Ben Settle

Had an interesting time at the doctor’s last week.

I won’t say it was fun (is going to doctors EVER fun?)

But it was interesting and even kind of useful from a sales and marketing standpoint.

Here’s what happened:

Two weeks ago, I was diagnosed with something by my regular (allopathic) doctor which I have absolutely zero symptoms for (it only showed up on a blood test). And last week I sally forthed to an alternative (anti-aging) doctor for a second opinion.

No… I’m not dying or anything like that.

It’s just a minor league (really minor league) health “glitch” I’m hoping was incorrectly diagnosed the first time. And, frankly, it’s a joke compared to REAL health problems people are facing. (Like cancers, strokes, paralysis, multiple sclerosis, etc.)

Still, it got me to thinking.

Right now, this particular “ailment” is HOT on my mind.

I’m googling everything I can on the subject.

And I’ve sorta become a wannabe expert about it (like I told my naturopathic doctor, “I know just enough about this problem to be dangerous to myself”).

Anyway, here’s the point:

There’s nothing about this health problem that’d bore me.

No sales letter on the subject that’d be too long.

No cold call that’d I hang up on.

And guess what?

Chances are, you have people like this in YOUR market, too — who really want to solve the problem you have the answer for.

And if you want to make selling super easy, focus on THEM.

In fact, if you do, you almost can’t fail.

Anyhoo… something to think about.

For lots more natural sales cures directly from Doctor Settle’s prescription pad, check out:

Ben Settle

Have you heard the latest FTC hoopla?

The gummint “chatter” about how they are reviewing the testimonial laws and (from what I’ve seen) making them so tight, it won’t hardly even be worth using testimonials anymore?

Well, nobody really knows what’s coming down the pike.

But a lot of marketers seem pretty freaked out by the idea.

Me?

I rarely rely on testimonials (even if I have them) to do my selling for me.

They are, in my opinion, one of the weakest forms of proof out there right now since they’re so easily manufactured and since most sound completely canned anyway.

Hey, don’t get me wrong.

I LOVE using testimonials.

And I use them in my own ads when possible.

But this lame idea that you “need” testimonials is a myth. (I can remember at least one time where testimonials HURT my response.)

And you know what?

If you can’t sell without testimonials, you got bigger problems.

Probably with your positioning, story-telling or (most likely) with your message to market match.

Anyway, here’s my point:

Don’t let the FTC’s latest brain fart shake you up.

If you focus on learning to sell using the natural (never changing) laws of human behavior and basic sales psychology, you got nuttin’ to fear from the FTC boogeyman.

In fact, do you know what?

Since so many other marketers tend to rely on testimonials (instead of learning how to SELL), you’ll be WAY ahead of the game.

Just use their ignorance to your advantage.

Ben Settle

P.S. For dozens of ways to sell without needing so much as a single testimonial, check out my new book Crackerjack Selling Secrets:

Let’s rap about testing today.

Do you REALLY need to test?

Or is it just something other marketers like to say when they can’t answer your question?

My opinion?

Testing is MUCHO important.

In fact, if you don’t do it, you’ll kill your own profits.

How so?

Well, it’s kinda like in the movie “Iron Man.”

Ever see that flick?

Part of the story is about how billionaire weapons creator Tony Stark (Iron Man) gets caught in a terrorist attack, and the explosion lodges little pieces of shrapnel into his chest that are constantly moving towards his heart.

And once they make it — bam! — he’s a dead man.

The solution?

One of Tony’s fellow prisoners (the terrorists capture Tony to make them a missile) hooks up a makeshift electromagnet to Tony’s chest which keeps all those tiny pieces of razor sharp shrapnel from reaching his heart. (While also making his Iron Man “super suit” work.)

Anyway, here’s the point:

Testing is the EXACT same way.

It’s like strapping a giant electromagnet to your ads that keeps all the “shrapnel” in your market (i.e. your competitions’ ads) from destroying your response.

I don’t care how “killer” your ad is, either.

Sooner or later it WILL get massacred.

Unless, of course, you keep testing and measuring.

So yeah, testing is big time important.

By the way, this is why I’m keen on interviewing a testing expert for my upcoming Crackerjack Selling CD Club who can guide people through how to do it.

I’m not sure exactly who, yet.

But it’s definitely on my list of “must haves.”

So anyway, as Iron Man himself would say:

Just like superheroes, great marketing isn’t born — it’s built.

And usually one simple test at a time.

Ben Settle

I get a ton of questions about writing emails.

Usually people want to know the “how to’s” of doing it — like where to put the order links, how to write the call to action, how to test them, and so on and so forth.

All VERY good questions.

But you know what?

While most people are running through the streets weeping and gnashing their teeth over why folks aren’t BUYING from their emails… the first step is getting the darn emails READ in the first place, yeah?

And below are 10 reasons why people delete emails.

There are LOTS more reasons than this.

But if you write your next email with each of these in mind, I bet you’ll write something that sticks out like a fart in study hall in your lists’ inboxes.

Here they are…

• Not relevant (to their problems)

• They just don’t feel like reading them

• Blatant sales pitches

• Too hard to read (usually from cluttered formatting)

• Arrogance (let’s face it… there are few things more annoying than someone who thinks their poop doesn’t stink)

Anyway, those are just a FEW reasons why emails are zapped.

Wait a minute… what’s that?

You still want to know the actual “how to’s” of writing emails?

I’m afraid that, my friend, is a topic for another day.

(Don’t you hate when people do that?)

In the meantime, for lots of great email marketing tips, check out Appendix 8 of The Copywriting Grab Bag:

Ben Settle

Lately, people have been asking me about NLP.

Is it really some near-magical persuasion technique that lets you all but control someone’s mind?

Or is it just more overhyped goo-roo nonsense?

My answer?

I have no idea, either way.

All I know about NLP is the subject bores me to tears — despite trying to learn about it from people I consider to be excellent teachers.

However, I WILL say this:

While it may indeed be the second coming of John Caples or Frank Bettger, I seriously doubt it’ll do as much for you as just mastering the fundamentals.

Let me give you one of my favorite examples.

Something I originally heard while interviewing top copywriting and marketing pro Doug D’Anna for my Copywriting Grab Bag book.

He gave what I call his “dog cookie secret”, and it goes like this:

Let’s say you have a dog and you want him to come to you. You can try to coax the dog to come to you using all the latest “cutting edge” persuasion and manipulation tricks. Or… you can just hold up his favorite cookie.

Which do you think will get the job done better?

Anyway, here’s the point:

If NLP works for you, then by all means USE it.

But whether you use it or not, you can never go wrong with this “oldie but goodie” sales principle that’s worked for thousands of years:

It’s simple and works like a charm every time.

Ben Settle

P.S. For 101 proven sales principles that are easy to use and work like gangbusters, check out my upcoming CD club at:

Recently, I had a nifty “chat” with Dr. Glenn Livingston.

Glenn is an AdWords “wizard” and marketing psychologist who knows all kinds of cool ways to uncover what people want to buy (probably even before they do!)

We rapped about LOTS of fascinating things, too.

Like how to write “can’t-resist” email subject lines. Or how to use a classic Batman comic book to write super-profitable PPC ads. Or how to take advantage of all the rampant “marketing incest” going on in business these days. (i.e. When everyone in a market is copying everyone else in that market until they all just get dumber and dumber.)

And so on, and so forth.

Anyway, to listen to our call just high tail it over to:

Oh… and one more thing:

Maybe Glenn was using some of his psychologist tricks on me, but this was EASILY one of the single most valuable interviews I’ve ever done.

And I really never intended to give away this much info.

Enjoy 😉

Ben Settle

A few weeks ago, I received an interesting email.

It was from someone who wanted to hire me to write an ad, and one of the things she said was I make writing seem “effortless.”

Which I found kind of ironic.

Why?

Because the reality is I don’t find writing effortless at all.

I find it extremely hard.

I actually HATE writing.

In fact, to quote the late, great copywriter Sir Gary of Halbert:

But… since it pays the bills I do it anyway.

And thank God there ARE ways to make it easier (and even fun).

Below are just a few of these ways…

1. Write every day

Hey, it may sound corny, but it really is true the more you do something, the easier and more “routine” it gets.

2. Write like you talk

If you can talk, you can write.

I know of one person who writes entire BOOKS just by reading into a recorder while driving around and then transcribing it.

3. Don’t try to impress anyone

Forget pleasing other writers or copywriters or whatever.

Say what needs saying and let the chips fall wherever they may. Yes… some people WILL whine and complain. Might as well expect it. But most will love you for it and even become your biggest fans.

4. Be “real”

Be YOU and not a warmed-over version of someone else. Frankly, it makes writing easier, faster and more persuasive.

5. Keep it pithy

When in doubt… snip it out.

’nuff said.

6. Tell stories

This is the EASIEST way to write.

It’s also the easiest way for people to remember your message.

Even memory training experts teach putting everything in story format because it makes it easier for people’s brains to remember and “process” information.

7. Respect peoples’ time

This is a biggie.

One reason ads, emails, blogs, etc are ignored is because people are too busy to be bothered reading them. And if you simply respect your readers’ time (like for example, by being pithy), they’ll be FAR more likely to hear you out (and, yes, buy).

