Ben Settle

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

Recently a friend of mine decided to jump online and see if he can’t start his own Internet marketing thang.

So he wrote an eBook, built a list, yada yada yada.

Then… BAM!

He hit a brick wall.

The exact same brick wall almost everyone hits — where nobody is taking him seriously in his niche, nobody believes his claims (even though they are true) and nobody seems to want his product.

“Ben, what am I doing wrong?”, he asked.

He isn’t doing anything wrong.

In fact, he’s doing everything right, from what I can tell.

However, we live in an extremely jaded world now.

Everyone is selling something these days. Everyone has been screwed over by someone (especially recently). And, let’s face it, what most people sell really is “Grade A” crap.

Which just happens to affect everyone else.

So the question is, how do you not only deal with the jaded skeptics… but turn their skepticism to your advantage?

Luckily, there are LOTS of ways to do it.

One of my favorites is good, old fashioned (OFFLINE) media publicity.

This is probably the fastest way to get “knighted” an instant expert (and be taken seriously) ever invented.

And I’ll prove it to you right now.

In fact, I’ll even use myself as the example.

Once upon a time (couple years ago) I wrote a book about dogs.

It’s a fun little read, with lots of great tips.

Yet, my only “credentials” are I had owned a handful of dogs throughout my life. I never had any formal dog training or veterinary education. Heck, I’d never even so much as been to a dog training or obedience class.

In short, I have ZERO credibility in this niche.

BUT…

I do know how to get on radio shows.

And each time I got on the air, I was an instant expert.

Not just because I’d written a book… but because I was on a “for real” talk show on the radio talking about dog training and health.

Joe Vet and Jane Trainer down the street weren’t.

And so, I was the authority without question.

And when I was actively selling the book, I made sure my advertising displayed the fact my book was endorsed by radio talk show hosts (along with their testimonials).

Think that added some weight to my claims?

You cannot fake that kind of credibility. And it makes you stick out like a sore thumb.

Anyway, this is why I call media publicity “Proof 2.0”.

It’s older than dirt… but hardly anybody understands how to use it.

And guess what?

I have an entire appendix in the Copywriting Grab Bag about how to write a press release that will get reporters scrambling to call you so you can get that instant prestige.

Use it, and make yourself a star.

Ben Settle

Just got this question from a subscriber today.

If you’re struggling to get started in your business, or just can’t seem to make things happen right now, then you may find it helpful.

Anyway, here goes…

QUESTION: Ben, I’ve bought almost $1,000 worth of marketing and copywriting products over the past several months and am still struggling and am not making any moeny. What do I need to do? Do I need to find a mentor? Is there a specific product you recommend? Please help me with this, thanks.

BEN: First off, STOP buying any more products.

That includes my copywriting book or anything I sell, too. You should have MORE than enough “ammo” to get started.

The problem is NOT buying yet another product.

It’s IMPLEMENTING what you already have.

It’s ironic, but sometimes having too many great info products on sales and marketing and copywriting, etc can be a bad thing.

Why?

Well, its kinda like taking a nice, hot shower.

Do you like taking showers?

I sure do.

There’s nothing like a hot, steamy shower to relax your body, wake you up and sharpen your senses for the day.

But, you can’t stay in there forever, can you?

Sooner or later, you have to leave the safety and comfort of that hot shower… feel that cold bite of air when you open the shower door, step onto the ice-like linoleum floor, and go through the routine of getting dressed, brushing your teeth, combing your hair, shaving, etc.

Otherwise, let’s face it:

If you never left, you’d run out of hot water (and that really sucks). Your skin will start to get irritated and wrinkly. You’ll have a monster water bill, run late to your appointments or to your job, and so on.

Eventually you HAVE to exit that comfy shower.

And it’s the same with marketing info products.

It’s safe and easy to keep buying new products.

But eventually you have to start implementing what you learn. You have to run some of your own ads, or start contacting prospective clients, or do whatever you’re learning about.

It’s ALL about taking action, baby.

At some point, you gotta leave that comfy, heaven-like shower. And when you do, things WILL happen for you.

