that eventually, I’m pacing myself…)

The point?

Ain’t nothing ’round here is done willy-nilly.

It’s all about strategy, my friend.

Have a plan.

Execute it.

And you’re already WAY ahead of the pack.

Here’s where to go next:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Holy shnikes I love the tabloid “SUN”.

It’s just a BUFFET of bizarre and whacky stories, ideas and email “fodder” — especially for subject lines and themes.

Here are some of the latest issues’ headlines:

PIG-ZILLA!
Redneck Kills 1200 lb Mutant Porker

“Forbidden” Foods You SHOULD Eat!

Psychic Spies Are Watching You!
… warn gov’t insiders

RFK Feared Acid Attack By Angry Mobsters

Cops say murder plot was designed to make them think…THE CAT DID IT!

Airless Tires Never Go Flat!

“Zombie Doctor” Became Master Of Mind Control

Nightmare Demon Came Alive In Our Bedroom
scientists believe strange being used wormhole to travel millions of miles

Iran Bans Barbie Dolls!
“more dangerous than an American missile”

Nearsighted Fisherman Finds Lost Glasses — Inside His Catch!

Tiny Prosecutor Stands Tall Against Crooks!

Doctor Explains How To Have A Face-Life Without Plastic Surgery!

And the list goes on…

Gotta love Sun — it’s ALWAYS good for email ideas.

And speaking of which:

Don’t forget, I’m giving away a free email book.

It’s on Kindle.

And it’s free for the next few days.

Here’s the link:

http://amzn.to/AyHkzQ

Whoever leaves the most interesting review gets a free issue of “Email Players”. ($97 retail, babycakes)

See you tomorrow…

Ben Settle

P.S. Hey!

Didn’t I just poo-poo on PS’s yesterday?

Well, this… fits.

One thing I want to add is there are some countries who apparently can’t download Kindle books. However, if the above link doesn’t work, try this amazon UK link instead and see what happens:

http://amzn.to/Ak9rqp

I used to think the “PS” was super important.

And I still think it is in direct mail.

But in email?

Not so much.

In fact, (depending on what market you’re selling in) I suspect people mostly ignore PS’s in emails because they know a sales pitch is coming. (Not saying to never use them, of course, just understand the reality of the situation.) Which is why I kinda did you a disservice in yesterday’s email. Because, in the second PS (ugh – TWO PS’s!), I made an announcement a lot of my readers will probably want to know about.

Specifically, about a free email marketing book I’m giving away.

Anyway, here’s what it said:

Before last July (2011) I used to give away (as an opt in gift) a report with 10 uber-profitable email secrets I use all the time.

That report has helped a LOT of people, too.

But, I no longer give it away.

Instead I now sell it on Kindle.

Except this week.

This week you can download it free on Kindle.

Plus, I’m giving away a free month of my “Email Players” newsletter to whoever gives the most interesting review (should you decide to leave a review for it).

If you’re interested, here’s the linkage:

http://amzn.to/AyHkzQ

This is good for a few days longer.

After that, it ain’t free.

Laters.

Ben Settle

Last year I was driving down the hellways of California and a song came on the radio by George Thorogood called…

“I Drink Alone”

The song is about… why he drinks alone.

And how, when he drinks alone, he prefers to be by himself.

I can kinda relate.

No… I don’t sit around drinking all day. But I do understand wanting to be alone and shutting the rest of the world out when taking care of business.

Maybe it’s my introverted ways.

Or that most people simply annoy me.

Yes, I realize many can’t understand this.

A lot of entrepreneurs need constant human interaction.

Like going to seminars.

Networking with the locals.

And attending various events.

Me?

I AVOID such things like the zombie apocalypse plague.

I always turn down speaking invitations.

Have no desire to fly anywhere.

And even last year, when I was invited to an event in Las Vegas to be put up in my own suite in one of the top hotels on the strip… the request was received…

… processed…

… and denied!

This annoyed clients sometimes (when I did client work).

Confuses my friends.

And drives extroverts crazy.

But that’s just the way I roll.

I drink alone.

