Ben Settle

Ready for another “Marketing Monsters” episode?

You are?

Okay then… below are 3 more blood-thirsty marketing monsters prowling the countryside looking for fresh new victims to sink their teeth into:

MONEY-SNATCHING POD MAN

This marketer is always seeking large amounts of affiliates to sell substandard products to their lists in a “feeding frenzy.”

In other words…

These affiliates are pushed into promoting some “new” product to their lists in a very short time frame (often with the same pre-written email about how they were on the phone with the product creator and learned of a new way to do whatever it is the product is supposed to do.)

The product creator makes out like a bandit.

And the hapless affiliates sacrifice their reputations and any built-up TRUST they once had with their lists on his blood-stained alter.

THE GURU GHOUL

This monster often appears as a “guru.”

And he looks exactly like an expert.

Yet, he’s the complete opposite!

You see, what he does is, he lures unwary newbies in his market (usually “rabid” markets) to his cave and devours their every last penny — while delivering little or no real value.

And to make matters worse…

He is a master at using “social proof.”

In fact, he’s so unbelievably good at using it, his victims actually think he’s doing them a favor — almost like it’s a privilege — as he consumes their last dime.

APATHETIC ALIEN FROM PLANET X

This marketer LOOKS like other ethical marketers.

Frankly at first glance you cannot tell the difference between him and a decent human being who cares about his customers.

Until you buy something, that is.

Fly in your food?

“Tough luck.”

Car brakes squeak 3 days after you drive off the lot?

“So? Not my problem anymore.”

Product still hasn’t arrived after 9 weeks?

“Be patient.”

Avoid this soulless entity who couldn’t care less about you or your fellow earthlings at ALL costs. He’s a miserable wretch who hates his own business.

And nothing likes company more than misery.

OK, that’s enough geeky foolishness for today.

Turn on your nightlight, close the closet door and look under your bed. These monsters are everywhere — always hungry, prowling the darkness for victims.

Don’t you be their next meal…

Ben Settle

P.S. You can see previous “Marketing Monster” episodes at:

Holy Shnike!

Yesterday’s bit about money-flashing goo-roos touched a nerve.

It also prompted the following question, too:

“Ben, how can you tell if someone’s legit besides the publicly counting money thing? I have started noticing that sometimes the better the marketing is the worst the product is. Any other tips?”

Well, I have a theory about this.

It’s a bit on the weird side (actually, more like the “retro” side).

But I have found it to be true 9 out of 10 times.

Ready?

OK, well, it’s kinda like Fonzie from “Happy Days.”

The Fonz didn’t have to go around telling people he was cool. He didn’t have to pick fights with people to show he was a tough guy. And he didn’t have to brag about being with a million chicks because, frankly, he always walked into Arnold’s with a hotty in each arm.

In other words, he didn’t have to SAY he was cool.

People just KNEW it.

Just like everyone knew Potsy was a dork.

Or that Ralph Mouth was a jackass.

Or that Richie Cunningham was a square.

And whether it was because of his reputation, his actions or the “air” about him — when people said Fonzie was cool, there was no argument.

Same goes with the goo-roos today.

The good ones don’t have to tell you how cool they are.

You just KNOW it.

Because if there’s any doubt their products will do what they claim, they won’t just tell you how wonderful their stuff is… they’ll PROVE it to you.

And not by flapping their gums, either.

But by demonstrating it to you via their knowledge, reputation, the company they keep and, yes, a solid sales pitch that’s not packed full of fluff, lies or exclamation marks.

Anyway, my point is, all you gotta do is observe.

It’s the best way to tell between the Fonzies and the wannabes.

Ben Settle

P.S. Want to be “cool” with your sales and marketing? Then do what the Fonz would do — grab your black leather jacket, hop on your Harley, and speed on over to:

Every so often, I get a question goes like this:

“Ben, I’m tired of wasting money and time on expensive marketing courses that turn out to be just more of the same old rehashed information. How can I tell the fakes and frauds from the legitimate gurus with quality products?“

Interesting question, eh?

