Ben Settle

I hope this doesn’t gross you out.

My goal is NOT to make you squirm in your seat or be paranoid whenever you go out to eat. It’s to illustrate a very powerful sales and marketing lesson any one of us can learn (and profit) from.

Anyway, here’s the story:

Couple days ago I tried a new restaurant in town. I’d read a rave review about it in the local paper. And, since it is still new, I figured it was time to check out their cheeseburgers.

So I get home, open the carton and get ready to dig in.

Except… I see a black, scraggly looking thing next to my burger that turned out to be a dead (deep fried) fly.

Ugh.

Thank God I look before I eat, eh?

So call the place up and tell them what happened. I mean, there could be some punk working there who did it on purpose for all we knew. And I figured the owner would want to know either way.

The guy’s response?

“Hmm. That’s a first.”

No wanting to fix it.

No trying to do something to keep our business (or keep me from telling other people about the fly).

No caring whatsoever.

Frankly, his level of concern was as dead as the fly on my plate.

And yet… I would have probably given his “bistro” a second chance (in a few months) and probably told everyone how great the place is (thereby sending it more business) if they’d simply tried to make things cool.

Anyway, here’s the point:

If you want to increase your sales, get lots of repeat customers and have word of mouth marketing (one of the best kind there is) kicking in… all you have to do is CARE about your customers.

Treat them with some respect.

And, if something does go wrong, make it right.

It usually doesn’t take that much effort.

But when you have super happy customers roaming the streets practically proselytizing on your behalf… spreading the good news about how wonderful your business is… and even selling people on buying your stuff… success is a cake walk.

In fact, you almost can’t fail.

Ben Settle

P.S. You can stick out like a sore thumb from all the “dead fly” marketing in the world, with the 101 easy & ethical sales tips at:

OK, so I saw Terminator 4 yesterday.

And while it was a fun movie… it was also a total bummer, too.

Why?

Because T4’s marketing team made a stupid mistake that (I believe) has cost them a TON of sales by making almost sure many of us will NOT see the movie a second time (until it comes out on DVD, at least).

Here’s what happened:

Like millions of Terminator fans… I anxiously wanted see this movie since it was first announced. They had a cool idea, an awesome cast and, despite his having directed the “Charlies Angels” movies (not my cup of tea), the director had always done a good job with the show “Supernatural.”

And so I couldn’t wait to blast my way into theaters to see it.

Especially after watching the movie trailers.

Each trailer was like an advertising masterpiece — with excellent dialogue, action sequences and ideas. Giving just enough away to wet your appetite and make you hot to watch the movie.

And that’s where they shot themselves in the keester.

Because, while most of those cool trailer scenes were in the movie… a few of the REALLY good parts weren’t.

Which makes you feel kinda… cheated.

Or, at the very least, disappointed.

And, I believe, this is “terminating” its ticket sales.

In fact, T4 took a box office “beat down” from “Night At The Museum 2”!

Which is pretty pathetic.

Especially since Terminator has a built-in fanbase of pre-sold customers stretching 25 years long.

And you know what?

I believe this is due (in many ways) to T4 not fulfilling on its advertising promises. After all, if you buy something because of what you read in an ad and feel cheated, what are the chances of you buying anything from that business again?

There are probably more reasons T4 lost to NATM 2.

But I’m pretty sure one of the main reasons John Conner got his ass kicked by Robin Williams and Ben Stiller is because T4’s advertising made too many cool promises it didn’t deliver on.

Anyway, important lesson for when creating your own ads.

Even if you get away with making promises you don’t fully deliver on from a legal standpoint… you probably won’t from a financial standpoint.

Because disappointed customers rarely come back again.

And rarely tell their friends, family, etc to buy from you, either.

Alright, that’s it for today.

Tomorrow… Awl Be Bawk.

Ben Settle

P.S. You can be like the “Terminator” of YOUR market — relentless, bullet proof, immune to pain and destruction — with the 101 easy and ethical sales and marketing tips at:

Ever watch the show “Supernatural”?

It’s by FAR one of my favorite TV shows.

In fact, it’s 1 of only about 4 or 5 I watch at all.

Basically, it’s about two brothers who travel around in a cool car listening to classic rock and killing evil supernatural beings — like vampires, werewolves, ghouls, monsters, demons, etc.

Total “Generation X” TV show.

And it’s especially cool when they snag demons in a “devils trap.”

This is a special circle drawn on the floor (or ceiling) that, when a demon enters it, they cannot get out. And the two brothers can basically do whatever they want to them while the demons are in there — torture them, exorcise them, beat the crap out of them, whatever.

And you know what?

This exact same thing goes on in business, too.