Ben Settle

P.S. That said, I will probably venture out of my “lair” soon and attend an event in 2012.

If I can find something in driving distance, at least.

We’ll see…

P.P.S. I’m not sure there was even a point to this email.

If you read this far, I suspect you’re either REALLY bored… or one of the 25% of the population who are introverts — 25% of the general population, but 100% of the GIFTED population.

Either way, I want to make it worth your while:

I’m giving away a free email marketing book on Kindle.

Check this out:

Before last July (2011) I used to give away (as an opt in gift) a report with 10 uber-profitable email secrets I use all the time.

That report has helped a LOT of people, too.

But, I no longer give it away.

Instead I now sell it on Kindle.

Except this week.

This week you can download it free on Kindle.

Plus, I’m giving away a free month of my “Email Players” newsletter to whoever gives the most interesting review (should you decide to leave a review for it).

If you’re interested, here’s the linkage:

http://amzn.to/AyHkzQ

Sad announcement:

Copywriter John Ritz passed away.

I barely knew him (we’d exchanged a few emails over the years, always wanted to JV with him, but never did). He also once interviewed David Garfinkel several years ago and I got it as a free bonus for buying one of John’s products.

That interview changed the way I write copy.

And, it had a HUGE impact on my response.

How?

It got me thinking about the market, and not the “writing.”

It’s ALL about the market, babycakes.

Writing is secondary at best.

And the interview pounded that into my skull.

Hey, that may seem small.

Maybe even disappointing.

(Not a “ninja” copywriting trick…)

But it will radically change your response.

And now, I pass that info on to you.

Use it and profit from it.

John would probably have it no other way…

Ben Settle

No, no, no…

I’m not talking about THAT.

(Get your mind out of the gutter…)

Listen:

One of the best success quotes I’ve ever heard is from pro quarterback (and NFL Hall-Of-Famer) Steve Young when he said:

“The principle is competing against yourself. It’s about self improvement, about being better than you were the day before.”

Oh yeah, baby!

That quote is solid gold.

When you compete against yourself… ignore what everyone else is doing… and instead keep trying to only beat your own “records”… how can you possibly lose?

You can’t.

It’s impossible.

You can ONLY get better and more successful.

I’ve been applying this daily for 10 years and I can tell you, there is NO better way to master and excel at what you do than by striving to always do better than your last best accomplishment.

To play the game better than you did before.

And to strive to do even BETTER the next time.

The philosophy works, mi amigo.

But, you know what?

As good as this works…

There’s also a time to do the exact polar OPPOSITE — and play the game against others.

Look, none of my colleagues knows this.

(Guess they will now…)

But I’ve spent the past few years “competing” (silently, in my mind) with many of them.

Not in a “I hope they lose!” kinda way.

But in a “how can I outdo what they just did?” way.

For example:

I’d see a sales letter someone in one of my mastermind groups wrote, and think, “that’s fraggin’ brilliant — I gotta step up my game!”

And it’d motivate me.

Push me to work harder.

Dig deeper into my market and product.

And result in nothing by my BEST effort.

(Even if I could “get away” with dogging it…)

It doesn’t take long of doing that to get good (really good!) at what you do and start sticking out from the bleating herd of wannabes.

Anyway, something to think about.

Have yourself a great weekend.

And don’t forget to check out:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Hey, so this won’t apply to everyone.

Just a select few.

And even for them, it may be a stretch.

We’ll see.

Anyway, here’s the scoop:

Over the past year I’ve gotten a spattering of questions about whether or not I do “corporate” email training — i.e. do I ever train other companies (who have big and solid lists but, small and saggy response) and their employees how to write emails the “Settle Way”, up close and personal.

Either “in house” training, or done virtually.

I’ve gotten this question enough where I can’t ignore it.

(Including once by a $100+ million per year business…)

At first, I found these requests flattering.

But, I just didn’t have any interest.

Just having too much fun working on my own projects.

Hey, what can I say?

Ben likey’s his freedom.

But lately, I’ve been having second thoughts.

The idea of increasing some underachieving business’s sales by tens of thousands (even hundreds of thousands if their list and product are right) of smackeroos in sales kinda excites me.