In fact, you’ll probably be amazed by how fast success comes.

Ben Settle

So I saw Wolverine last night and what an AWESOME flick.

I’ve actually been a Wolvie fan since I was a kid.

And I really liked this movie.

Especially since (I bet you saw this coming a mile away) it got me to thinking so much about marketing.

You see, the coolest thing about Wolverine isn’t just his claws.

Or his bloodhound-like sense of smell.

Or his indestructible metal skeleton.

All that’s cool but, IMHO, his healing factor kicks the most rumpus

This means cuts, poisons, toxins, have no effect on him. As soon as he’s shot or stabbed or run over by a car or whatever… he heals extremely fast. And he basically doesn’t age.

Add that to his unbreakable skeleton and he almost can’t be killed.

And guess what?

If you want to make your business impervious to being killed off, so it can survive (and thrive) the effects of endless copycats, law changes, marketing conditions and shifting consumer demands… then simply give your marketing its own “healing factor.”

And the way to do that is by… testing.

For example, testing new ads — including headlines, themes, offers, openings, sub heads, PS’s, price points, etc.

Testing new ideas — such as different products, auto-responder sequences, product titles, email formats (i.e. daily), etc.

Testing new lead generators — like offline media publicity, ezine articles, banner ads, offline magazine and print ads, tele-seminars, social media, etc.

Testing new follow-up formats — by mixing and matching online, offline, email, direct mail, fax broadcast, tele-phone, post cards, etc

Testing new “voices” in your marketing — including using humor, weird personalities, and other “off the wall” people talking to your customers and prospects via your marketing.

Anyway, these things are all pretty basic, eh?

And the more you test them, the harder you’ll be to knock off.

The faster you can grab top market positioning.

And the more impervious to marketplace changes you’ll be.

In fact, it’ll be like lacing your business with an indestructible metal skeleton (just like Wolverine’s, baby) — complete with razor sharp claws that let you tear through your competition.

OK, that about taps out my “geek quota” for today.

I’ll yap more about this stuff in my continuity program at:

Ben Settle

OK, here’s a question I’ve been getting a lot.

Especially since switching from a purely “copywriting” newsletter to an all-kinds-of-selling newsletter:

My answer:

While people still cold call — some from necessity, others because they missed the last 15 years of technological innovation — it’s mostly not necessary anymore.

Especially if you know a few key sales and marketing strategies.

Such as the 101 ways I teach in Crackerjack Selling Secrets.

But, for a second, let’s pretend you have NO choice.

You HAVE to cold call or starve to death.

What’s a simple, painless way to do it?

Is it to “psyche” yourself up mentally, slapping your face and repeating positive affirmations in the mirror 100 times?

I guess that wouldn’t hurt (except for the slapping part).

But what I’d suggest is taking a page from Jim Camp’s story.

Jim Camp is one of the most feared negotiators on planet Earth. His near-magical negotiating methods have been featured on CNN, CNBC, The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Inc., and more.

And he once told a story about selling water filters door-to-door.

(A tad harder than even cold-calling, eh?)

He had his magical script the company gave him. Memorized all the common answers to objections and questions. And was well versed in all the latest sales “techniques” and sales guru scripture.

And for 3 weeks not one. lousy. sale.

Even though he was a walking sales technique encyclopedia. And even though he was working neighborhoods with truly terrible water, where people would be likely to WANT a water filter.

So one day, Jim said screw it.

He threw his script away, knocked on doors and (basically) said:

And guess what happened?

That’s right — people started opening the doors and letting him in.

Why?

Because he talked about THEIR problems instead of HIS product.

Instead of wasting time trying to “convince” people, he quickly qualified them — and separated the sheep from the goats. If they weren’t interested in the main benefit, see ya later. No water filter for you.

If they WERE interested, he gave them what they wanted.

In this case, it was softer hair.

Selling is selling is selling.

Whether cold calling, eyeball-to-eyeball, social media, copywriting, email, PPC, it’s all the same:

Find out what people want and then show them how to get it.

You can learn more sales and marketing strategies like this at:

Ben Settle