This is where, instead of persuading people to buy, scummy businesses try to “trap” people into buying.

But instead of a magic circle… they use “tricks” and games.

Like (for example) suckering people with bait & switch to get you in the door… keeping you waiting purposely (to make you feel like you’ve “invested” time and won’t want to leave)… or (and this is a doozy) matter-of-factly asking you to “just initial real quick” some innocent looking (but binding) contract… etc

All VERY common customer traps.

But all extremely dumb, too.

Because even if someone does buy, they’ll NEVER buy from you again, and will almost certainly tell OTHERS not to buy from you either.

Which kind of sucks, doesn’t it?

Especially in the age of social media sites — where one bad comment zips around the globe with a few taps on the keyboard and a push of a button.

Bottom line?

We don’t need to trap people into buying or listening to us. We don’t need “tricks and tactics.” And we don’t need to play games with anyone’s heads.

I’m not saying that stuff doesn’t work.

But it’s like losing weight by snorting cocaine each day instead of exercising and eating right:

It may work SHORT term, but in the end it’ll kill your sales.

For 101 easy and ethical ways (no shady tricks required) to sell — online, offline, or on the sideline — check out:

Ben Settle

Been getting LOTS of email marketing questions.

And today I figured I’d jump on my high horse and gallop on over to the computer to answer them.

Ready?

QUESTION: How long should my emails be?

BEN: IMHO, emails should be like a woman’s skirt:

So I shoot for 350-500 words.

BUT… long ones can work like gangbusters, too.

While back, I wrote an extremely long email about some people who tried to indoctrinate me into their weirdo cult.

And you know what?

Even though there was only one link (at the very bottom)… and had nothing to do with copywriting… it sold more Copywriting Grab Bag books than most of the shorter ones.

Interesting, eh?

QUESTION: How do you respond to angry and nasty emails?

BEN: When the nitwits come a-knocking, do these two things:

1. Delete ’em.
2. Realize they’re losers — with a capital “L”.

They’re just like the two old guys in the balcony in The Muppets — always heckling everyone and spouting negativities.

But you know what?

The farty old balcony muppets are at least funny.

The email hecklers are just pathetic.

QUESTION: How often should I send emails?

BEN: I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again:

The more emails I send, the bigger and faster my list grows… the more new copywriting client inquiries I get… the more people buy my products… etc.

But you have to know what you’re doing.

There’s an art and science to email.

And like any art… the more you practice, the better you become. And like any science… the more you measure and test, the more predictable your results.

QUESTION: How can I write riveting email copy?

BEN: Write like you talk — warts and all.

Unfortunately, most marketers write dry, boring and (worst of all) “intellectual” emails. Always trying to sound educated and “professional.”

Bah!

Screw all that.

Have FUN with email.

Loosen up, and don’t worry about offending the snobs, elitists and “PC police”. Trust me, most people would MUCH rather hang with a regular person than some stuffy intellectual who uses a $5 word when a 5 cent word gets the job done.

Wouldn’t you?

Anyway, email is a VERY cool thing.

And if you know how to wield it — like an ancient samurai warrior wielding a katana blade — you’ll slice right through your competition and make out like a bandit.

In fact, eventually it’ll be like you’re the ONLY one people read.

Because frankly, you WILL be the only one people read.

Ben Settle

P.S. There’s an entire appendix about email marketing in The Copywriting Grab Bag from email “pioneer” Terry Dean — who was cranking out profitable emails before most of us were even on the Internet.

Got a real doozie of a marketing tip for you today.

Check this out:

So was listening to the local radio station when a certain ad comes on.

An ad that made a HUGE (but common) blunder.

Even amongst copywriters and marketers who should know better.

Let me ‘splain:

In my little “jerk-water” town, there’s this very popular eye doctor who’s caught the advertising “bug” and is now running ads on the local radio station.

Which is GOOD.

But instead of selling, persuading or trying to, you know, make a profit… this ad is teaching us all about the benefits of having good eyesight. Like how good eyesight will make us better drivers, athletes, etc.

And that’s BAD.

Why?

Because it all goes back to the old adage:

In other words, instead of selling us on why we need good eyesight… what he SHOULD do is describe a list of common eye problems people can relate to.

Maybe like this:

“Do you see little ‘sparkles’ sometimes and not sure why? Are your eyes sensitive to bright light? Do you have trouble seeing at night when driving? Do your eyes twitch while watching TV or staring at a computer screen? Any one of these symptoms may seem innocent… but could also mean you have a very serious eye disease that can hurt your vision or even blind you…”

OK, I know zippo about eye problems and made that up.

But do you see how that works?