(The bragging rights alone would be worth it…)

So I’m really digging the idea.

But first, I want to see if anyone of my readers are interested.

Do you have a list of at least 50k?

Are you struggling to convert them?

Do you want me to PERSONALLY teach you and/or your employees how to hammer out emails that pull in as much as double (or more) the sales you’re doing now, every time you push that beautiful, shiny, “candy like” send button?

Then let me know.

For now, I’m just gauging interest.

So no need to ask about price or fees.

In fact, if you have to ask, it’s too expensive — like everything I sell, this ain’t for price shoppers, it’s for profit shoppers.

So yes, it will be expensive.

(Though not NEARLY as expensive as all those lost sales…)

Anyway, if you’re interested, email me through this link:

www.BenSettle.com/blog/contact

If this gets enough interest, I’ll run with it.

Next time:

Something else…

Ben Settle

Everyone’s so paranoid about selling.

“Oh I don’t want to come off as just a ‘sales man'”

And yet hordes of frustrated Internet marketers spend their days giving away all kinds of great free information to their lists only to discover either nobody buys, or (worse!) people are taking their free information but then buying from their competition.

So much for “moving the free line”, eh?

Why does this happen?

Lots of reasons!

The biggest being nobody values “free.”

Sure, getting free stuff is nice and all.

But when you want brain surgery, are you gonna opt for Dr. Snaggletooth at the free hippie clinic… or find the BEST and (dare I say it?) most expensive surgeon you can find?

More:

There’s a moral reason to start selling.

A reason nobody ever thinks about:

People are going to buy eventually.

That’s what people do.

They spend money.

Most people piss their money away into a black hole and cannot tell you where that money went.

But spend their money they will.

And the only question is this:

Will they spend it on YOUR product?

Or your competitor’s?

If you KNOW your product is high quality… and if KNOW it’ll really help someone suffering from whatever problem it is your product solves… isn’t it your MORAL & ETHICAL duty to make sure they get their hot little hands on your product?

OK, ’nuff said.

So quit with this moving the free line bid’niz.

Sac up and learn to sell.

Your bank account will thank you.

(Your customers will, too!)

And speaking of which…

The March “Email Players” issue shows you how to write emails that look and FEEL like free information, but are really selling.

This is the essence of great email.

And hardly anyone does it right.

But you will.

Well, that is, if you subscribe in time.

It goes to the printer Thursday.

Here’s where to join:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Hey, so this should rile up the goo-roo fanboys…

Check this out:

I’m going to do an unusual test on my capture pages this week I anticipate will drive up my opt-ins quite a bit over time.

What makes it unusual?

Because this test involves LEAVING the losing pages up!

Yes, mi amigo, you read that right.

I learned it from my computer scientist pal.

(The one I’ve been telling you about lately.)

He LAUGHS at traditional split testing.

In fact, here’s how he put it:

“A lot of gurus who talk about their split tests, it is parroting in the first place because someone else told them they ought to be split testing. They don’t really split test. They run one test once and then they go, ‘We tested…and this big yellow frickin’ button is the best-performing button out of all the buttons we tested.’ The reality is they don’t even understand the basic thing about the way they’re measuring the split test. They don’t understand the statistics behind it. They don’t have any proper grasp of the scientific rigor that would go into an actual real scientific experiment, the procedure you go through to make sure that when you come to a conclusion, this really is correct, not just some radical guesswork that you justify.”

Amusing, isn’t it?

But don’t let his science talk scare you.

The method he DOES use is actually easier in many ways than the split testing everyone else does.

Perfect for newbies and luddites alike.

And it’s great for both squeeze and sales pages.

Want to learn it?

Then get ye bootyus on the “Email Players” list.

The above is an excerpt from the March issue’s bonus interview transcript with that computer scientist, and he goes into detail about how to do a proper online test.

(And it ain’t hard at all.)

But time is short, mi amigo.

No dawdling allowed.

This bad-boy goes to the printer in a couple days.

If you want it in time, hurry.

Subscribe at this link:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle