Ben Settle

It’s funny how life works sometimes.

Back in college around 1995-1996 I was an avid subscriber to Men’s Fitness, Men’s Health and other similar magazines.

And I got a LOT of cool direct mail.

A couple promotions were especially good.

So good that, not only did I buy the products they were selling… but I ended up KEEPING the ads — including dragging them with me the 7 or 8 times I moved after graduating college.

(Incidentally, I later found they were Gary Bencivenga ads.)

Question is… what made me want to KEEP them?

Even after I bought the products they sold?

The answer?

The bullets on the covers.

Oh yeah!

Those bullets were absolutely irresistable.

I just HAD to keep them because whenever I looked at the covers of those ads (they were technically “bookalogues”), I’d see these teasers and think, “I may want to look that up some day…”

They were that masterfully written.

And it’s a perfect example of how taking your time and writing truly irresistible bullets (and not rushing through them) can add YEARS to your ad’s life.

Even if they don’t buy now… maybe they will later?

Hey, it only takes one bullet to close the deal.

So anyway, the message is clear:

Nobody spends enough time on their bullets.

And if you want to become a human bullet machine, then head ye over to “The Crypto Marketing Newsletter”:

The next issue is soup to nuts about bullets.

Including a few “sneaky” things few people know about.

But it goes out next week.

So grab it while the grabbin’s good…

Ben Settle

Did I tell you about my latest project?

It’s a book.

Specifically, a book for Christian entrepreneurs I’ll be giving away free as a PDF, or if you want to read a hard copy, it’ll be on amazon.

But here’s the rub:

I’m NOT the one “writing” it.

Instead, I’m interviewing various people I respect on the subject and turning the transcripts into the book.

So they’re doing the real “work.”

And I’m just holding the clipboard…

Anyway, one of the people I interviewed is my friend Greg Perry (he’s got a few awesome info-products selling cheap on his eBay page at www.BidMentor.com), and we were rapping about customer service and how just doing THAT part right beefs up sales.

His example was “Chick-Fil-A.”

A fast food joint here in the US.

One night it was pouring rain, and a Mom with 3 young kids ordered at the drive-thru after the dining area closed (just the drive-thru was open). And when she paid, she asked if they could eat inside, instead of in the car?

Let’s face it.

Most places probably would have scoffed.

Or maybe even laughed at her.

But as Greg said:

“Not only did they say yes, but when the Mom got parked, she looked up and THREE Chick-Fil-A employees were next to her car with UMBRELLAS to escort her and her kids inside through the pouring rain. And when they got inside (completely dry) the table was already set up with plates, utensils, napkins, drinks, and straws!”

Holy shnikes!

Now THAT’S customer service!

And is there ANY doubt that family, and their friends, neighbors, co-workers, little-league coaches and everyone else they know… did not hear about this story and be instantly SOLD on Chick-Fil-A?

Price almost doesn’t matter at that point.

And even food quality is secondary.

Fact is, customer service is a bad joke today, and most businesses treat their customers like a “herd” of cattle, instead of people to be served.

And that’s GOOD news for us.

Why?

Because now it’s all about R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

It makes you instantly stick out.

And if you give it, you almost can’t lose.

Ben Settle

I just found the coolest FaceBook fan page.

Frankly, if I could only “like” one fan page, this’d be IT.

What page do I speaketh of?

Kramerica Industries’ fan page, baby.

Kramerica Industries was a “business” (er, sort of) created by Cosmo Kramer in the show “Seinfeld.” Some of his business ideas were actually pretty good (like the pizza place where customers make their own pie and the bottle that squirts both ketchup and mustard)… and others were a disaster (like the giant rubber bladder system for oil tankers…)

Anyway, very cool fan page.

And kinda inspiring, too.

Because no matter how nutzo Kramer’s ideas seemed… you had to admire his scrappy entrepreneurial spirit as he sallied forth and tested them anyway.

Too bad we don’t see this online more.

Especially when it’s so easy to test.

For example:

I’ve seen truly “hideous” ideas kick bootay online — like not using testimonials, guarantees or even a headline. Marketers look at those things and cringe. It’s sorta like another Seinfeld episode where Jerry’s girlfriend paints Kramer’s portrait, and two snooty art buyers look at the painting in both disgust and awe: “He is a loathsome, offensive brute — yet I can’t look away…”

That’s EXACTLY how it is, too.

But you gotta test those “loathsome” ideas.

Even if they offend your pre-conceived views.

And even if they make no sense.

Hey, Kramer would.

And if it’s good enough for him…

Ben Settle

P.S. As customers of my Street-Smart Email course know, Seinfeld is one of my “secret weapons.” To learn how to use the show to beef up ye olde profits, simply hop on the notification list for when I re-release it at:

Here’s a testimonial for it that rolled in yesterday:

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. The last time I got this much value out of a course was Glenn Livingston’s $1,200 “How to Double Your Business”.

