Ben Settle

I have something kinda weird to share today.

Despite its weirdness, I hope you find it as helpful as I have.

Anyway, here goes:

As you may or may not know, I live in a little sea-side town in the Pacific Northwest.

And I’m extremely thankful for it.

I love the smell of salt water, the mild weather, the quiet, and all the other cool things about living here.

Frankly, I enjoy it so much, I kinda don’t like leaving town.

In fact, there are VERY few things (outside maybe a funeral) that motivate me to go anywhere these days. Including the two prestigious Internet marketing events I was invited to attend (as a guest) this year.

Maybe I’m crazy, but that’s just how it is right now.

However, there is one thing my town IS missing.

Something that’d make it dang near perfect:

A lighthouse.

I think lighthouses are just flat out cool.

They are literally beacons of light that guide ships safely to shore through hard times at sea — storms, thick fog and other dangerous conditions.

They make traveling safer for passing ships.

In some cases, they can even save lives.

All of which got me thinking recently.

Lighthouses are pretty rare in BUSINESS, too.

Let’s face it, there are a ton of bad businesses out there.

And a lot of lame, “just going through the motions” types.

But very few what I call “lighthouse businesses” — who act as beacons of light for their customers.

Who guide people through the maze of lies and chicanery of unethical marketers.

Who truly want to help people solve urgent problems in their lives — and are not just in it for the moolah.

I’m talking about businesses who cheerfully go the extra mile for their customers even when it’s inconvenient — not because they HAVE to… but because they WANT to.

In fact, here’s a prediction:

I predict it’s the lighthouse businesses — who truly have a MISSION, are in LOVE with their markets, and bend over BACKWARDS in their products, marketing and customer service — that make the most moolah in the coming months and years.

And will actually thrive MORE the worse things get.

Anyway, what about you?

Are you a LIGHTHOUSE in your market?

Are you a beacon of light people are DRAWN to?

Someone that sells quality products you use and truly BELIEVE in?

Someone so trusted, that people count on you to guide them through making the right decision when spending their hard-earned money?

Just something to think about.

It’s definitely something I’ll be thinking about more to stay grounded and on track.

Lighthouse businesses aren’t always the sexiest companies.

But they stick out like sore thumbs from everyone else.

Especially in tough times when skeptical customers abound.

Ben Settle

P.S. To be a lighthouse business also means marketing in ways that are both ethical AND profitable. Ads that bring value to peoples’ lives and don’t waste their time with nonsense. You can learn 122 ways to write ads like this in The Copywriting Grab Bag:

I think it’s high time I tell you about something.

Something extremely important if you write ads.

Something that was drilled into my head while interviewing the “A
List” copywriting masters who contributed to my Copywriting Grab Bag book.

Listen, you might find this weird, but I wrote my last two ads without even seeing the products.

Instead, I just sat down and cranked ’em out.

No product to study and no real details about what was in them.

The results?

One is (so far) kicking booTAY.

And the other has yet to be tested (but will likely do VERY well, or else completely BOMB — as I went for the “touchdown pass”.)

But… how is this possible?

How can you write an ad without seeing the product?

The answer:

I didn’t NEED to see them.

Because I knew the MARKETS.

I spent hours on the phone with the clients.

Asked tons of questions about how their markets behave and make decisions.

And pored through all the high-selling ads in their markets — analyzing and studying their benefits, colloquialisms, offers, appeals, etc.

In the end, I banged out both ads (except for the bullets) “blind.”

Anyway, here’s the point:

I know it doesn’t sound “cool” — but copywriting is not about pulling a magic headline out of your hat.

Or memorizing all the latest super duper persuasion tactics.

Or slapping the “ballziest” guarantee on the end.

Yes… those things are awesome.

And they CAN dramatically boost your response.

But in the end, it’s about the MARKET, not the “technique.”

It’s about WHAT you say, not how you say it.

And it’s about taking the time to dig up facts about the market your lazy competition can’t be bothered with.

It’s no coincidence the two “A-List” freelance copywriters featured in The Copywriting Grab Bag harped on knowing the market more than the coolest copywriting “tips and tricks.”

Because in the end, all selling basically comes down to this:

Words to live by no matter what kind of product you sell.

Ben Settle

P.S. You can learn over 122 MORE ways to outsell your lazy competition and show ’em who’s boss in your market at:

This may sound strange (it’s strange to me)… but lately, some people have been almost worried about my lack of political emails.

Believe it or not (and I still don’t get it), there are some who are actually kind of disappointed I haven’t been rapping about Obama’s latest spending spree.