And then, after scaring the crap out of us… a call to action:

“The good news is, most of these problems can be fixed if caught early by a professional eye doctor. And if you make an appointment with the Eye Center between May 18 and June 1 we’re giving free eye checkups… yada yada yada…”

Pretty simple, eh?

Hey, a little salesmanship goes a LONG way these days.

Especially in a world awash in bad marketing.

For 101 more easy and ethical sales tips like this, check out:

Ben Settle

I have a rather strange (even by my standards) tip today.

But, if you take it to heart, I think you’ll find selling your products and services a whole lot easier… and even “routine.”

Anyway, here’s the story:

It tends to rain a LOT in my neck of the woods.

And for the longest time, when taking my dog out during long rain stretches, if she didn’t do her “duty” quick, it got really frustrating.

Usually, she’d take her time sniffing and looking for a spot until, at last, she’d squat like she was going to do her thing… only to suddenly stop and stand back up again.

Not just once… but several times for 15 or 20 minutes:

Sniff, squat, stand back up.

Sniff, squat, stand back up.

I call ’em “phantom poops” and, as you can imagine, it can get REALLY annoying out in the cold rain.

And you know what?

This exact same thing happens ALL the time in business, too.

Customers have their credit cards out and are seemingly ready to pull the trigger… ready to buy… only to stop at the last minute and decide NOT to buy until later (or maybe not at all).

It can be extremely frustrating.

Especially if you’ve been trying to land a big client or contract.

And if you don’t know how to deal with this, you’ll end up walking around in the rain with people for days and weeks as they sniff around for a good spot, with no guarantee they’ll ever “go.”

Hey, I admit I do the same thing.

I often read and re-read sales letters, email and call with questions, and sometimes “sniff” around for months until I buy. This is especially true before I hire a service provider or buy a high ticket product.

It’s perfectly natural and understandable.

So what’s the solution?

Well, after a few months of my dog pulling this stunt, it dawned on me to simply not take her outside in the rain unless she’s really and TRULY ready to “do the doo.”

That way, she goes IMMEDIATELY.

No dawdling.

No hemming and hawing.

No sniffing around or “phantom pooping.”

She goes out, does her thing, and that’s that. End of story.

And that’s how I approach business, too.

In fact, I once heard Dan Kennedy (I think it was him) say he doesn’t get on the phone with anyone who isn’t already 80% “sold.”

And I’ve done just that ever since with lots of success.

In fact, if you simply ONLY started focusing on those ready to buy, instead of trying to sell those who aren’t ready to buy yet, you’ll find your sales go up, your stress go down, and your entire business getting a lot more fun.

Simple?

Yep.

And that’s the reason why it works so well.

Ben Settle

P.S. If you want more ways to protect your business from lookie-lous, tire kickers and other phantom pooping prospects, check out:

Every day it’s the same thing ’round here:

Usually this is from copywriters.

But I have friends in other businesses with the same problem:

They need clients yesterday and what do they do?

Well, y’all can relax.

Today I’m going to give you the secret to unlimited clients.

But you very well may NOT like the answer.

It’s NOT one of these “ah ha!” things.

In fact, you may already know the answer, and have been repressing it, desperately hoping it’s not true and that there’s an easier, “sexier” way to get booked solid.

But dang it, I respect you too much not to tell you the truth.

And so, the secret is (drum roll)…

Selling.

That’s it.

If you want clients, you MUST learn how to sell. Not just in print (sorry, copywriters). And not just on the Internet (sorry social media maniacs.)

I’m not saying you can’t use copywriting and social media, etc. But in most cases, you have to jump on the phone or talk to someone in person (if you market locally).

Especially if your services are pricey (as they SHOULD be).

And that’s when you have to SELL, baby.

But don’t let that scare you.

Just sit tight, shut your yap, and let the potential client tell you ALL about their problems and pains and challenges. You don’t breathe a WORD, unless it’s to ask a question.

Then, like a doctor, you write ’em a prescription — your services.

Yep, it really IS that easy.

And even kind of fun when you get into it.

So that’s one way to do it.

There are other ways, too.

Some of which don’t even require you to ask any questions — just take the order (so to speak). In fact, it’s been years since I “closed” a client. If anything, they’ve “sold” me on accepting them, which makes selling a piece of cake.

Would you like to know how to do that in YOUR business?

Where clients are literally selling themselves to you?

How much would that be worth to you? (haha couldn’t resist).

Seriously though…

All I do is combine a few of the 101 strategies in Crackerjack Selling Secrets.

If you want clients selling themselves on you accepting them (instead of the other way around) I highly suggest checking it out.

And here’s the good news:

I’m giving it away free to people who join my CD-of-the-month deal.

