Ben Settle

Gotta love them goo-roos.

They provide an endless source of amusement.

Following is a FaceBook note my friend Jim Yaghi wrote about them. He said I had permission to send it to my list and, well, I couldn’t resist…

Please read my Affiliate Disclaimer:

From hourly-email to hourly-email, I will promote, endorse, or suggest products and/or services for sale.

My recommendation ALWAYS starts out by me wanting to get paid for it; sometimes my belief is influenced by the product or its author promising to provide excellent commissions, or on me returning the favour to someone who promoted my gay products before, and or previous mutual benefit with the person or company who’s product I am recommending.

In ALL cases, I WILL BE compensated if you decide to purchase that product based on my recommendation; i would rarely promote it otherwise.

In some cases, if i care about what’s in the product, I will ask to get it for free “for review purposes” (if my dog needs poopie bags).

Don’t bother doing your OWN due-diligence before making any purchases, i only sell to people who are easily influenced.

Never purchase anything that you cannot afford from my buddies or you won’t have money left over to buy my next over-priced poopin’-bag-course.

Most people don’t do anything with the products they buy because the information is incomplete and often wrong, so their typical results are zero.

Don’t expect yours to be any different.

Just a little Monday morning fun.

Tomorrow… something else.

Ben Settle

P.S. Even though the February Crypto Marketing Newsletter just mailed, I’m getting stoked for the March issue already. It’s going to be perhaps the most profitable teaching I’ve ever done. And, those who read it will have an upper hand over just about everyone you ever sell against in your market (goo-roos or not).

To subscribe, check out:

I’m putting some “feelers” out for something.

For years, people have asked if I do personal coaching (mostly for email marketing and copywriting). I have actively resisted this for a multitude of reasons.

But lately, have been toying with it more.

It would probably entail things like:

1. Giving unlimited email access to me with your questions — about your ads, emails, marketing ideas, strategies, etc

2. Access to me by phone once per week for 30 minutes. Plus, you would have the rights to any of these coaching calls to use for your own use, to sell them (private label them, whatever). So if you sell business-to-business, you would have ready-made products over time

3. Access to all my products (if you committed to a few months in advance)

4. Special group trainings (all coaching clients on the same line, learning, asking questions, etc)

5. Guidance on your emails and ads as you do them — you could literally send me your emails each day (I would show you how to do them) before sending them out and I’d go through them and make sure you are on the right track

Obviously, this would be for real business owners, only.

And it would NOT be for newbies (even if you can afford it).

This would be for people who have a list, have a product, are making sales and want to make MORE of the green stuff.

In other words, a sales multiplier.

Not a magic push button business or done-for-you service.

Plus, it would not be cheap, either.

I’m thinking at least $1,000 per month.

No bartering or anything like that.

Just cash, baby.

If you have a decent sized list, and you are not mailing it right now, and you have a product proven to sell, this would be a no-brainer. Frankly, the email guidance alone would likely pay that fee several times over each month.

Again, just putting feelers out there.

And again, it will be at least $1k per month.

If you are interested, let me know.

Just reply back saying, “I might be interested.”

If enough hands go up, mayhaps I’ll put something together.

If not, then I won’t.

The market will decide…

Ben Settle

Yesterday’s bit about refunds sparked a question:

“Ben, how do you handle refunders?”

This is an interesting question to ask a guy like me.

Why?

Because I don’t “handle” refunds.

I don’t offer a guarantee at all.

At least, not on BenSettle.com products. But, I do have a guarantee in another niche I sell in, which is not full of wannabe entrepreneurs who simply game the system with fraudulent refund requests.

Does “fraud” sound harsh?

Hey, if it looks like a duck…

Case in point:

When The Copywriting Grab Bag was for sale, it had a guarantee on it and, out of hundreds of sales… I got exactly two refund requests (which I attribute to writing ads that purposely turn OFF serial “refrauders”).

Anyway, one of them admitted he was gaming the system.

How do I know?

Because he made me this offer:

“I will give you a choice. I can return the book to you and you give me 100% of my money back or I keep the book and you only refund 50% of my money back.”

Kind of clever when you think about it.

But, it’s a perfect example of why I don’t do refunds.

Not in this market, at least.

Anyway, this is just my attitude for BenSettle.com. As far as my other venture, I have not gotten any refund requests. But, if I do, I’ll just refund without question.

You should always honor your guarantee.

Otherwise, you’re worse than the refrauders.