Or Algore’s most recent “global warming” alarms.

Or about any of our favorite other gummint sociopaths.

Still others (who vehemently DISAGREE with me) have been bracing themselves for impact — almost itching to reply back and show me how wrong I am.

What’s going on here?

Have I lost my ballz?

Am I “wussing out”?

Not exactly.

I’m just PROTECTING myself.

You see, I’ve got a TON of stuff going right now.

Including multiple client projects, marketing my copywriting book, and even helping a loved one get her own website running.

And so, I’ve been on a self-imposed “news fast.”

I’m not exposing myself to ANY political or world news.

Sure, sometimes on Twitter I get a “whiff” of whatever toxic dish the media hacks are cooking up.

But I REFUSE to eat their poisonous food no matter how good it smells from the kitchen.

And you know what?

I HIGHLY suggest you consider doing the same.

Especially if you want to prosper in the coming months.

Here’s why I say this:

A few years ago, I had the good fortune to write an ad selling a product showing people how to buy large ($1 million or higher) businesses without using any banks, credit or your own moolah.

There was a LOT of cool stuff in this course.

But one thing the author said has stuck with me since (paraphrased):

“During recessions, stay the hell away from the news.”

His reasoning was the news is negative.

Their mantra is “if it bleeds, it leads.”

And when you are in business, you need to FOCUS on yourself and your business more than ever — and not get distracted by all the doom and gloom.

In fact, it’s this guy’s contention that, if you simply ignore the news, you will almost automatically be more successful.

And you know what?

I have found this to be 100% true.

Since going on my news fast, I have been WAY more focused.

I fall asleep much faster and easier at night.

And my productivity has (literally) DOUBLED.

All from not wasting time on the newz.

So anyway, that’s why I haven’t yapped about current events.

It’s also why, God willing, you won’t hear me yapping about it any time soon.

I kinda LIKE my news fast, now. 😉

I may even be on it indefinitely (or for a very loooong time).

Try it yourself for a few days.

You’ll see exactly what I’m talking about.

Ben Settle

P.S. For more ideas on how to make out like a bandit during a down economy, go to:

Yesterday we saw Rorschach’s “finger snapping” sales secret.

Now I want to tell you about another character from Watchmen.

A character just as COOL as Rorschach… with a copywriting secret just as PROFITABLE.

His name is Dr. Manhattan — a blue, bald naked guy who the ladies find quite studly.

And he’s the only “hero” in the deal with actual “super powers”: The ability to manipulate matter at the atomic and subatomic level.

(Which is “geek-ese” for he can do whatever he wants.)

He can make stuff out of nothing, teleport, reduce a person to ashes with a mere thought, hang out on Mars, change his size, turn wood into glass, and even make duplicate versions of himself.

(You’ll have to see the movie for WHY he would do that…)

You want to know what else?

He is also a walking copywriting METAPHOR.

I kid you not, either.

Think about it:

What is your job as a copywriter if not to give yourself (if even temporarily) unlimited powers to do whatever you want for your prospects?

To grant their every wish.

Fulfill their every dream.

And (to paraphrase the late copywriter Eugene Schwartz) become, “The scriptwriter for your prospect’s fantasies”?

You know, it sounds weird, but often the best ads are written BEFORE the product is made for this exact reason.

In fact, the last ad I wrote was like this.

We had no product, just a market and a list of what that market desperately wants and needs right now.

So I simply created the product as I was writing the ad.

Taking everything we knew about the market and creating the ultimate “super product” in my head.

My point?

Whether you have the product or not… it’s your job as the copywriter to figure out everything your prospect wants, and create a fantasy in their brains as to how your product can grant all those wonderful miracles.

It’s the heart and soul of moolah-making copywriting.

Frankly, you’re not just “writing.”

You’re like the “Doctor Manhattan” of their lives — giving them anything their little hearts desire.

All of which makes selling in print a piece of cake.

As well as a whole lot of fun 😉

Ben Settle

P.S. This creating fantasies thing can REALLY explode your response — even if you are not the best “copywriter” in the game. You can read more about how to become the “Doctor Manhattan” of your niche in chapter one of The Copywriting Grab Bag:

A couple nights ago I saw the movie “Watchmen.”

The movie was a LOT of fun… and had the added benefit of containing a very powerful sales lesson any one of us can benefit enormously from.

Here’s what I mean:

One of the reasons I like the story so much (I’ve read the comic several times over the years) is because of the bizarre characters.

My favorite being “Rorschach.”

Just a fascinating guy.

He’s short, kinda gangly and (from the story) smells bad.

Yet, the bad guys are scared to death of him.