And the following is a giant “red flag” I look for.

A red flag that, when I have ignored it, I regretted it in (almost) every single case. And while there are exceptions to what I’m about to say, avoiding buying from people who do this has served me extremely well so far.

Anyway, here’s the red flag:

Publicly counting their money.

In other words, do they spend all their time bragging about their fancy cars, houses and other “toys”? Is their main “proof element” a screenshot of their bank account? Do they constantly drone on and on about all the moola they banked last week?

Narrows the list of goo-roos to buy from doesn’t it?

Now, just to be clear, I’m not saying this is ALWAYS the case.

There ARE exceptions.

And I’m not judging anyone specifically.

Just telling you my criteria.

And this is why my shelf of sales and marketing courses is actually pretty small. I don’t waste my time on nonsense just because someone knows how to work the affiliate machine.

Plus, here’s something else to think about:

How wise is someone who publicly counts their money?

I mean, think about it:

If some sue-happy shark of a lawyer (or, worse, attorney general) is swimming around looking for lunch, what better “chum” is there than the latest guru blabbing about all the smackeroos he makes in his advertising?

Just don’t make no sense to me.

But hey, maybe I’m the odd ball when it comes to this stuff.

Whatever.

Again, I’m NOT saying it’s ALWAYS the case. And there are times when it make sense to do a little showboating.

But for the most part, I avoid the cash-flashers.

Ben Settle

P.S. For 101 ways to sell your products and services all day long (without revealing the details of your bank account, the size of your house, or how many cars you have), then zip on over to:

Let’s rap about email marketing today, shall we?

I’m happy to report I recently found a very cool, “hidden” benefit of writing emails. A really simple secret that can easily (and quickly) put more money in your hot, little hand.

Would you like to know what it is?

I thought you might 😉

Check this out:

Even though I started writing daily emails at the end of last year, I just recently (as in a few days ago — I’m slow sometimes), noticed a cool little “side effect” that happened as a result — besides the extra smackeroos this activity brings.

What was the discovery I noticed?

I realized my last few sales letters were created extremely fast compared to before — as in literally half the time (or less!)

No, mi amigo, I’m not joking.

What used to take me 2-3 weeks now takes one, with the words flowing from my keyboard as easily and naturally as lies flow from a politician’s yapper.

And this has NOTHING to do with natural talent.

I traced this newfound speed directly to writing daily emails.

And you know what? I bet the same would happen for you, too.

In fact, here’s a challenge for ya:

For the next 30 days, I double dog dare you to turn it up a notch and knock out ONE email per weekday. (Weekends optional).

I mean, why not?

The worst that can happen is I’m wrong, you pump out some more content, and maybe even make a little extra dough to boot.

But what if I’m right?

What if you started writing your ads, blog posts, articles, etc TWICE as fast (or faster)? How much time would that free up? How much more moola do you think you’d rake in? How much stress would that eliminate?

Anyway, I hope you try my little test.

It’s not nearly as hard as it seems.

In fact, it could go a lot easier than you thought.

Ben Settle

P.S. Email marketing is definitely something I’m going to teach in my Crackerjack Selling CD Club — www.CrackerjackSelling.com — in the coming months. Including one secret (nobody EVER talks about) that, even if you do everything else “wrong”, will almost certainly make your emails twice as profitable.

Remember when I wrote about my gun a few weeks ago?

And how the story of how (and why) I bought my gun illustrated the folly of selling on price? And how many people will often NOT buy something cheap at all (no matter what the quality)?

Well, guess what?

I just thought of another example of this.

Check this out:

While on my road trip last month, we stopped in St. George, Utah where we briefly lived a couple years ago. While there we figured we’d say hello to everyone we knew.

And the FIRST place we went was a place called “Don Pedros.”

Why?

Because dang if they don’t have the BEST Mexican food I’ve ever eaten. And in the two years since leaving St. George, we had practically dreamt about eating there again someday.