Ben Settle

P.S. To join my inner circle of serious entrepreneurs, go to:

The “the law of reciprocity” amuses me.

At least, the way it’s popularly taught.

This is something Robert Cialdini wrote in his book, “Influence: The Psychology Of Persuasion.” And if you ask some people, you’d almost think this “law” is as reliable and predictable as… gravity.

Yeah, I kind of don’t think so.

Let me ‘splaineth why.

Basically, the “law” of reciprocity says when you give someone something, they will feel socially, professionally, maybe even ethically obligated to give you something back. So for us marketing geeks, it might mean giving away a sample, free product or “gift” and leads will be more likely to buy out of sheer obligation.

I won’t say this never happens.

But, it doesn’t happen nearly as much as people think.

And, even then, it’s a shoddy foundation to build a business on.

Why?

Well, think of it this way:

Is it a GOOD thing for someone to buy not because they actually want your product… but because they feel obligated?

Is that going to be a repeat buyer?

A raving testimonial?

Someone who tells their friends about you?

I kinda doubt it.

Plus let’s face it, this is assuming people even feel a sense of reciprocity in these narcissistic times, where they are FAR more likely to feel a sense of entitlement than obligation.

Finally, a purchase might make people buyers.

But they sure ain’t customers.

Buyers buy something… once.

Maybe even twice.

But customers?

Customers make a “custom” of buying from you again and again and again — because you are serving them, giving them what they want, and offering them a great experience.

You don’t build a real business on buyers.

Especially if they buy out of social obligation.

You build it on customers.

Otherwise, you don’t have a business.

You have… a charity.

Ben Settle

P.S. This all trickles down to selling 101. Most people just don’t know how to sell. Are afraid of it. And thus, resort to putting all their hopes for making sales in things like the law of reciprocity.

But you don’t really need that stuff.

Just need to know sales and persuasion.

Specifically, the kind that’s easy, ethical and effective.

And that people ENJOY buying from.

Something we get DEEP into inside the next Crypto Marketing Newsletter issue next week:

Whoa baby!

That anti-swiping email yesterday seems to have hit a few nerves. You’d think I just blasphemed a major religion or something (hey, maybe with some people I did!)

Look, let me ‘splain what I mean with this.

First, I’m not against ALL swiping.

But, let me give you an example of what I speaketh:

A while back I was talking with my friend John Anghelache (who, incidentally teaches swiping the right way). I was telling him how I can often tell if someone who asks me to critique their ad is a John Carlton student with one glance of their work.

Now, before I continue, let me be clear:

I don’t know John Carlton personally.

But, I’ve learned a TON from him.

And I HIGHLY recommend his materials.

So this is nothing against him or his other students.

Anyway, John Angel and I were talking about how easy it is to sometimes spot a John Carlton student a mile away with a single glance of their ad.

Do you know how?

Because they will put ATTITUDE into everything.

Doesn’t matter what market it is.

Doesn’t matter what product it is.

Doesn’t even matter what gender the customer is.

Everything is a direct swipe from one of JC’s marital arts or golf ads. In this case, John Angel and I were talking about someone’s ad for a… salsa dancing product. And it contained verbiage like, “vicious head spins!” and “devastating turns”… that sort of thing.

Those may not be the exact terms.

But you get the idea.

We’re talking SALSA dancing here.

Not teaching wannabe alpha males how to kick ass.

But, that’s what I mean by swiping without understanding your market. It will not reap you the sales you would get it you learned your market’s unique pains, language and desires, first.

So anyway, hope that clears things up.

If you want to learn the RIGHT way to swipe, go to:

This is John Angel’s course on the subject.

It’s also my affiliate link.

And if you buy from it, I’ll email you a whole pile of goodies nobody else will get (just email me your clickbank receipt).

OK, that’s all for today.

I already said more than I know.

Ben Settle

People often ask me about emails.

Is my system for real?

Can it work for them?

Or do you need special writing “powers”?

They see the claims I have on the ad. They see the emails I crank out each day. And they see the testimonials on the ad (at the bottom) from others using my system to put more of the green stuff in their ever-deepening pockets-es.

But still, they remain skeptical.

They stubbornly refuse to believe they can do it.

And they insist that doing regular emails (whether weekly, bi-weekly, daily or even MORE than once per day like I do to some lists) is hard, grueling work… instead of fun, profitable and… yes… therapeutic.

So if that’s you, check ye this out:

Below are URL’s of people who use my system.

You can sign up for their lists.

Or, all their emails are on their blogs, so you can see what they’re up to, how they’re doing it, and maybe… just maybe… you’ll become a believer, too.

Of course, not all of them follow my system to the “T”.

And that’s perfectly fine.

There are no “rules” with email.

Frankly, it’s fun breaking so-called rules just for kicks.

And this is especially true whenever I see the usual band of Internet marketing droogs posting yet another list of theoretical email marketing “do’s and don’ts.”

Anyway, enough yibbering.

Here goes:

• www.TriedAndTrueFitness.com
• www.WallyConger.com
• www.RayEdwards.com
• www.DobermanDan.com
• www.braidsbybreslin.com/blog
• www.HardToFindSeminars.com
• www.MikeYoungLaw.com

Those are just a few.

I’m sure I’m missing some (and will hear about it!)

But this should give you a taste that it’s not only possible to do this crazy little thing called email… but fun and extremely profitable, too.

(Frankly, if it ain’t fun, you ain’t doing it right!)

To check the course out, go to:

Ben Settle

Lately everyone thinks I’m going to promote their offers.

And are SHOCKED when I tell them to take a hike.

I don’t know why they’re shocked, though — as I’ve made it abundantly clear before I’m not going to mail other peoples’ offers except when it’s a friend or something I’ve used and bought and just can’t stand NOT letting other people know about.

But everyone else’s offers?

Fuhgeddaboudit.

Why am I such a prick about this?

For one, it’s more profitable to sell my own products.

But besides that, I’m amazed at the junk that’s being sold out there. And this goes double for any product with a goo-roo’s name attached to it. Further more, even if I WAS open to selling other peoples’ products to my list, I’d still ignore 99% of the offers that come into my inbox because the pitches are so… lame.

They’re not personal.

They’re not interesting.

And, in 9 out of 10 cases… they’re not even original.

(Just “cut & paste” jobs.)

With no personal story about using the product.

No personality.

And no… humanity.

I’ve actually been toying around with one day reprinting some of these JV pitches in my Crypto Marketing Newsletter just for kicks. But then I’d probably be breaking copyright laws (and bad writing is just as much under copyright laws as good writing).

And finally…

A lame JV pitch speaks volumes about the product.

So why even bother looking?

I mean, what would be the point?

Look… maybe I’m being a “joint venture nazi” here.

But I can’t stand lame products.

And just assume my list does, too.

Ben Settle

I haven’t decided yet.

But I may be cutting back on the number of emails I send to this list for a while — maybe instead of 5 per week (on average) down to 2 or 3 per week.

Mayhaps even less.

Again, I am not 100% sure yet.

And will be playing it by ear.

Question is… WHY would I do this?

Have I changed my mind on the wisdom of doing daily emails? Have I seen a drop in sales? A rise in spam complaints? Something else altogether?

No, nothing like that.

In fact, my spam complaints are at nearly 0.

Sales have always gone up with daily emails.

And, I am MORE convinced of the need to do them daily than ever before (especially as the economy gets worse and all your customers are seeing is junk from goo-roos who know how to promote but couldn’t sell their way out of a paper bag).

So why cut back?

Because I’m invading a new niche.

And, right now at least, it’s taking a LOT of my time.

I’m not going to reveal which niche, or what I’m doing (there are way too many loser copycats on my list, as there are on any list full of Internet marketers). But I am using some extremely powerful business-building methods I learned while interviewing people for the bonuses you get when you join The Crypto Marketing Newsletter that I could KICK myself for not doing earlier.

Anyway, so that’s that.

Again, I have not decided to cut back for sure yet.

Mayhaps I will… mayhaps I won’t.

But if you don’t hear from me as often, that’s why.

Ben Settle

Last week I did a long affiliate campaign.

And the result was over 26% conversion (clickthrus to sales).

Not too shabby, is it?

Sure, it could always have been better and nothing is perfect. But I dare say it’s safe for us to declare the venture a raging success. And today I thought it’d be fun to break down some of the reasons WHY it did so well, especially for anyone who does affiliate marketing.

So without further ado…

Se7en reasons why this campaign kicked gluteus assimus:

1. Can’t-refuse offer (i.e. discounted price)

2. Extremely high quality product

3. Product has a great story behind it (a personal story from me actually USING it, not just blindly tossing an offer out there)

4. Product has mucho built-in credibility

5. Great bonuses (one of which is totally unique)

6. Firm offer deadline

7. Finally… I spent a whole WEEK of emails promoting it — and not just a one shot, “throw it against the wall and see if it sticks” affiliate email

This is very important.