Thanks so much for the knowledge.

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

Everyone wants the “big secret” to marketing.

One person will say it’s video.

Another mastering Google.

Yet another will say copywriting… or content… or salesmanship… or podcasting… or social media… or email… or blogs… or… whatever the new fad of the week is.

Well, here’s the real secret:

There IS no secret.

Actually, I take that back.

There is a secret… but it’s only a secret to people always looking for secrets, because to the rest of us it’s not a secret, but is often packaged up as a secret in the secret goo-roo courses since so few people understand it, and thus it still seems like a secret.

So anyway, here’s the secret of all secrets:

The message to market match.

That’s it.

Match the right message to the right prospect (and at the right time) and you will win this crazy game we call marketing.

And it won’t matter what “media” use, either.

Or how killer your ad is.

Or how much you know about technology.

In fact, imagine this:

There are two marketers slugging it out in the market. One has all the high technology, video, connections, JV partners, money to spend on advertising, the whole sha-bang… but his message is about as appealing as a dead carp to his market. And the other has the message to market match down PAT… but his tools are just a notebook and a ballpoint pen (and maybe a library with Internet access).

Who do you think would win?

And who would you bet your green stuff on?

It’s really no contest, is it?

The message to market guy would hand a severe whoopin’ to the fancy pants guy every time.

Anyway, the point is marketing is not magic.

It’s not “voodoo”, either.

Heck, it ain’t even a card trick.

It’s just solid fundamentals.

He (or she) with the best fundamentals wins.

Ben Settle

P.S. When you subscribe to The Crypto Marketing Newsletter the free bonuses (you get immediately upon subscribing) immerse you in pretty much all the fundamentals of online marketing — copywriting, PPC marketing, affiliate marketing, article marketing, audio marketing, local marketing, email marketing, blogging, setting up joint ventures… the whole canine ka-boodle.

We’re talking solid fundamentals.

And they’re yours for the taking at:

Bam! Bam! Bam!

That’s the sound of your ad killing your competitor’s ad.

Well, that is, if you know how to use bullets.

Sadly, most people don’t (even if they think they do). And, in many cases, do more HARM than good to their sales when using bullets in their ads

Like, for example…

1. Making them all start with “how to” (zero variety)

2. Overpowering the reader with only straight benefit bullets — with no tease, mystery or romance

3. Being TOO clever (and thus, too confusing)

4. No strategy in placing them (every single one of my bullets is where it’s at for a reason, are yours?)

5. Not writing enough bullets

6. Not being aware of the aesthetics of a good bullet (don’t worry, I’m not getting artsy-fartsy on you here, but there’s something to be said for spacing bullets so they enhance the ones around it)

7. No curiosity factor

8. Too boring (no fun or adventure reading them)

Anyway, here’s the sad truth:

Most ads shoot blanks, not bullets.

And that’s why, if you did nothing but avoid the amateur mistakes above in YOUR bullets, I’d bet someone else’s money you’d find a nice little boost in ye olde profits.

Oh, and don’t forget…

The next Crypto Marketing Newsletter is ALL about bullets — including many ways I’ve never revealed before. (Not even in my copywriting book.)

You can still subscribe in time at:

Ben Settle

Do you ever struggle writing headlines?

If so, methinks I got just the tonic you need to take the “sting” out of the process for you.

Check this out:

A few years ago, I had a major case of “headline block.”

I was writing a sales letter for a top Internet marketing genius (a real guru, not a goo-roo) and he did not allow anything but a copywriter’s BEST effort top to bottom. And so even though I’d written a few hundred headlines for it (I got a bit obsessive…), I knew NONE were up to par and would be rejected.

Then out of the blue he made a suggestion.

A suggestion that quite literally changed the way I write ads.

What was his suggestion?

“Check your bullets. The headline might be hiding in there.”

Boo-YAH!

Why didn’t I think of that?

So I went through the 50+ bullets I’d written for the ad and there it was. No… not in its final, “polished” form. But the germ of the headline was there. And it only took a few tweaks to turn it into the headline that’d close the deal.

The point?

Your headline really is nothing but your best bullet.

And if you’ve written your bullets correctly, then chances are you’ve got yourself a shiny, sparkling, candy-like headline already waiting for you.

Go back and check ’em out.

It can save you a LOT of time and grief.

And hey, if you don’t know how to write bullets, then just crack open the next Crypto Marketing Newsletter issue which goes to print August 1st.

It’s ALL about bullets, baby.

Most of my ads average well over 50 bullets.

(One ad has almost 200 bullets!)

And this issue reveals the 12 ways I use to pump ’em out.

You can subscribe over at:

Ben Settle

I’m going to take a break for a couple weeks.

Why?

