Ben Settle

Once upon a time I got in a “tiff” about email.

I was working with an Internet marketer on a client project, and we got into a bit of a… disagreement… about how best to sell with email. It was his contention you should never sell to new subscribers off the bat.

The reasoning went a bit like this:

Let them “incubate” first.

Then, after you’ve gained trust, show them your product.

Make sense?

Not to me it doesn’t.

In fact, I think it’s crazy, completely unnecessary and does nothing but hurt the people on your list in the long run (not to mention your sales).

How?

Well, let’s put it this way:

Imagine someone with a urinary tract infection.

It hurts like hell just to pee.

Nothing he’s been prescribed works, but you have a product that solves that problem quickly and naturally, without spending very much money at all.

Are you going to make him friggin’ “incubate”?

Or show him what he WANTS?

And by the way, pain takes all kinds of forms — could be a physical pain or just a desire to have something they don’t yet have (money, knowledge, a spouse, whatever).

Plus, here’s something else to ponder:

You may only have one shot to make the sale.

Real life DOES happen.

Spam filters kick in.

People’s webmail gets full (so emails can’t make it through).

Or their ISP zaps your emails.

If your life depended on it… if your prospect’s life depended on it… would you risk trying to “incubate” them for a week or whatever… or at the very least show ’em what you got right off the bat?

I’m not saying to be pushy about it.

Or even blatant.

But withholding your product is unethical.

Now, here’s the good news:

There are ways to email so you both get sales and build trust — including ways to sell where people don’t mind at all.

(They even look forward to it!)

Yes, this is possible.

And I can show you how at:

Ben Settle

OK, so here’s the deal.

There are several people I know of (and maybe more I don’t know of) who are on the “fence” about buying the Street Smart Email course.

And who can blame them?

It’s a big investment.

And since there is no guarantee, it’s difficult for someone who’s not totally sold on whether or not I can live up to the promises of the product to just dive in head first.

If that’s you, mayhaps this’ll help:

Copywriter Jon McCulloch recently submitted this unsolicited comment to the private Crypto Marketing Newsletter forum:

Peeps,

I was going to do a full 30 days’ review, but I think this is good enough for now.

Sarah started using the thing on 9th April.

She’s been mailing every day.

Yesterday, as I predicted, SSE paid for itself, and plus $80 or so extra. This is selling an ebook at $37 (plus the option for the MP3s at $47; she also sells some other MP3s for $17. Average sale is around $33 for this period).

Moreover, sales are up 92.3% on the same ten-day period last month.

Seems like a no brainer to me, chaps.

Don’t tell me you “can’t afford it”.

Ben — fire me over that Affiliate link, would you?

I want to promote this to my list.

Warmly,

Jon

So anyway, that’s it for today.

Get your email on here:

Ben Settle

Well, that was interesting.

My little expose of why moving the free line is not the sales panacea certain goo-roos would have you think it is poked a few soft spots. And I totally get it, too. When you’ve spent a ton of money learning that moving the free line is the best way to sell online and then someone comes along and says it’s not, cognitive dissonance sets in and you now have to mentally justify the large purchase and why its teachings are true.

(Probably the only useful thing I learned in college.)

Anyhoo… I got to thinking about this.

The following is not a “scientific” example.

But it does illustrate why selling is FAR more profitable than being a give-away artist.

Recently I did a couple JV’s.

Both were selling my products to others’ lists.

JV #1 has a bigger list than JV #2.

And, JV #2 was selling a product that is more than twice as expensive (almost $1000) as the product JV #1 was selling.

Both have similar relationships with their lists.

And both are awesome copywriters.

So what happened?

JV #1 sold the product via my (not-so-brilliant) idea where I’d write a bunch of content for his list (moving the free line, in a sense).

And JV #2… did zero teaching at all.

Just selling (via the lowly email).

The result?

JV #1 got only 1 sale.

And JV #2?

A whopping 7 sales!

Again, even though JV #2 has a tiny list and was selling a near-$1,000 priced product.

Now, there are many factors at play.

So I cannot say it’s ALL free line vs selling.

But it did not surprise me one bit.

(And I owe JV #1 an apology!)

Anyway, that’s that.

If you want the next Crypto Marketing Newsletter issue before it mails out, subscribe today, by Monday it’ll be too late:

Ben Settle

I regularly rail against “moving the free line.”

Why?

