Ben Settle

So I saw “Clash Of The Titans” yesterday.

Had a blast watching it, too.

Not just from the entertainment aspect… but also the glaring business metaphor that stuck me like an arrow from Medusa’s quiver.

Here’s what I mean:

In the movie, the Greek gods are kept immortal by the worship of humans, whom they pretty much hold in contempt (and never really help, yet seem to torment a lot.)

But when people stop worshipping them, they start weakening.

And even start worrying about their futures.

And you know what?

It totally reminded me of certain goo-roos.

Newbies get seduced by their big promises, practically worship them as rock stars, and get basically nothing in return for their devotion except a huge credit card bill and a trunk full of half-baked products full of recycled bits of info.

You can observe this yourself if you want.

Just like the Greek gods… goo-roo “immortality” starts fading when the launch buzz wears off and the newbies lose interest. Goo-roos then desperately start tossing thinly created products out every month to maintain their rock star status, hoping the “mortals” buy from the NEXT hype-fest around the corner.

It’s so predictable it’s almost scary.

Think I’m being too hard on these goo-roos?

Hey, you’d be shocked by how some of these charlatans talk about their customers when nobody’s listening.

For example:

In Ken McCarthy’s copywriting course, he talks about a seminar where the promoter was getting a cut of the sales in the room. When Ken started telling the guy all the cool stuff he wanted to teach, Mr. Goo-roo (a “household name” Ken thinks we’d probably all recognize) said (and I quote):

“I don’t give a fuck what you teach, just sell them a bunch of shit”

Nice.

Now, am I saying all goo-roos have this attitude?

No, of course not.

There are good and bad apples in every barrel.

But don’t think there aren’t a good portion who DO think they’re little “gods”… plotting how they’re gonna keep getting worshipped by the ever growing pool of newbie mortals.

Anyway, just something to think about.

Sometimes it’s just freaky what goes on in the background.

Ben Settle

P.S. To learn from history’s most persuasive (yet mortal) sales and marketing experts quest on over to…

How about a bit o’ Q&A today?

Here’s a question that rolls in a lot these days, especially from people new to writing ads and sales letters.

Check it out:

QUESTION: Ben what do you think of fill in the blank sales letter templates or software where you type in the benefits and it spits out a sales letter for you? Are they worth it?

BEN: I’m not a big fan of software like that.

I won’t say they never work.

Even a broken clock is right twice per day, no?

And they can be especially useful for basic offers for something your list already wants (a discount, or whatever). But if you want to get your products into as many hands as possible… then methinks you can (and should) do better.

Why?

Because copywriting ain’t about the “letter.”

It ain’t about the “writing”, either.

It’s about your customers.

It’s about their problems, pains, desires and emotions right now, at this exact point in their lives. The kind of stuff that transcends the test results and cold analysis a software program would likely be based on. I think “A-List” copywriter Doug D’Anna nailed it perfectly in The Copywriting Grab Bag on page 250.

Here’s what he said:

“… part of it is the science of testing. I’m a big tester. Another part comes from your instincts. I really sell for the most part, investment newsletters. Yesterday, the market was down 300 points. Today it’s up a little bit. How are those people feeling today? Well, hey, I’ve been around a long time. I’ve studied my customer. That’s the one thing that I feel I do that’s different.”

How about THEM apples?

Doug is one of the world’s top direct mail copywriters. He’s competed against (and has beaten) the BEST in the industry (including the legendary copywriter Eugene Schwartz).

And the one thing he does different is study his customer.

No special software.

No “killer” secrets.

And no super duper swipe file.

That’s selling, baby.

Ben Settle

P.S. You can get the entire Doug D’Anna interview in “The Copywriting Grab Bag” over yonder at:

You may have noticed something lately online.

Especially on certain high traffic websites (like big news sites, or anywhere else where large amounts of traffic congregate). And that is, a small ad with verbiage like “1 weird trick for belly fat” — something short, packed with curiosity and targeted at a large (and rabid) market.