Whenever he walks into a bar, the music stops and people tremble in fear.

Reason why is because Rorschach has no problem walking up to the biggest goon in the joint, grabbing his finger and breaking it BEFORE asking any questions — sending even the nastiest thug to his knees begging for mercy.

The point?

Rorschach doesn’t have to be the strongest, tallest or heaviest guy to kick azz.

He’s got leverage.

In this case, the bad guy’s ever-so-delicate fingers.

All he needs is one finger to control and dominate someone.

And guess what?

We can do this in selling, too.

You don’t necessarily need the best written ad, the most eloquent style or the smoothest voice and look.

Nope.

All you need is leverage.

To grab your competition’s fingers (figuratively!) and send ’em into a fetal position crying for their mamas.

Here are some simple (REALLY simple) ways to do it:

1. Be the most honest & ethical business

2. Avoid using hype or shady manipulation tactics

3. Write your advertising to the **skeptics**

4. Write like you talk — and not like some robot

5. Have the best customer service

6. Show the REAL you in your emails, ads and other communications

7. Sincerely CARE about your customers (what a concept, eh?)

8. Always value your customers’ time

9. Think up better (more gutsy) offers than your competition

10. Contact your list every day (or at least almost every day)

There are more, of course.

But if you focus on these 10 you should see a major sales bump.

How do I know?

Because since focusing on these 10 things over the past year, I have noticed a fat spike in my sales and my customers’ happiness.

As well as gaining powerful, long-term leverage.

Ben Settle

P.S. Hey, guess what?

An 11th thing you can do for leverage is ALWAYS ask for the sale.

Like this:

You can give yourself even MORE leverage by using any one of the 122+ secrets in The Copywriting Grab Bag book at:

“TEST!”

The marketer’s favorite answer to any question.

What color headline do you use?

Test.

Where do you put the opt-in box on the page?

Test.

How many order links should be in the ad?

Test.

What is the capital of Nebraska?

Test.

Hey, I have NOTHING against testing.

I actually love testing things and believe everyone should do it (and often).

However, there are some things you cannot test — no matter how sophisticated Google’s newest brain fart is.

Things that can have a HUGE impact on your sales.

What I’m talking about is the “intangible” stuff.

The “supernatural” parts of marketing you can’t see, touch, feel, smell or hear (much less test).

And you know what?

If you start focusing on these intangibles, you will almost always see a dramatic bump in sales — without testing a single word of your copy.

For example, here’s what I mean by the intangibles:

• Personal branding (not corporate branding, **personal** branding — how people think and feel about YOU personally)

• Bonding with your list & customers (so they come to feel like they really know you)

• Keeping your list familiar with you and your patterns (i.e. frequency & consistency of contact)

• Positioning in your market

• Personality (that both attracts and repels)

• Etc.

Anyway, I know this stuff is “touchy feely.”

And much of them overlap with each other.

But they can make a BIG difference in sales over time.

Focus on them, and you can’t help but see major improvement.

Ben Settle

P.S. And while were rapping about testing…

My friend and superstar copywriter Ryan Healy wrote an appendix in The Copywriting Grab Bag about using testing and the famous “80/20 rule” to drastically decrease the time it takes to write ads (while drastically increasing your sales).

Ryan is one of the fastest copywriters I know.

And the secret he reveals is one of the major reasons why.

You can read it in Appendix 10:

Got this great email marketing question over the weekend:

QUESTION: I notice you send full emails to your list instead of sending out a short announcement that you have a new blog post like most people do.

Why do you do that when everyone else just does the short blurb?

BEN: That’s a VERY good question.

And besides Earl Nightingale’s advice of doing the opposite of everyone else… here are more reasons:

1. More Visible

Think about all the competition we have:

Ringing phones, instant messages, social media apps, cell phones, text messages, etc.

Every “step” (and a click IS a step) someone has to take to read YOUR message significantly decreases the chances of them seeing it.

And yes… I realize longer emails get flagged as spam sometimes.

But so can really short ones, too.

So I simply do what’s most likely to get read.

2. More Personal

In copywriting, the first “sale” is to bond and establish trust.

In other words, to be a FRIEND, first.

I like to think of y’all as my friends and even family in a “cyber” sorta way.

When emailing your friends and family, do you send them to a friggin’ blog?

Do you ask mom to click a link to read what you have to say?

Or do you write an email — warts and all — and push “send”?

Which looks more personal?

’nuff said.

3. More Convenient

Email delivery is like pizza delivery:

You can offer “take out” and/or personal delivery.

I do delivery (with the option of take out — i.e. my blog).