Besides the fact it’s not nearly as effective or profitable as, uhm, selling… you’re not really doing anyone much of a service. Yes, I know that sounds funny online — how can giving away free stuff hurt someone?

Especially if it’s just information?

Think of it like this:

Do you know what a movie “spoiler” is?

It’s basically when you have not yet seen a movie and some jackanape blabs a key plot point or twist that more less ruins the experience for you.

They ruin the entire experience.

It’s the same with information “spoilers” too.

And there are (at least) two reasons why:

1. Too much free info screws up context

Moving the free line practically guarantees people see things in the wrong order, where they cannot put the information in context. And if they do not buy (since they figure they got all they need now) you’ve just hurt them. Especially if you have a truly good product that could have helped them.

2. It robs them of that “wow!” factor

How does this hurt them?

Because it’s often that one all-powerful “wow!” factor (and it is different for every customer) that motivates people to consume your entire product — even through the parts that are dry or not as interesting.

That’s just how it is with info products.

And since so few people know how to actually sell (and only provide “marketing welfare”) they dang near give the farm away.

And yes I get the free line reasoning:

“If I give my best info way, it will impress them to buy!”

And there IS some truth to that.

But selling is far more profitable than being a “give-away artist.”

Anyway, just my too many cents.

Fact is, free hurts people.

While selling helps them.

Ben Settle

P.S. For more reasons why the free line kills sales, see the free “bonus” issue (in pdf format) you get when you subscribe to the Crypto Marketing Newsletter at:

It’s kind of funny to think about.

But a lot of highly successful online marketers still market like it’s the 1990’s. By that I mean, still using pop ups, still using plain text emails, still not encouraging people to subscribe to a blog feed (and instead insist on capturing emails in an auto-responder) and still refusing to drink the social media kool-aid.

Case in point:

A couple years ago I wrote bullets for a seminar ad.

Actually, it was for the CD’s of the seminar.

And the seminar had some of the world’s richest and most successful Internet marketers teaching (and attending). I specifically remember the guy holding the seminar saying (more or less):

“Most 7-figure online businesses are just doing the basics — squeeze page, follow up emails, and a sales letter…”

That’s not to say you can’t use the fancy stuff.

Like blogs.

Or videos.

Or even social media (which is highly overrated).

No, the point is the basics still work.

And they work better than anything else.

Forget them and die…

Ben Settle

P.S. The next Crypto Marketing Newsletter issue (which goes to print in less than a week from now) is ALL about the basics.

But, not just any old basics.

Basics most have forgotten.

Or, even if you know them, I would bet green money you are not using them all. To prove it, I’m including a short 26 page booklet that explains this in a way that is fun, educational and so powerful it has been recommended by advertising legends like David Ogilvy and Gary Bencivenga.

Subscription info at:

I get a lot of newbie questions.

And probably the most asked question is… how do you get started in business (online) if you’re broke as a joke, with not even enough money to buy a $12 book at the bookstore, much less one of the big “must have!” goo-roo info products that cost $1,997 a pop?

How do you get started?

What should you do?

Lucky you I gots me some experience with this.

It wasn’t all that terribly long ago when The Nerd Girl and I were so broke we were sleeping on one of those blow-up aero beds. And then, a few nights after blowing it up, were sleeping on the floor again after her wedding ring (with the sharp, dinky little stone that was all I could afford) punctured it in the middle of the night.

I’ll never forget it, either.

“Nerd Girl, what’s that hissing noise? You got gas?”

“Shut up Ben! I think it’s the bed!”

And then we started sinking….

Ugh.

Not-so-fun times.

Anyway, we were broke from being in debt up to our eyeballs. And so I had no money to buy a lot of products or even books. Instead I did all I COULD do — keep writing, studying ads, reading free resources (like Gary Halbert’s newsletters), etc.

And each dollar I made was then reinvested.

That’s how I built my info product library.

And why I don’t have any nonsense goo-roo products.

When all you have is a set amount of cash, you gotta discriminate big time and ruthlessly ignore BS.

Anyway, so that’s my advice.

There IS light at the end of the tunnel.

You just gotta keep moving towards it.

Even if just one inch at a time.

And speaking of which…

If you can afford .90 cents per day, then the May Crypto Marketing Newsletter issue is a great “jumping on” point for newbies and pros alike.

There’s no sexy goo-roo “super persuasion” stuff inside.

Just solid fundamentals.

Including things even seasoned pros forget.