Each month I’m interviewing (one per month) the BEST sales pros in the world — in copywriting, social media, PPC, cold calling, negotiating, deal making, direct marketing, SEO, affiliate marketing, selling from the platform and every other kind of selling you can imagine — online and offline.

Anyway, you can hop on the notification list at:

Ben Settle

I’ve been getting a TON of joint venture requests lately.

And you know what?

I’m finding most of these requests extremely OFFENSIVE. Not as a consumer or as a potential JV partner but as a MARKETER.

I mean the utter lack of salesmanship is just killing me.

And below are just a few of the big mistakes I’ve been seeing. If you’re trying to set up JV’s, you’d be wise to avoid doing these things like the plague:

1. Unsolicited Email With Product Attached

Something about getting an unsolicited product in an email just irritates the hell out of me (and many, many other marketers I know).

For one thing… nobody is going to open an attachment.

And secondly… nobody is going to open an attachment.

2. Assuming The Sale

I KNOW all the popular sales books say to do this.

But it’s a BAD idea on many, many levels. Especially when you’re dealing with other marketers and sales people who know what you’re up to.

A good rule of thumb?

Treat people like people, not drooling prospects who can’t think.

3. Not Saying What’s In It For Them

This one’s pretty self explanatory, eh?

4. Using Sales Tricks And Tactics

Yes, I know they seem “cool”.

And, in some cases, they may even work.

But “tricking” people into buying is pretty lame. Plus, you will never make the second (or third or fourth) sale. Which is where the real moolah is in business.

5. Not Using Social Proof

This is probably the single best way ever invented to set up JV’s or any other kind of selling.

And yet, hardly anyone does it.

Go figure.

6. Being Needy

Nothing turns people off like neediness.

If you “need” someone’s deal then you’re dead in the water. Nobody will touch your deal with a 10 foot pole.

It’s just a big, fat turn-off.

Anyway, if you’re making any of these mistakes… STOP!

Trust me on this.

In fact, if all you do is NOT make these mistakes, you’ll have a FAR greater chance of setting up profitable JV deals.

Ben Settle

P.S. Hey, I KNOW my crack about assuming the sale drives the sales goo-roo purists crazy. After all, doesn’t every top sales trainer tell you to do it?

Well, they’re wrong.

And in chapter 6 of my upcoming Crackerjack Selling Secrets book I show you a MUCH better (and less irritating) way to close a sale than by assuming it.

Have you seen the new Star Trek movie?

Not to spill too much “geek juice” on you, but it’s a GREAT flick.

And you know what?

You can learn a TON about sales and marketing just by observing James T. Kirk and Mr. Spock. Kirk being the main honcho on the spaceship in the TV show, and Spock being his pointy-eared first officer.

How so?

Well, when you watch the movie you’ll notice…

1. Kirk’s an impulsive, “leap-before-looking” kinda dude.

2. Spock is the opposite — analytical, logical, and thorough.

And you want to know what?

In some ways, they represent EVERY prospect you’ll ever sell to.

And if you want to give yourself a nice “leg up” in business, all you have to do is recognize whether the person/people you sell to are Kirks or Spocks.

For example:

Let’s put on our dorky pointy Vulcan ears and robes for a second, and pretend it’s the year 2,300 (or whenever Star Trek takes place) and you sell cool phaser ray guns and want a big old fatty Star Feet weapons contract.

And you know you’re going to deal with either Kirk or Spock.

Well, I don’t know about you…

But I’d sell to Kirk WAY differently than to Spock.

For one thing, I’d much rather sell to Kirk.

After all, Kirk’s impulsive, energetic and, if you can make a decent case, will buy without hardly any resistance. In fact, as long as you appeal to his ego, you can slather your sales pitch with all the hype and excitement you want — the more the merrier.

Not so with Spock.

If you get stuck selling to Spock it’s a whole new game.

Spock isn’t going to respond well to a high energy, hypey pitch. He’s going to require a LOT more proof and “reason why”. And you also better have a super logical presentation that flows without a bump or a bobble.

Plus, Spock is going to ask many more questions.

He’s not going to tolerate any “winging it”, either. You either have your stuff wrapped tight or he’ll give you a nerve pinch and eject you off the ship!

Anyway, here’s the point:

It ain’t easy selling to Spock. But selling to Kirk is like taking candy from a baby.

Chances are, you’ll often have to deal with both.

If you “custom fit” your sales and marketing to appeal to one or the other (depending on the situation), you’ll make more sales.

And live long and prosper (big time).

Ben Settle

P.S. Spock knows all kinds of cool sales tips. For more Mr. Spock sales wisdom, check out chapter 72 of Crackerjack Selling Secrets