Ben Settle

Guess I’ve been holding out on you:

“Ben, how come you don’t talk about email subject lines very much? I want to know how you come up with subject lines that get opened!”

He’s right!

I haven’t talked about subject lines in ages.

So today I thought it’d be fun to show you some headlines from one of my favorite subject line “field manuals” that can help you create all the subject lines you can eat. Below are a bunch of headlines from my favorite tabloid (“SUN”).

Read ’em.

Swipe ’em.

Profit from ’em…

9 dangerous signs women should never ignore

Diver is almost dinner for giant ocean monster

Monkeys Infect U.S. Lab Techs With New Deadly Virus

Got mold? Some Foods are still safe

Chew your way to a slim figure

Fight over dentures lands dentist in the clink

Dancing for the dead
strippers send loved ones off with a smile

Teen tycoon sells internet biz for $100 million

New cell phone looks good enough to eat

How you can rescue a hypothermia victim

Goliath Was A Midget!
Bible scholar’s shocking claim

5 signs your man needs to see a doctor

Texas man buys $300,000 mansion for just $16
Obscure law lets him move into foreclosed home for pocket change

Four surgeries to avoid at all costs

5 ways to boost your energy — without caffeine

Does Hillary Have A Robot Double?

11 foot python wreaks havoc on farm

Okay, that’ll do it for now.

I get a lots of ideas from SUN, and methinks you will, too.

For advanced email training, zip over to:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

P.S. The next “Email Players” issue is about list building.

After all, if you don’t have a list, then writing great emails is about as helpful as going to a bank you don’t have an account with.

It mails in a couple weeks.

To subscribe go to:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Lately I’ve been studying a true marketing genius:

Barry Maher.

Barry is a world class sales trainer whose clients include everyone from ABC, Capital Cities and the American Management Association… to Fuji Film, the National Lottery of Ireland and Verizon (and a bunch more, but you get the point). He’s also been featured in USA Today, the New York Times, Business Week, Success and the Wall Street Journal.

Anyway, I dig this dood’s style.

Especially his quote:

“Your business is kind of like sex. If you’re not enjoying it, you’re probably not doing it right.”

So true.

So very, Very, VERY true.

ESPECIALLY when it comes to email.

People constantly ask how can I write an email per day? (Actually, I write more than one per day…) My response is always, “dude, how can you NOT write an email per day? Don’t you know how much FUN you’re missing out on?”

I couldn’t do this if it wasn’t fun.

These days I almost HAVE to do it.

It’s fun and even therapeutic.

When I get up in the morning and work on an email (I email multiple lists in multiple niches) before anything else, it’s like eating dessert first. (And, let’s face it, the extra sales are fun and “therapeutic” too…)

But I ain’t the only one who thinks like this.

Many of my students do, too.

They’re thrilled to possess this skill, do it each day and see extra sales (sometimes lots of extra sales) roll in as a result.

Hey, you can do it just as easily as we do.

No natural talent is required.

No long hours needed.

We’re talking 15 (maybe 20 minutes, 30 at the most) per day. It’s one of the things I teach throughout the “Email Players Playbook” — which you get as a gift when you subscribe to “Email Players.”

Yes, the newsletter is expensive.

And no, it’s NOT for everyone.

To decide if it’s right for you, go to:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

P.S. One of my subscribers said the first issue alone will put an extra $500 in his pocket shortly (and much more $$ in the future).

The point?

If you use the info, it should not “cost” you anything.

It should make you a bundle.

Here’s where to go next:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Everyone is so lady ga-ga over video these days.

Even to the point of evangelizing it — “text is dead if you’re not using video then you’re finished, you’ll never last online.” (No joke, I’ve seen people say that.)

But is it true?

Do you HAVE to use video?

Not even close.

And it’s funny that the people who most often parrot the “video is king” advice are people who sell a product or service about video.

Don’t get me wrong…

There’s nothing wrong with using video.

Frankly, I should do more of it.

And it CAN make you lots more of the green stuff.

But here’s something to consider:

Recently I was talking with my pal Jim Yaghi about email marketing (he’s one of my recent “disciples” on the subject — I now have him emailing DAILY and he’s making lots more $$ as a result, just thought I’d throw that in…)

Anyway, he lives in Jordan.