Reason why is because the chances of you reading are FAR greater if I deliver the “food” to you… than if I force you to come pick it up.

Plus, this makes my food hot, fresh and EASY to consume.

If you pick the food up, it could be cold and stale, easier to toss.

So I’m not anti-blogging (obviously).

I just believe in bringing food to you… instead of making you pick it up.

Anyway, that’s my take on it.

You can learn more about making moolah with your emails (including how Terry Dean — the “godfather of email” — does it) at:

Ben Settle

P.S. By the way…

Here’s a comment about the book & CD that just came in:

BEN: Joe, I’m very glad to see your name in the ever-growing “fraternity” of Copywriting Grab Bag readers.

I hope you get at LEAST as much value from the info as I have!

Just got this comment about a secret I teach in my copywriting book.

Something that not only makes writing ads FAR easier… but makes thinking up ideas, headlines, stories, and anything else you are writing a snap (even if you don’t have a creative bone in your body now).

Anyway, here goes…

Hi Ben,

I’ve had my copy of The Copywriting Grab Bag for 5 days now and have to say it is the #1 copywriting resource I own.

The very first day I spent with your book gave insight that was worth a 5x times the purchase price and then some. Specifically chapter #2 “A Secret Way To Use Video Games to Banish “Writers Block” Forever”.

This technique reminded me of something I noticed in my day to day life. I work as a Patrol Sgt. for a private security company. While on patrol late at night I find great ideas just rolling out of my head. The problem has always been that by the end of my patrol shift and report writing I could not recall these ideas.

After reading chapter #2 on the first day I got up early and ran down to Staples to purchase a digital record that works with voice to text software I own. I take this with me own patrol and record all the ideas that pop in to my head. When I get home I just plug it into the computer and it transcribes them for me to come back to later.

The volume of ideas that I have now is amazing!! The last phrase of your chapter is so true. It is no longer a matter of what to write but what not to!

Thanks for everything

David P. Bell

David, that’s truly awesome news.

Ideas are the LIFE BLOOD of advertising.

I remember getting real excited when I heard the late (great) copywriter Gary Halbert teach how you can get rich from just one idea that’s put into action.

The more ideas you have and test, the greater your chances of massive success.

If you’d like to check out what all the fuss is about with The Copywriting Grab Bag (including what a few of the world’s top marketers are saying about it), just head on over to:

Ben Settle

Yesterday’s email about selling to skeptics struck a “nerve”.

Got a TON of feedback on it.

In case you missed it, the entire email was about why the new “thing” in copywriting could (or at least should) be learning how to sell to skeptics.

In other words, engaging and persuading people who think you are LYING to them.

Are shaking their heads at everything they read.

And are looking for the teeniest excuse to zap your emails, toss your sales letters or click away from your website.

Well, guess what?

A few years ago when I was writing an ad for Ken McCarthy (a MASTER at selling to skeptics), he told me something very interesting about this.

Something only someone like him — who has been dealing with lists for some 30 years — probably would know.

Something that totally changed the way I wrote my ads.

Anyway, here’s what he said (paraphrased):

Generally speaking, about 5% of a market buys everything and anything.

These are the super **rabid** buyers.

They want everything on your subject.

And it takes very little effort to sell them.

Then, there is another (“secret”) part of your market:

The 10%-20% who are extremely qualified prospects…but are SKEPTICAL.

They are anywhere from 2 – 4 times bigger than the rabid segment.

BUT… they need to be **persuaded**.

In other words, they aren’t impressed with gurus or big names.

They don’t believe wild-haired claims.

And they’re suspicious of every single word we say.

What does all this mean, exactly?

Simply this:

There is a gigantic portion of skeptics in your market ripe for the picking.

And if you know how to engage and persuade them… you can’t help but make dramatically more sales.

Now obviously, each market is different.

And it may not be exactly like this for everyone.

But that was the “gist” of what Ken told me.

And I have used that piece of knowledge to write ads that (more often than not) beat the ads I compete against.

Plus, let’s face it:

In these ultra-skeptical times, the hyper buying segment is probably much smaller now.

While the hyper skeptical segment is much bigger.

Awesome newz if you know how to sell to the skeptics.

Because it means you are about to kick some serious arse.

Ben Settle

P.S. And speaking of Ken McCarthy…

Ken is, hands down, one of my top 3 favorite copywriting teachers because of these kinds of deep marketing insights.

He really has this “selling to the skeptic” thing down pat.

You can see more of Ken’s “skeptic-proof” copywriting secrets in Appendix 3 of The Copywriting Grab Bag: