Ben Settle

Here’s a zinger of a subscriber comment…

“Ben I’ve tried to connect with you on various social media sites and noticed you take a very long time to befriend me back and don’t follow very many people on Twitter. No offense but you’re kind of a narcissist on social media, that’s my friendly opinion 🙂 “

Agreed.

But don’t take it personally.

It’s not you, it really IS me.

You see, a little while back one of my friends urged me to take one of those personality tests just for S&G’s and turns out I’m a dyed-in-the-wool “INTJ.”

Some people had been telling me this for years.

(Guess they were right…)

I’ve heard we’re what the scary villians in movies are based on.

Detached.

Aloof.

Always living inside our own minds.

In fact, most Hollywood stories do evolve around an evil villain (INTJ) threatening the old order, so a nice guy comes around to save it, then everyone is happy again to preserve the precious “status quo” which my brood tends to despise.

We can’t be bothered by social pleasantries, either.

Not enough time.

(We got a world to conquer, after all…)

Seriously, though — we’re the kind of people who are FAR more interested in the endless string of random problems/solutions/experiments/questions circulating around in our brains at any given time than making “small talk” on FaceBook or Twitter or whatever. (It’s like Ralphie in “A Christmas Story” when he’s waiting to see Santa, his mind intensely focused on asking for the Red Ryder BB gun and his response to the girl hitting on him in line is… “leave me alone, I’m… thinking…” haha)

I suppose this carries over to social media, too.

Frankly, I find a lot of it amusing.

Especially the social media goo-roos with 900 photos of themselves, with 350 videos, etc, constantly prattling on about their feelings and being “social”, blah blah blah

Hey, we ALL have annoying faults.

So let me make mine abundantly clear:

I’m not social.

I’m quite antisocial.

Which is probably why I prefer Twitter — since it’s only 140 characters and it forces us all to get to the point, with less noise.

So that’s the deal.

Never take my social media aloofness personal.

If anything, it’s all in my head…

Ben Settle

P.S. I also happen to think INTJ’s make the best email marketers, too.

I’ll explain why some day.

But first, head on over to…

www.EmailPlayers.com

So I’ve been studying an “old school” sales master.

His name is Stan Billue.

Specifically, I’ve been listening to his course about selling by phone and it’s fascinating how many phone selling principles apply to email marketing. But one thing that stood out like a fart in study hall is when he cited statistics about how most people (I think 95%) who buy a product on any given day, did NOT wake up that morning planning to buy anything.

What does that mean for us?

Two things:

First, the low-hanging fruit is only 5% of your market.

The real $$ is higher up the tree.

And secondly?

Frequent contact wins the day.

Don’t know about you, but just knowing 95% of people who buy today did not wake up planning to buy anything (but will if the right offer comes by) has my heart a-tingle!

It means you have no real competition.

At least, if you’re mailing daily.

“But Ben, I don’t have the time!”

You don’t got 15 minutes per day?

I know people who whine about time while spending hours on FaceBook or Twitter. Yet somehow, when it comes to, you know, doing real work that’ll make sales (and not just friends), they can’t find 15 minutes?

No wonder so many struggle online.

Oh well.

Good for the rest of us, I suppose.

Ciao.

Ben Settle

P.S. “Email Players” subscribers get a book (called “The Email Player’s Cookbook”) with an appendix where I walk you through a 30-day calendar of exactly what kind of email to write on which day — along with explanation and an example of each email.

So, so simple…

To subscribe at a discount during the launch go to:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Lately, I’ve been getting asked about the difference between “The Crypto Marketing Newsletter” and “Email Players”.

Which should you join?

Which is better?

Methinks it’s time to ‘splain.

It breaks down like this:

Email Players is about… email.

And ONLY email.

Email is by FAR the most valuable skill I know.

I’ll take the Pepsi challenge against any other online skill (traffic, copywriting, whatever) with email any day of the week and twice on Sunday.

This is just my opinion.

But to me there’s no comparison.

Frankly, if you know how to do email (the way I teach, at least) you may not even have to concern yourself too much about having a “killer” sales letter since the emails do most of the heavy lifting for you.

Lately, I can’t even beat my own controls due to email.

Not saying it’ll be like that for you, necessarily.

But that’s been my experience.

In fact, I have an auto-responder and sales letter up for a niche product right. The sales letter gets, maybe, 2% conversion. But when they hop on the list almost 19% of them convert.