Well, been going non-stop since January doing multiple different projects, writing only God-knows how many emails (for both my own business, and other businesses), hammering out ads for both my own products and clients, and getting my fingers in so many marketing “pies” this year, I’ve lost count. (Including a new venture with Doberman Dan Gallapoo and Jim Yaghi, launching both a monthly newsletter and the Street-Smart Email system, and, starting next month, trying to beat an entire sales funnel control — from email to squeeze page to sales letter — for one of the Internet’s biggest marketing education and resource companies… wish me luck…)

Plus, to make it even more interesting…

I’m starting another big freelance gig soon for the hyper competitive weight loss niche, which is a full sales letter plus two shorter up-sell letters.

And as the cherry on top?

I may also take a whack at re-designing my site.

Anyway, it’s all fun stuff.

But to avoid burnout I’m gonna jet for a couple weeks.

I’ll be back before you know it, though.

And in the meantime, I’ll just send you an email each day that was published earlier, but that people seemed to especially enjoy.

So that’s the story, my friend.

I’ll see you in a couple weeks…

Ben Settle
www.CryptoMarketing.com

This may sound kinda funny.

Or maybe even kinda nutzo.

But even though I mail my list pretty much every day… I get almost zero spam complaints. And when I do, it’s usually because someone accidentally pushed the “spam” button instead of “delete” in their email program. (I know this only because they often let me know to apologize, which is always cool.)

Wait… what’s that?

You thought MORE email turns people off?

Only if you’re doing it wrong, my friend.

Like, for example, doing what some of ye olde goo-roos do with their emails, and only mailing your list when you have something to launch, or talking to them like they’re drooling biz opp zombies, instead of people who have real problems that need solving.

Another thing lots of people get wrong:

Writing for applause instead of sales.

I used to do this all the time.

And sometimes shudder at all the sales I lost doing it.

Here’s another big fat email “don’t”:

Swiping.

Swiping is extremely stoopid in emails.

Especially if you swipe people in your market.

In fact, people have swiped me before, and the very SAME day I’d get a flood of emails from subscribers telling me about it, and how much respect they’ve lost for the swiper (every time you swipe, you’re destroying your own reputation).

Anyway, those are some wrong ways to do email.

There are MANY more, of course.

But the point here isn’t how to do them wrong.

It’s how to do them RIGHT.

It’s taken me mucho time, energy and money to figure it out.

I had to do a TON of writing and experimenting to nail this down and systematize it like what’s in my new Street-Smart Email — www.StreetSmartEmail.com/500 — system.

And when I first figured it out, everything changed.

How so?

Well, for one thing people started enjoying reading my emails… even when selling products they had no interest in buying.

Spam complaints also dropped to near zero.

And sales?

Why yes, that happened, too.

And in a way I’d never quite experienced before (not just my own business, but response was also unusually high for other businesses I wrote for.)

Anyway, it’s not rocket science.

Frankly, it can be learned in a single afternoon.

And the best part is, you can still get my entire system — from A to zebra — for just $295 ($500 discount) if you hurry.

But time’s almost up to get the discount.

Get your email lovin’ here:

Ben Settle

P.S. This sale has long since ended. It is now at full price.

Ever watch a pick-up artist (PUA) in action?

I highly recommend doing it sometime.

Why?

Because one thing you may notice is they aren’t usually naturally “attractive.” In fact, some were the same kids that got stuffed in lockers and laughed at by the girls. And I once read an interview by one of these PUA’s that said something every single marketer, copywriter or sales pro should know.

Something that was a big “game changer” for my marketing.

And what he said was (paraphrased):

A lot of good looking guys are able to get a woman’s attention on looks alone, but most of the time they make a complete jackass out of themselves because they don’t know what to say next to KEEP that attention.

Veddy interesting, isn’t it?

And you know what?

It’s the EXACT same way in marketing, too.

Especially in email marketing.

Here’s what I mean:

I know people who slave for hours over creating the “perfect” subject line, only to bore their readers to tears or (even worse) turn them completely OFF forever because they didn’t know what to say in the rest of the message. (Usually, they are copying some goo-roo — NEVER a good idea in email.)

Ken McCarthy has an interesting take on this.

He says it’s like a “light switch.”

You can spend years building a list, but if you send out just two or three emails that bore people or insult their intelligence or talk down to them or treat them like your “herd” (instead of people)… that switch is shut off.

And you’re not turning it back on with another email.

Frankly, it’s no different than some attractive, high-fiving stud burping or farting in front of the woman he is talking to.

Getting attention is merely the first step.

Mess up after that and you’re finito.

Game over.

Anyway, if you want the inside scoop on writing emails people enjoy reading and (even more importantly) BUYING from, there’s still a little time left to grab The Street-Smart Email System at the $500.00 discount:

But the $500.00 discount vanishes Sunday.

So if you want in, grab it today.

Ben Settle

P.S. This sales has long since ended. It is now full price.