Ever see an ad like that?

Well, here’s what’s interesting:

When you click to one of these sites, you will see a unique way of using online video to deliver the sales pitch. Instead of a talking head or whatever… you see the sales letter delivered on the screen in bite-sized chunks, with someone reading the words, one word at a time.

I have written one of these ads, so far.

But, to my knowledge, it has not yet been tested.

So I can’t say it’s the second coming of John Caples, necessarily.

But, it is intriguing.

It is different.

And it is worth testing if you’re a hardcore tester.

The link below contains a version of how it works that my friend Justin Christianson told me about, that’s been tested thoroughly and is working like gangbusters. (It also has a unique offer if you’re interested in ways of making more of the green stuff online — definitely worth watching all the way through).

Anyway, here it is:

By the way, this is NOT an affiliate link (however, it is a “tracking” link, so they can see where their traffic is coming from).

So I don’t make jack if you buy from it.

But it’s a really cool example of this new format.

Ben Settle

This may seem a bit “creepy.”

But below is something I recently sent my Crypto Marketing Newsletter subscribers.

It’s edited a bit to protect the guilty.

But methinks you’ll find it… sobering.

Here goes…

Lately, I’ve become immune to social proof.

Yes, I like social proof.

And I often use it in my own selling endeavors (it’s particularly useful when setting up joint ventures).

But more and more people are flat using it unethically.

They’re blatantly lying about their relationship (or lack of relationship) with the people they claim to know or be on the so-called “inside” with.

I got “had” like this last year.

Someone wanted my help, claimed one of my friends was helping him already, and it turned out to be blatantly untrue.

Since then I’ve “inoculated” myself against social proof.

Frankly, dropping names no longer impresses me and, in some cases, makes my “BS” antenna go up!

And you know what?

I suggest you adopt the same attitude, too.

There are just too many goo-roo fanboys out there lying or twisting facts around to get what they want.

Some are mere igits with bad judgement.

But others (more than you may realize) are the “sociopaths” Ken McCarthy warns about in his copywriting course (he gives great detail about why sociopaths are particularly attracted to direct marketing and how to identify them).

And just to be clear:

Sociopaths lack the “wiring” to care about other people.

Strange as it sounds… the idea of caring about someone else is as foreign to them as the color red is to someone born blind. And so stealing, lying and (in some cases) even killing is as easy and “routine” as ordering a burger at McDonalds. (They aren’t all killers, necessarily, but they’re more capable of these deeds than someone with a conscience).

Anyway, just something to ponder.

I’m not saying there’s one behind every bush.

But sociopaths and garden variety cons abound in marketing (especially online) — and they LOVE using “social proof.”

Watch your gluteus rumpe’, boss.

Ben Settle

P.S. One reason I wrote “Crackerjack Selling Secrets” was to give people who feel dirty using some of the typical goo-roo tactics a way to sell without pimping their souls to the devil.

For more info…

A while back, I was looking for a social media expert.

At the time, I was thinking of people to interview for the now dissolved Crackerjack Selling CD Club (which was replaced with my print Crypto Marketing Newsletter afterwards).

And so I put some “feelers” out there.

Specifically, on Twitter and other social media sites.

Got lots of feedback, too.

But mostly it came down to about 4 or 5 names. Three of them turned out to be lame interview candidates (all hat and no cattle, if you catch my drift) and one I didn’t trust.

And the fourth?

Well this person seemed like a smart cookie.

And came well recommended (even by other goo-roo skeptics).

So I checked this person’s site out and was actually pretty impressed. They said all the right things, seemed to have a decent grasp on marketing, and even had lots of articles about social media.

But… something seemed “off.”

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

But I knew something was rotten in Denmark here.

So I did something I like to call the “do they practice what they preach?” test. In this case, the person had an article about how, on FaceBook, you should always send a personal message thanking someone who befriends you, or when you befriend them.

Sounded like pretty good advice.

At least, in theory (although redundant in practice).

So I sally forthed and befriended this person, even including a note saying “cool article about thanking new FaceBook friends” (something like that).

No reply.

What a shock, eh?

Now, don’t get me wrong.

I couldn’t have cared less either way about getting a thank you message (I never send them). And maybe something came up or happened with this person that day.

Who knows?

But it smelled an awful lot like goo-roo to me.

Anyway, what’s the moral of the story?

Goo-roos are a dime a dozen these days.

If you want to know which ones are “for real” or not, simply use the same “do they practice what they preach” test and watch what happens.

It’s not 100% reliable (nobody’s perfect).

But I’ve found it to be extremely accurate most of the time.

Ben Settle

P.S. The April issue of The Crypto Marketing Newsletter goes to print tomorrow:

I just thought of a cool sales letter tip to share.

Something that can not only make your ads easier (and more fun) to write… but that can probably bring in lots more sales to boot.

Check these apples out:

Right now, I’m writing an ad for a supplement product containing some rather… fascinating… healing abilities. But, what’s most interesting about this product is NOT the dramatic health benefits. Nor is it the prestigious customers (which include professional athletes, UFC fighters and tough-as-nails Special Forces soldiers) who use it.

That stuff’s all well and good (and very useful).

But what’s really cool… is the STORY behind the product.

You see, the client discovered one of the product’s ingredients was consumed (for medicinal purposes) by the same tribal thugs in the movie “Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom.”

How’s that for sales letter “fodder”?

I suspect even hideously bad writing, a super lame offer and lots of broken copywriting “rules” probably wouldn’t stop this ad from selling.

Anyway, the point?

You can do the exact same thing, too.

I don’t care how “boring” your product is, either.

I bet if you dig deep enough, you’ll find some cool little quirk, story or “artifact” of history behind your product (or its creator) that instantly transforms your ad from yet another “sales pitch” (blah!)… into an exciting adventure.

The kind of ad people like reading and BUYING from.

And you know what else?

Once you find that cool little adventure in your product, your ad will practically write itself.

No struggling with the keyboard.

And no cursing at the computer.

You just sit down, knock it out and watch the moola role in.

Easy.

Ben Settle

P.S. By the way… speaking of sales letters, one of the bonuses that comes with The Crypto Marketing Newsletter by immediate download, is an advanced “contrarian” sales letter lesson packed with ways to boost your ad response. These are the kind of tips you don’t usually hear goo-roos talk about, require zero “hype” or gimmicks, and are proven to increase sales almost every time.

But the next issue goes to print Thursday.

So if you want “in” before it goes out, grab your whip and fedora hat and fight your way on over to…

Yesterday’s “newbie” email prompted some questions.

One of which was quite intriguing:

“Ben, so many ‘how to get started online’ products really sound great. They all have lots of testimonials of people who claim to do well and I see people talking about them in forums. I just don’t know which ones to trust or not. How do you judge products like this before buying?”

Now that’s an interesting question.

I’ve certainly fallen for my fair share of bunk.

Frankly, I did not have much money when starting out, so the learning curve as to what was for real (and WHO was for real) and what was bogus (and WHO was bogus) didn’t leave much room for error.

And you know what I learned?

To simply buy from the ads with the least empty hype.

And by “empty hype” I mean bragging, boasting and (especially) big income promises without backing anything up (and no, I don’t count “bought and paid for” testimonials or photoshopped screenshots of bank accounts as backing anything up).

This rule of thumb has saved me mucho dineros.

In fact, it’s not just my criteria for buying info products… it’s also how I buy other things, too (it’s even how I decide who to vote for in some cases).

So anyway, there’s my answer.

When in doubt, take the path of least hype.

Ben Settle

P.S. The next issue of The Crypto Marketing Newsletter goes to print next Thursday (April 1st). It’s all about a sneaky way to legally, ethically and shamelessly exploit President Obama (and any OTHER politician you want — regardless of political party) to get more website traffic, build your credibility (big time) and, yes, make more of the green stuff.

I’ve been itching to teach this for a long time.

But never found the right venue for it in until now.

To subscribe in time to get this issue, zip on over to…

Today’s email is for newbies.

The raw and “wriggling” kind.

By that I mean, someone who’s brand spanking new, doesn’t know where to turn, who to trust or what to do first. (And they especially don’t want to waste a bunch of dough on over-hyped goo-roo nonsense.)

If that’s you, then mayhaps this will help:

Below are a few newbie-friendly resources that’ll get you up to speed on the basics of marketing, selling and copywriting extremely fast.

They are dirt cheap (one is even free).

And, if I was just starting out with limited resources, I’d nab these and study them at LEAST 10 times each (and I have).

Ready?

1. The Ultimate Sales Letter – easily the best “copywriting 101” I’ve ever seen, and dirt cheap ($10 on amazon)

2. The System Club Letters – for the right marketing “mindset” ($20 at www.KenMcCarthy.com)

3. The Boron Letters – the basics of direct marketing on a plate (free a www.TheGaryHalbertLetter.com)

4. ?

What’s with the “?”

Well, this is where I’m stuck.

I’m trying to find a single resource (that’s not expensive) for the brand new marketer online. I’m talking about something that shows people, step-by-step, how to do everything from getting a domain name and setting up a web hosting account… to putting up squeeze pages and landing pages… to setting up an auto-responder and blog… to securing a merchant account (PayPal, ClickBank, all the easy ones especially)… the whole kitten-kaboodle.

I’m talking about something that’s 100% “newbie proof.”

That’s very easy to follow and use.

And that will not drain someone’s bank account.

I have some friends working on a series of reports about this now. But in the meantime, I’d like to know if anyone has a single inexpensive resource (book, video, whatever) that will do this.

Do you know of one?

If so, please email me the URL.

Trust me, you’ll be making a lot of peoples’ lives easier.

Over and out.

Ben Settle

P.S. For 12 more “newbie friendly” lessons (by immediate download) about everything from email marketing and blog copywriting… to PPC and article marketing… to even connecting with JV partners and affiliate marketing… check out “The Crypto Marketing Newsletter” over yonder at:

Had a neat Twitter “chat” yesterday.

It was with Terry Dean, and he said something very interesting about this healthcare bill that passed here in the US that’s kinda interesting from a marketer’s point of view.

What did we rap about in 140 characters?

About how it’s not really a “healthcare” bill.

Instead, it’s more of an insurance/tax bill — where you buy insurance or get taxed (or as I like to put it “buying insurance at gunpoint” — after all, what happens if you don’t pay your taxes…)

Now, whether you agree or not isn’t the point.

Personally, I think the bill is as crooked as a question mark.

But that doesn’t matter.

What matters is (as Terry observed)… the power of WORDS.

How a White House “copywriter” took something extremely ugly and unattractive (a tax/mandate)… and dressed it up in pretty, flowery and even NOBLE clothing like “healthcare reform.”

Sounds so innocent, doesn’t it?

So compassionate and humanitarian?

I mean, it’s easy to shoot a tax down.

But how can you be against healthcare?

That, my friend, is the power of words.

For better or worse… mere words can change millions of peoples’ minds. Convince them that what’s good is bad (and what’s bad is good). And, in some cases, literally alter the course of an entire nation.

It’s an awesome power to have, isn’t it?

Just make sure to use your “powers” responsibly.

Especially if you go into politics!

And hey… speaking of politics…

In the next Crypto Marketing Newsletter I’m going to show you how to legally, ethically and shamelessly exploit ANY politician you want (right, left, sideways whatever) to make more of the green stuff.

Only a small handful of people I know of even teach this.

And yet, it can put you on the “map” in a big way.

However, the deadline to subscribe by to get it is April 1.

So grab it while the grabbin’s good…

Ben Settle