Quite a difference, isn’t it?

More:

“Email Players” teaches a rare, specialized skill.

“The Crypto Marketing Newsletter” is generalized.

Yes, Crypto is extremely valuable.

No doubt about it.

But it’s like the difference between a great doctor who’s a general practicer vs a great doctor who’s also a brain surgeon. If you don’t need brain surgery, you go to the general guy. But if you do need it… to the brain surgeon ye go.

And so it is with these newsletters.

To learn a premium skill like email, go with “Email Players”.

Otherwise, Crypto is cool.

Anyway, that’s that.

More “Email Players” info at:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Gushing copywriting fanboys amuse me.

All too often I get emails from new copywriters & marketers fresh off the turnip truck telling me about their big swipe file full of sales letters from the big goo-roos they admire.

And when I see the links, I often say the same thing:

“Dude, are you crazy?”

And not in a good way, neither.

It’s incredible how many goo-roos get credit for being “world class copywriters” when, in many cases, I know for a fact those same goo-roos can’t write their way out of a paper bag. (I have written ads for some of them, or know the copywriters who did…)

Don’t get me wrong.

I’m not saying this is always the case.

Some of the marketers that people ask me about are truly great copywriters too, and I’m the first to say, “yes! study that guy’s stuff!”

But I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again:

Do NOT swipe big launch sales letters.

Even when the copywriter knows what they’re doing there’s a good chance some “committee” changed a bunch of it (not for the better, either) and it does not resemble what the copywriter (who probably did a bang up job) created.

The moral of the story?

Brilliant marketer rarely = brilliant copywriter.

Usually it’s the opposite.

So be careful who you study…

Ben Settle

P.S. If you’re interested in subscribing to the upcoming Email Players newsletter but have not yet checked out the FAQ’s go to:

It launches on the 18th.

And no, I would not recommend swiping the ad…

Check ye out this oft-asked question:

“What’s the BEST emotion to sell to with emails?”

If I had a nickel every time I saw that question bandied about online I could pretty much hang up my keyboard and retire. The answers are all over the map, too. Some say it’s self interest. Some say love. Others insist it’s fear. Or the so-called “7 deadly sins” and so on, and so forth.

Know what I think?

They’re ALL wrong!

Yep.

Every single one of them.

I can only go by personal experience, of course. But after writing thousands of emails over the past few years and so many sales letters I’ve lost count… I can tell you my biggest successes did not revolve around the above emotions.

No, it was a FAR more powerful one.

One that’s completely ethical to appeal to, and non-manipulative. In fact, it’s even kind of fun to use (since few people really know how to appeal to it.)

What emotion doth I speaketh of?

Belief.

Betcha didn’t even know that was an emotion, did ya?

Well it is.

And it’s an extremely strong emotion, too. If your prospects believe what you’re saying, then the sale is almost as good as made (assuming you are making a claim they care about).

It’s ALL about belief, boss.

If they don’t believe, they don’t buy.

If they do believe, they do buy.

Pretty interesting stuff.

There’s an entire art and science to building an email or ad oozing with belief. And in the issues of my upcoming “Email Players” newsletter, I’ll be talking about this very topic.

This puppy launches in a few weeks.

To get the full scoop go to:

Ben Settle

Been noticing something funny about TV commercials.

I don’t know if this happens all the time or not (since I rarely watch TV — and prefer watching my favorite shows on DVD or NetFlix) but some of the commercials are significantly louder than the actual program.

So much so you have to turn the TV down!

Advertisers probably think they get more attention that way.

Oh, they get attention alright.

But not the kind they probably want.

Because all it really does is make me (and I know I’m not alone with this) want to get up and take a bathroom break during the commercials.

We have a bit of this online, too.

Everyone’s screaming for attention.

And instead of doing their homework and working on the right offer… they simply crank up the hype and crazy claims and lame offers they see their favorite goo-roos using.

The result?

People leave their lists.

Ignore their pitches.

And (figuratively) leave the room to take a leak instead.

Hey, maybe that’s crude.

But the truth usually is…

Ben Settle

P.S. If you want to instantly stick out in the inbox, then simply master the art and science of writing profitable emails. If you are copying most goo-roos out there (who churn and burn through massive lists, and do not even attempt to establish a relationship with their subscribers) then you’re probably making a mere fraction of the response you COULD be getting.

“Email Players” can change that.

It launches in about 3 weeks.

And early bird subscribers are in at a discount.

Read the FAQ’s at this link for details:

First things first…

I wanted to thank everyone who donated to my 2nd cousin’s eye surgery fund in exchange for getting the older Street-Smart Email course at half off.

It made a HUGE difference.

Plus, something else happened:

The experience also taught me a big lesson.

And that is, the REAL level of skepticism online.

Yes, even on my own list.

And yes, even with people who “know” me.

(Well, as much as you can know me via email each day…)

A few people emailed about the offer and asked if it was for real. Was the offer just a gimmick? Was I being genuine or was I “up to something?”

Can’t say I was shocked.

Skepticism is growing bigger every day.

(With good reason!)

In fact last year I sent a bonus (free) Crypto Marketing Newsletter issue to everyone on my buyers list of all my products. And even though it was free, one person sent the issue back unopened (stuffed in another envelope) with a note saying “don’t charge my card, I’m not a subscriber…”

Does his skepticism sound a bit extreme?

I don’t think so.

I can’t even blame the guy.

It’s a “survival mechanism.”

I mean, let’s face it… a lot of people really ARE pulling fast ones and using tricks and shady deals to make an extra buck. And it only gets worse as the economy gets deeper into trouble.

Even lots of social proof is no longer enough.

Now you need “skeptical proof”, too.

All the more reason to write regular emails.

No, it’s not a guarantee of anything.

But it’s a good start…

Ben Settle

P.S. This is a topic I’m going to have to address eventually (selling to skeptics) in Email Players. To get on the “early bird” discount list, go to:

Be sure to read the FAQ’s.

I made some updates recently…

I’ve mentioned “Hardcore Pawn” before.

How it’s a great TV show and contains many lessons anyone in business can use to bring in more sales and have more success. And this is especially true if you’re an email marketer or copywriter and need a constant flow of ideas.

How so?

Because one of those lessons is —

The importance of “shallow” knowledge.

For example:

In one of the episodes Les (the owner of the pawn shop the show is about) is talking about how, as a pawn shop owner, he has to know a little bit about a lot of things, instead of needing to know a lot about a few things (unlike most other businesses).

That way he can get the best deals.

And, he can call BS when lied to about an object’s value.

A very important tool to have.

And it’s the same with email.

As an email marketer (and this is double dawg important if you write emails for clients) you are usually better off knowing a little bit about a lot of things (even dumb, stoopid things which often make the best email “fodder”) instead of a lot about a few things.

So just thought I’d pass that on to you.

Do with it what you must.

In the meantime, long live Hardcore Pawn.

Watch it.

Learn from it.

Profit with it…

Ben Settle

P.S. I finally nailed down an “Email Players” launch date. It’s going to officially launch on Thursday, August 18th. If you subscribe between then and Sunday, August 21st, you’ll be able to subscribe at a discount ($77 per month instead of $97 per month).

More details are at:

Last month one of my friends emailed me a pitch a goo-roo sent him about some kind of email marketing course.

I read the email.

Then I read the pitch for it.

My conclusion:

The goo-roo selling it has no clue what he talketh about.

Here’s a hint:

If someone is selling you an email course or eBook or product promising you crazy get-rich-quick claims like “make $1,000 per day!” or “How I made a gazillon dollars with ONE email that took me 3 minutes to write!!!” it’s probably bullshizit.

Or, at least, they’re not giving you the full story.

Email by itself won’t do jack for you.

You need a list, first.

And you need a product people want.

You also need the dogged determination to keep mailing regularly (I prefer daily) day in and day out — even when you don’t feel like it or can’t think up something to say.

That’s my opinion, anyway.

Hey, sample the other cuisines out there if you must.

Some of my email students have “cheated” on me with other products.

But they ALWAYS come back home to daddy.

Because I don’t deal in nonsense.

And when you want the blunt truth (and not just pie-in-the-sky goo-roo babble and regurgitated material goo-roo fanboys learn and then re-teach without actually using themselves)… and to build a solid business that won’t deteriorate like a soggy napkin when things get rough with the economy… then “Email Players” might be for you.

Maybe.

Then again, maybe not.

It’s not intended for everyone.

And it ain’t for the timid.

But if you got the right stuff, details are at:

Ben Settle