And he was telling me he can’t even watch a lot of videos.

Why?

Because he says they have a limit on monthly bandwidth where you cannot buy all you want like here in the US. A lot of countries do this, too, I’m told. And that being the case… you think they’re gonna screw around watching your big ol video pitch with the “bouncing ball” where you follow along word by word as they read their pitch into a screencast?

Probably they would if they could.

But many people can’t.

Only so many “bytes” are allowed per month.

Thus, potential sales are lost.

Does this mean you should not use video?

Not at all!

Use it!

It can make you a lot more sales in some cases. But don’t forget all the customers who WOULD have bought had they seen your story/product/offer if they COULD watch video, but can’t due to limitations beyond their control.

Just another reason to use email.

Even a LONG email is only a few “bytes.”

Easily read anywhere.

On any connection.

And on any device.

For more on email, check out:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Oh how people stress over writing emails.

I know one bloke who says he WANTS to write more emails (he knows full well how much of the green stuff it will make him if he mails regularly) but he gets hung up on getting it perfect.

He spends HOURS on one email.

Obsesses over every word in his subject line.

And yet, he’s lucky to get one email out per week.

(Usually, it’s one every two weeks…)

It’s nutzo.

He makes money every time he sends an email, but only mails once every couple weeks?

What’s wrong with this picture?

But he ain’t the only one doing this.

If you’re in his shoes where you want to start making more smackola with emails then realize this: It’s better to mail out daily “B” emails (even “C” emails!) than it is to sit and try to write a perfect email and get nothing out.

Hey, I’ve written thousands of emails.

Made clients boatloads of sales.

Done pretty good for my own products, too.

But you know what?

Even I can’t profit from unsent emails.

(Shocking, eh?)

If you need help writing emails check out “Email Players.”

It’s NOT for the timid.

(i.e. 99% of Internet marketers.)

But the “Email Players Playbook” (you get free upon subscribing) ALONE is already helping people make more sales.

The details are at:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Lots of people complain about “info overload.”

And really, I don’t have much patience for it.

This is why the “Email Players” sales letter — www.EmailPlayers.com — makes it abundantly clear that people who buy everything and never actually USE the info (and just whine like mules about “info overload”) are not welcome.

For one thing, they’re buying into a myth.

What do I mean?

Well, people who actively build their business don’t get info overload. If you’re implementing info that’s making you money then chances are you’re not overloaded with info… you’re UNDERloaded with it. It’s like pay-per-click… when you get an ad that makes a profit you don’t complain about spending too much, if anything you complain because you can’t spend more!

And so it is with good information.

If you use it, it can make you money.

If it sits on a shelf, it won’t make jack.

That’s why it’s easy to tell who’s serious and who’s not.

Serious people WELCOME good info.

Non-serious people complain about it.

It’s hard for me to understand people like that.

But there it is…

Ben Settle

P.S. The first “Email Players” newsletter goes to the printer tomorrow. If you want in before it ships, subscribe today while there’s still time:

www.EmailPlayers.com

(It’s PACKED with info, if that’s a problem, don’t bother…)

Couple weeks ago I wrote an email titled:

“Curing Email Anorexia”

Definitely one of my better emails.

And the large number of people who responded (by joining the Email Players launch notification list) is proof of how effective it was.

But, not everyone liked it.

Some people were even flat out offended!

In fact, one person said she was about to subscribe to my emails but stopped after seeing it on my blog. She said it was a poor analogy, that it’s wrong to compare an actual disorder, disease, or anything of the sort to your business and that you don’t see other professionals doing it.

Yowza!

Is she right?

Could she have a point?

Well, I can kinda see why someone might think that.

But she’s wrong.

In fact, as far as other professionals go… the idea for that email was inspired by a series of mainstream news releases about “success anorexia.” And besides that, diseases make GREAT analogies. They are 100% clear, get the point across and the only people who get offended are those LOOKING to be offended.

I’ll use myself as an example.

I almost died of asthma as a kid.

So it’s not exactly a joking matter for me.

Yet, I’ve seen people use asthma analogies for business.