Each email built on the momentum of the previous one.

And each was more than just a standard “pitch.”

Anyway, email is sort of my bread & butter skill, and what I consider to be the single most potent online skill anyone can learn (if you have an email list, of course).

To see the email marketing system I use, go to:

No, it’s not “cheap.”

And yes, it’s true there is no money back guarantee.

Frankly, 90% of my list does not now (and never will) qualify for my email system, so I don’t even try to sugar coat it for them.

Why don’t they qualify?

Because my system is for “doers”, not “viewers.”

I have nothing against viewers (people who only VIEW info and never use it), because I understand most people are not really entrepreneurs. I guesstimate only about 3% of people online are truly entrepreneurs — the rest are employee-minded, and it shows in their purchasing habits and lack of application of products, as well as their verbiage describing products as being “expenses” instead of “investments.”

Nothing wrong with viewers, of course.

And they are NOT “bad” people by any means.

But “doers” (i.e. entrepreneurs), are the opposite.

Doers **apply & succeed**… while the viewers **cry & concede**.

Harsh?

Maybe so, but it’s true.

But here’s what some “Doers” say about my email system:

Hey Ben,

I’m a fulltime copywriter who manages several lists for clients. I write on average 6 emails a day for some pretty huge, and well established info-marketers. I’m less than a quarter way through your course and I gotta say it’s blown me a way. Your first chapter on subject lines alone was worth multiple times the investment.

– Francis Ablola
Ablola.com

I’m already testing a couple things he recommends and they’re already (just within the past 3 days) starting to bring in a lot more sales. I think it might even DOUBLE the sales I’ve been getting from e-mail marketing.

-Doberman Dan Gallapoo
DobermanDan.com

All I can say is “WOW.” As soon as it hit my doorstep I had to drive to Charlotte, NC to get my hair done and listened to the 6 core CD’s in the system and was blown away. I got so many ideas that I was sitting in my car sending recording voice memos into my iPhone so I wouldn’t lose all the great ideas I was getting from the CDs. This is definitely one of the best courses I’ve ever bought on marketing. Thanks a lot Ben, keep up the great work!

-Marquetta Breslin
BraidsByBreslin.com

Hi Ben,

This email course is incredibly valuable.

I can’t think of another info product I’ve purchased in the last 3 years which comes close. I’ve listened to the cd’s twice and read the transcript once. Each time I get something new… My sales have never been higher, and I’ve been getting a lot of positive feedback from members as well.

Thanks Ben – this is fun, and profitable!

– Travis Giggy

Hey Ben, your “Street Smart Email System” is, by far, the best program I have read on how to write emails that get opened and read. The chapter on subject lines alone is worth a small fortune to anyone serious about email marketing. Two thumbs up from me.

– John Anghelache
Copywriter whose clients have included
Gary Halbert, Michel Fortin, Yanik Silver,
Joe Vitale, David Garfinkel and Peter Stone
JohnAngelCopywriting.com

You have really over delivered on this. I am getting a HUGE value from the program and can easily say it fits into the top 3 programs I’ve ever purchased. It is amazing. My writing has improved 200 fold and I can’t wait to see what happens with my conversions. Even more exciting is your system keeps me in front of the customer with ease and not feeling like I am pushing products all day long.

-Jason Froehlich
RenegadeFitnessResults.com

The bonus audio with you and Senoff ALONE is worth more than the cost of the course many times over. In my opinion anyone with a tiny list can take the information on that session and simply do what you talk about and pay for the entire cost of your course a few times over. If they have anything more than a small list they could totally kick butt with it.

– Michael J. Dolpies
CyberspaceToYourplace.com

Notice how the above are DOERS?

They are not just saying “oh it was great!”… they are saying, “I USED it and XYZ happened…”

Those are doers.

They are not viewers.

And the difference between the two is simply…

Results.

Anyway, if you’re a doer who is interested in learning my email system… and if you have the funds to afford it (do NOT put yourself in financial jeopardy to buy it — if you can’t afford it, you don’t need it), then here are the details:

Again, it’s not cheap.

There’s no money-back guarantee.

And most will never qualify for it.

But if you got the right stuff, then it can change your life.

Ben Settle