Frankly, I go out of my way to re-read the short booklet that comes with this issue on a regular basis so I don’t forget them, and always get fresh new ideas I can actually USE in my business (and not just nod and say, “oh how nice… what’s next?”)

It’s extremely valuable info if you want it to be.

And, it’s only 26 pages long.

Easily read in one sitting.

Maybe that’s why the legendary David Olgivy recommended it to his employees and why Gary Bencivenga told me he keeps a stack of them on hand?

Just a thought.

Anyway, you can subscribe at:

Ben Settle

Last week I saw something kinda funny.

Maybe not everyone will think this is funny, of course. But I couldn’t help but laugh out loud when I read an article about how, somewhere up in Canada (I think it was Canada) the marketing people for the hit zombie TV show “The Walking Dead” put up a billboard ad… right next to a funeral parlor!

I have no idea if that was done intentionally.

But the funeral parlor was pretty mad.

And they demanded it be taken down.

But, I wonder if that billboard actually helped their business?

I guess we’ll never know.

But being unconventional like that is powerful.

It makes you stand out.

And, it breathes fresh new life into your business while all your competitors lurch around like zombies, aimlessly wandering to and fro looking for a warm-fleshed meal.

Oh well.

Just food for your brain…

Ben Settle

P.S. I almost forgot!

I’ve been doing a series of free (but advanced) copywriting trainings this week on Ryan Healy’s blog. If you’re interested, you can read them at:

Donald Trump may run for president.

Is that a good thing?

A bad thing?

Make any difference whatsoever?

Personally, I don’t care either way if he runs. But there is something happening with his talk about him maybe running for president that I’ve noticed. And that is people who hate him keep mindlessly prattling on about how his business has gone bankrupt multiple times.

They got no clue whatsoever.

It’s actually kind of funny.

Because you see, nobody who succeeds on that level does it without lots and lots and lots of big, fat, embarrassing failures.

Could be personal failures.

Could be professional failures.

But either way, they will fail (probably several times).

And you know what?

It’s the same with you and me.

You think you’re gonna make it big without the cold bite of failure sinking its teeth into your arse?

Right.

Good luck with that.

Failure is a big part of winning at anything — sports, business, whatever it is you do.

Fail hard and fail BIG.

That’ll make it all happen quicker.

Anyway, that’s all I got for today.

The next Crypto Marketing Newsletter is probably the most fun issue I’ve written to date. It also includes a booklet Gary Bencivenga recommends that I believe every single marketer should possess and read several times.

It goes to print in less than 2 weeks.

Subscription info at:

Ben Settle

So I recently took a personality test.

And turns out I share the same personality type as some of the worst and most vile people you’ve ever heard of (both real and fictional).

Like Emperor Palpatine.

Lord Voldemort.

Hannibal Lecter.

And (gasp!) even Hillary Clinton!

Anyway, why should you care?

Because while reading about all these different personality types, it dawned on me how USEFUL this information is to anyone who sells for a living. In some ways I kinda jumped the gun, because a couple months back in The Crypto Marketing Newsletter I did an entire issue about doing market research.

Like how to know exactly what they want.

What they’re thinking.

And how they want to be sold to.

If I could go back in time, I’d add this personality stuff.

Specifically, you could find out what your market’s occupations are, and then cross reference them with personality types that tend to gravitate towards those occupations.

Maybe not an exact science.

But the insights would be incredibly useful.

Take my personality, for example.

You’d know we come off as arrogant and elitist (we’re not really arrogant and elitist, we just know we’re ALWAYS right…)

Have little interest in others’ thoughts or feelings. (Not really true, but whatever.)

Want closure with everything.

And spend ALL our time inside our own heads.

That’s invaluable intel when selling to my personality type — since you could “custom fit” your pitch around all these psychological hot buttons and show how your product fits into our world.

Kinda deep research, isn’t it?

And it holds all kinds of possibilities for marketers.

In fact, it’d be interesting to create a software program where when someone opts in for really valuable free info they’d have to take one of these kinds of personality tests, first.

Then have an ad tailored to each type.

Just something to chew on.

For more secrets like this, go to:

Ben Settle

P.S. By the way…

There are lots good people on the list mentioned above, too — we’re not all evil wannabe super villains who want to take over the world or whatever.

Yet, some like to argue the fact.

And in one guy’s case, no matter how much I tortured him, he still didn’t understand my point…