(I’ve even used it myself.)

It’s not offensive — it’s CLEAR.

And the truth is, if you do emails right you’re going to offend people. There are always people looking to be offended and you WILL perk up their antennas.

But who cares?

Let them be offended.

Chances are you did something right…

Ben Settle

P.S. Here’s where to subscribe to “Email Players”:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Happy Monday!

What — Monday’s suck for you?

Then maybe this will help (even just a tiny bit)…

Last week amidst all the hustle and the bustle of the Email Players launch, I put up a brand new page of email marketing training. It’s all free — and they are in the form of radio interviews and podcasts (including my recent appearance in Ken McCarthy’s prestigious “System Club”).

No opt in required.

No effort needed.

It’s all waiting patiently for you at:

www.BenSettle.com/media

Ben Settle

A few years ago I had a huge “ah ha!” moment that forever changed the way I write ads, emails and other marketing documents.

It was a rather brutal time in my career.

And I couldn’t afford to fail.

(I was in a terrible financial bind…)

Anyway, what happened was, I had spent two months writing a very ambitious ad for a high-end product (I was getting pure commission on, no upfront fee) I knew would make a ton of $$ if I got it right… but goose eggs if I got it wrong.

I busted my hump on this ad, too.

And put everything I had in to it.

But when I finished… something was “off.”

I couldn’t put my finger on what, exactly.

But something was rotten in Denmark.

Luckily, a copywriter friend of mine at the time (a “world class” copywriter ) offered to look at it for me. And it turned out that even though I had everything “right” in the ad…the headline, the bullets, the offer, etc…there was a huge, glaring problem that would have KILLED response. Long story short… I made one small change to the copy (that took less than 5 minutes) and that ad ended up earning me close to $30,000 in commissions over the next few years before it ran its course.

Not too shabby, eh?

But… what was the problem in the ad?

And how did I fix it?

Actually, it doesn’t matter.

You see, the “magic” wasn’t in the change I made.

It was in having a savvy copywriter who was totally unattached emotionally and financially to what I was doing look at the ad and help me “see the forest through the trees.”

And you know what?

That ONE thing made all the difference.

And, it’s made a difference in every OTHER ad and email I’ve written since then. In fact, if he hadn’t shown me my error, I would have kept repeating it over and over again… choking my response each time.

Anyway, why am I telling you this story?

Why should you care?

Because this is a perfect example of how valuable it can be to have someone looking over your emails before you send them. It can be the difference between zero sales and tens of thousands of smackola in sales.

And you know what?

This is one big reason to subscribe to “Email Players”.

You see, one of the “perks” of joining is you can send me one email per month for review, and I’ll examine it line-by-line and help you fix ‘er up.

I did this for a friend’s emails recently (for his product launch).

Here’s what he told me:

“when you consider that even though i have a 5000 list, and only ever get 200 or so opens, i think i’m converting around 30% lol. this is awesome. thank you for everything you’ve helped with. i’ve also had a lot of good reviews about my emails from people.”

Not too shabby, eh?

Can’t make you any specific promises, of course.

But this is not uncommon.

And it’s why I’d charge $250 per critique normally, but “Email Players” subscribers get one free per month. (Kinda like finding $250 stuck inside each issue…)

The special discount ends tomorrow.

Subscribe today at:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Yahtzee!

The subject line of this email is also the title of the first issue you’ll get of “Email Players.”

No, it’s not about kinky sex stuff.

Or even anything “risque.”

But it does contain something I’ve found to be extremely powerful when it comes to email marketing that hardly anyone really does (and, at the same time, I was forced to reveal something kinda personal about myself I probably shouldn’t, oh well…). Whatever the case, it can make you stick out like a great shining beacon of grooviness in your prospects’ inbox.

And put some coinage in your pocket to boot.

Plus, if you subscribe today, you can still get in at a discount.

Click this link for the next step:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

P.S. Oh one more thing…

Someone asked if the first issue I’m sending is the same as the free PDF I give away when opting in to this site.

The answer is nopers.

It starts with issue #2 — nobody’s seen it yet.

Here’s where to get it:

www.EmailPlayers.com