Anyway, just some ideas to consider.

For lots MORE writing tips (used by some of the world’s highest paid copywriters and bloggers), check out:

Ben Settle

Today I got a rather unusual success tip.

Something I’ve personally used myself.

And, if you do it, I believe will have a HUGE and wonderful impact on your business, your profits and even your ego.

Anyway, here’s the scoop:

Back in my MLM days I once attended a “ho-hum” network marketing event that was mostly the “ra ra!” jump-up-and-down antics I usually saw at these things.

And yet, one speech stuck out like a sore thumb.

What happened was, this lady speaker (can’t remember her name) told the story about how she and her husband built their huge business in their small town. And how, whenever they had any success, this psycho chick (apparently her name was “Amy”) would try sabotaging them.

Amy did some really nasty things, too.

Like spreading lies about them (and their kids), trying to get their other businesses shut down, and even trying to have them blacklisted by everyone in town.

Pretty freaky stuff.

Yet, extremely helpful, too.

Because she said, despite Amy’s agenda, they were grateful for her.

Why?

Because Amy became the “driving force” in their business.

Every time Amy tried some new shenanigan, they got that much more angry and determined to succeed (ultimately their business exploded in sales to the tune of hundreds of thousands of smackeroos per year).

And at the end she asked:

“Who’s YOUR Amy?”

Who’s actively sabotaging YOU?

I knew who my “Amy” was.

And this person has no idea how much he/she helped me when the chips were down and I wanted to quit.

Heck, even TODAY my “Amy” sometimes gnaws at my mind.

And each time that happens I end up with some new breakthrough that makes me want to go find my Amy (wherever my Amy is nowadays), get on my knees and say “thank you!”

Anyway, I bet you have an Amy, too, don’t you?

Someone just ITCHING to see you fail?

And who wants to be there when it happens?

If not, then consider making your #1 goal to figure out who your Amy is (everyone’s got an Amy). Then prove Amy wrong (by succeeding). Then go and thank Amy for the “help.”

It’ll be the most therapeutic (and profitable) thing you ever do.

It’ll also piss Amy off 😉

Ben Settle
www.EmailPlayers.com

The following little ditty isn’t for everyone.

But I’ve been getting so many questions about the upcoming Crackerjack Selling CD Club, I wanted to send this to everyone — and not just the notification list.

If you couldn’t care less either way, please delete this email.

It’ll probably bore you to tears.

But if you are interested (or mildly curious) the following will shed some light on what’s going on.

Let’s kick it off with this little zinger I got yesterday…

QUESTION: I’m getting tired of going through the trouble of clicking the teaser links in your daily emails only to see the same page with a sign up form every time. Please stop with putting those dam links in there until it’s ready it’s annoying.

BEN: Your request has been received…

… processed…

… and — BZZZT! — denied.

You see, it’s like this:

1. I get new subscribers every single day and I’d be doing them a disservice not telling them about the notification list.

2. If something persuades you to click each day, then maybe you should figure out WHY. One great way to learn sales is to observe what works on you, yeah?

3. Is clicking a link really that hard?

If so, then I suggest summoning all your might and clicking the “unsubscribe” link at the bottom of this email.

Life’s too short to be on email lists that annoy you.

QUESTION: When is the launch date?

BEN: Hopefully sometime in October or November.

But don’t quote me on that.

QUESTION: What’s it gonna cost?

BEN: Probably $67 per month (but don’t quote me on that either).

Not exactly a fortune.

But it’s not cheap, either.

If you don’t have the budget for this (there’s certainly no crime in that), and if you’re not someone who eagerly applies new sales and marketing information, you’re better off not buying it.

QUESTION: I know you said this will be a physical CD and transcript each month. Will there be a website archive to download the previous months’ recordings?

BEN: Negative.

You will be able to buy previous months’ CD & transcript. But it will be more expensive than the monthly Crackerjack Selling CD Club subscription rate.

Why?

Besides the obvious reason, I also want to reward long term subscribers, and not give others for free what they paid for.

QUESTION: Can I buy the book without joining the continuity?

The book is not for sale anywhere else. The only way to get it is to join the Crackerjack Selling CD Club.

Also, there will be no refunds on this.

You can cancel any time you want, of course. But all sales are final. I want to make it clear to any and all “refund-artists”, they might as well not even waste their time on this.

QUESTION: What the heck’s taking so long?

BEN: That’s a very good question.

Fact is, this project has been plagued by delays. But there IS light at the end of the tunnel.

So patience, grasshopper.

It’s coming.

And the good things come to those who wait, yeah?

Ben Settle