I kid you not, either.

The food is THAT good.

And price was definitely NOT an issue.

We were even saying how they could have charged us $100 for our take-out and we wouldn’t have cared (hey, we’re suckers for Mexican food).

Again, not everyone is looking for “cheap.”

What?

You want another example?

OK, how about these apples:

We have approximately 3 gas stations in town. And yet, the busiest (the only one we even want to go to anymore) is easily the most EXPENSIVE.

Even with last year’s sky high gas prices it seemed busiest.

What’s their secret?

Well, I can only speculate.

But in addition to them pumping your gas (which is state law), they also check your tire pressure and oil level, top off your fluids, clean your windshield and even wipe down your side mirrors.

All while sitting in your car breathing the ocean air.

Remember, this is gasoline we’re talking about. The one product where people brag about driving 20 miles out of the way to save 2 cents per gallon on (often bad quality) gas.

So again, the message is clear:

Not everyone buys on price.

Not everyone wants “cheap.”

And if you simply target lovers of quality and convenience, price will almost never matter.

In fact, a high price may even work in your favor.

Ben Settle

P.S. For 101 easy, ethical and reliable ways to sell your product or service (no matter how expensive), hop on over to:

I’ve written a little about mastermind groups before.

Especially how big an impact they’ve had on my business.

And over the past few months, one question that keeps popping up is, “OK Ben, I’m sold. I want to be in a mastermind group. But how do I find one to join?”

My answer?

I have no idea.

I was invited to the two groups I’m in. So the only advice I have is, if you can’t find one, start one and fill it with 4 or 5 people who are better than you at things you want to be better at.

In other words, “play” with better “players.”

Kinda like martial arts.

If you spar with Chuck Norris every month, you’ll get FAR better than if you spar with your wimpy white belt neighbor who’s never thrown a punch in his life.

This then, leads to the second question:

“How do I structure a mastermind group?”

This question always makes me chuckle because it assumes there even IS any structure in the mastermind groups I belong to. Seriously, there’s zero formality in the groups I’m in. Usually what happens is, every month, one of us emails the group and says, “Hey dudes, when’s the next mastermind? I’m getting the ‘shakes’ and need my fix!”

We then hammer out a day/time and get to business.

In both the groups, we meet by phone, have a semi-formal (I stress “semi”) format where everyone talks about what’s going on with their businesses.

Is this the best way to do it? Is it ideal?

I honestly don’t know.

But I can tell you this:

We are all VERY anxious to meet. There is zero pressure. And it’s a heckuva lot of FUN. In fact, you want to know something funny? I’ve gotten some of the most profitable ideas I’ve ever used this way. I can’t remember even one meeting where I did not walk away with some extremely profitable tip, strategy or idea.

Again, is this the best way?

Maybe, maybe not.

But it works for us.

And, if nothing else, it’s an easy way to get started with your own mastermind group.

Ben Settle

P.S. To “virtually mastermind” with the best sales and marketing pros in the game, check out:

How about a nifty test result to kick off the week?

I don’t usually like doing this, because it can (and often DOES) lead people astray. After all, one man’s million-dollar test result is another man’s business-killer. Something I learned a long time ago from Terry Dean, including when I interviewed him for my Copywriting Grab Bag book.

But in this case, I’m making an exception.

Anyway, here’s the scoop:

Recently, in a business I work with, we tested two sales letters:

1. Offering JUST the video version of the product
2. Offering the video AND the manual version of the product

It was our guess the version with both would win.

The way we figured it, text and video would be more appealing allowing us to pluck more “low hanging fruit.”

But that ain’t what happened.

So far, the version offering both the video and manual is losing.

Question is why?

Why would offering MORE value hurt response?

There could be many reasons (including some design reasons we’re working on).

But either way, I have a theory about this.

A guess based purely on observation.

Anyway, here it is:

It used to be sending someone a “big box of stuff” was the way to go. More bulk equals more content which equals more perceived value. And so, it made a lot of sense.

But now, I believe the opposite is true.

At least, in a lot of cases (although not all).

Reason why is because, today, more than at any time in human history, people are so low on time, with more things competing for their attention (Internet, more and better TV shows, more entertainment choices, working longer hours, etc etc etc) than ever before, that something that LOOKS like a lot to digest is actually a big, fat turn off.

Especially for people who value time over money.

In other words, I suspect for many people (and I’m definitely in this camp) a few videos (or a single 100 page manual) that gives a “push button” solution is FAR more valuable than a box of 17 DVD’s, with a 500 page manual and 14 bonus reports, etc.

It’s almost like less is better now.

But hey… don’t take my word for it.

Test this out for yourself.

The results may just surprise you.

Ben Settle

While I love movies, I’m NOT Hollywood’s biggest fan.

Almost everything it cranks out these days is either trashy, lame or (in far too many cases) just flat out bores me to tears.

BUT… once in a while something decent emerges.

Not just good movies, but also good business ideas, too.

Take for example, these “reboots.”

Over the past 4 years it seems all Hollyweird does is reboot old movie franchises. Everything from comic book movies like Batman, Superman and The Incredible Hulk… to TV series like “V”, Buffy The Vampire Slayer and 90210 (ouch!)… to even “cult classic” horror movies like A Nightmare On Elm Street, Friday The 13th and The Omen.

What’s this got to do with your marketing?

Well, like them or not, reboots can be HUGE cash cows.

And often, with little or no real effort or brain power needed.

And guess what?

If the pinheads running “Tinseltown” can rake in the dough with reboots, then there’s no reason why you and I can’t do the same thing, too.

In other words:

If you find your sales dropping off (or dying) give it the ol’ Hollywood treatment by “rebooting” your ideas, marketing strategies, advertising, customer service, employees and anything else holding up the train.

What’s that?

You want some examples?

OK, for one thing, you could create a new personality for your marketing. Or a new spokesperson in your ads. Or even an entirely new product name.

If you only send one email per month, blast one per WEEK.

Or, if you’re REALLY ambitious, bang out an email per DAY. (My sales shot up when I started doing that. As have the sales of one of my clients. And BTW… email marketing is something I’ll definitely be covering in-depth in my coming CD-of-the-month deal — www.CrackerjackSelling.com)

Another reboot idea is creating your ads in 100% video.

Or 100% audio.

Or a “hybrid” of text, audio and video.

And you can do this with anything else:

Like your product packaging, website design, lead generation methods, product line, service providers and so on. All can be rebooted any time you want. And any one of those reboots could be worth mucho smackola.

Anyway, what’s the “bottom line”?

Hollywood makes a TON of easy smackeroos with reboots.

And if those bozos can do it, we can, too.

Ben Settle

Curious…

The #1 question I get asked about is Twitter.

Why?

I don’t know.

I’m certainly NOT a Twitter expert.

But because Twitter’s what the Crackerjack Selling fandom wants to learn more about, that’s what I’m gonna give ya. Specifically, how to have IMPACT on Twitter, so you’re hard to ignore, easy to follow and impossible to forget.

Here goes…

1. One “Follow Friday” Plug At A Time

What I mean is, list ONE person (not multiple people) and a reason why someone should follow them. This has 10 times more impact than listing 5 or 6 people and no reason to follow them.

And it’ll “up” your chances of getting some RT lovin’, too.

2. Be Thought-Provoking

The BEST example of this I’ve ever seen is Blair Warren (@blairwarren — follow him!) Sometimes I think if there was a way to automatically RT his tweets, I’d do it.

You gotta read his tweets to see what I mean.

And when you do, I think you’ll agree he’s a master at impact.

3. Stop Thinking Content Is King

It ain’t.

I’m not saying not to give content or that it doesn’t work. But it does not (and never will) have the impact learning how to sell has. (BTW, I’m not talking about hyping or pitching — I’m talking about selling, a completely different “animal.”)

For 101 ways to sell (many that work even for sites like Twitter):