Ben Settle

Let’s talk about you being de-platformed.

By that I mean, your favorite websites, social media, ISP, merchant account, or anything you use and rely on canceling your services, accounts, or memberships. This is something that can and almost certainly will happen to you eventually if you are anywhere (politically) to the right of Mother Jones or even so much as dabble in any kind of alternative health niche that a big pharma executive with the FTC & mass media in his hip pocket would think of as competition. Not only by the usual suspects (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Apple, etc). But even by email providers, as a certain author who wrote a book about health was by Yahoo. Yes, her free Yahoo account of 20+ years was cancelled simply because of a book she wrote and thinking the wrong, Non-Media Narrative-approved thought on the subject.

I suspect just voting for the wrong candidate will make this happen.

Some dorks in Hollywood have even called for a list of other actors who dared vote for Trump.

Gee, I wonder what they’d do with that list…

The solution to this?

Look no further than Bill O’Reilly.

When he got fired from Fox News, I doubt it hurt him all that much. Because for years he’d been using Fox News to do something for his own business that made it so that when they de-platformed him (yes, being fired is a form of the de-platform disease) it not only didn’t effect his lifestyle and income all that much, but probably even made his brand stronger amongst his hardcore fans, and he still has quite a bit of influence with or without needing Fox, or social media, or anything else.

Anyway, this is something a lot of people on my list (wisely) fear.

At least, going by the number of people who have told me thus.

(When I did a survey about the new checkout platform I’ve got my fingers in right now, this fear came up over and over and over…)

And guess what?

I talk in great detail about the one thing you can do to “de-platform proof” your business, as well as create an extremely stable and secure business income around doing so — that most businesses never do — that can potentially save your entire livelihood when the next inevitable financial crash happens, and all your competition is running around whining to each other on social media about how much Trump sucks or how much the Democrats ruined their lives or how unfair everything is, etc.

I consider this secret on page 14 of the November issue mandatory.

The other 5 things I talk about in this issue you don’t technically “have” to do.

And that’s why I’ve saved his puppy just for this particular issue.

And, even though I have talked about this before, I have not talked about it exactly like this.

Whatever the case, the deadline to subscribe in time to get it is Halloween.

That’s but a few short days from now.

The link is here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

I was recently asked by wise-beyond-his-years-just-for-asking 25-year old “Email Players” subscriber John Brandt about my favorite biographies.

And it was a smart question indeed.

In fact, over the last few years, I’ve heavily switched from only studying books about business, copywriting, selling, persuasion, etc to reading biographies about people who have accomplished great things.

Including, in at least one case, people despise, but still learned from.

Why?

Because biographies of people who have accomplished great things, change the way you think. They change the way you view success. And, they change the way you attack problems. The things you learn in biographies like this ain’t the same old, same old you are going to learn in yet another guru-promoted business book on Amazon or in a regurgitated IM launch with a fancy whiz-bang name attached to it designed to rile up the goo-roo fanboys and affiliates haunting the Flakebook.

Enter the magical 100th issue of the mighty “Email Players” newsletter.

It contains an insert with my favorite biographies.

Specifically the 13 I’ve gotten the most from so far… along with the main idea/lesson/influence I got from reading them. Each of the books has dozens more takeaways, of course. But if you see one that especially appeals to you on that list, I suggest ripping into that one and giving it what-for…

Of course, you’ll have to be subscribed to see this list.

And, even more importantly, be subscribed before the Halloween deadline.

Here’s the link to subscribe while there’s still some time:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Earlier this year I moved from the ever-congested with California retirees “Bandon by the Sea”, OR… back to an even smaller & more reclusive seaside town with less people where I used to live, and should never have left in the first place.

And, it took just 4 days to sell that Bandon house.

This, despite it being on a street with several nearly identical houses (it was a townhouse) also for sale, with mine being priced significantly higher than the rest, with no pointless & drawn-out haggling, and at sn asking price much higher than the houses for sale around it.

Obviously, I don’t mean it technically sold in 4 days.

It took 45 days to close, etc.

But, it only took 4 days from when I listed it for the current owner to snatch it up, while I was enjoying fine wines in Napa, CA at a mastermind event.

Anyway, why should you give a fig about this?

Because you can use the same secret I did should you want to sell your house.

And, yes, the principle — I learned from one of the most persuasive & influential Presidents in US history — behind it also can be adapted in many cases to selling anything else you want to sell in your business, too.

I reveal the gory details in the November “Email Players” issue.

Specifically, in the bonus insert I am including with the issue.

The deadline to subscribe (Halloween) is coming up fast.

To subscribe by the deadline go here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

A real life story for the ages:

Many years ago, when McDonalds was founded, its owner Ray Croc was — from what I understand, at least, after hearing the great Dan Kennedy teach about it — was utterly and completely against offering breakfast. In his way of thinking, they were a burger business, selling burgers, to people who eat burgers, when people eat burgers.

And, he was successful doing that, no doubt.

But then one day, McDonalds started offering breakfasts.

And, it not only radically changed the entire franchise and the entire fast food industry… but breakfasts have turned out to be such a popular, profitable, and in-demand menu item, they now offer it all day.

The lesson?

There are many that come to mind.

And, one of them I write about in exquisite detail in the upcoming 100th issue of the “Email Players” newsletter, as applying this principle was — with no exaggeration — what propelled my jolly & happy gluteus assimus from the mid 6-figures per year in sales business right smack dab into the 7-figures per year in sales going on my 3rd year straight.

This 100th issue is quite the doozy.

And the deadline to get in on it is Halloween.

Here’s the link to subscribe while there’s still some time to get it:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

One of my favorite marketing teachers on Planet Earth is the great founding father of internet marketing as we know it — “Email Players” subscriber Mr. Ken McCarthy.

And, not long ago he responded to one of my daily emails with:

Dude, what are you smoking?

I want some.

These are the best damn headlines I’m seeing ANYWHERE.

I can’t even look at other people’s emails now they see so lame in comparison

When he had me as a guest on his “System Club” trainings at the time, we got into this subject. And the thing I said that is perhaps the #1 thing I can teach anyone about subject lines is this:

Don’t write anything that looks like anything else anyone else is writing.

This is why I think copy & paste swiping is so utterly stupid.

Especially swiping me.

Something I went into great detail in back in the September issue.

Whatever the case, that’s the single most valuable subject line tip I can give anyone.

But, as far as the “how tos” of writing subject lines?

That’s where my “Email Players Skh?ma Book” comes in.

It shows 13 ways to write email subject lines that work like crazy. But, only if you are willing to think originally and make sure the content of those subjects lines don’t look like anything anyone else is writing, including people who use my methods.

I know this goes on mostly deaf ears.

This industry is full of idiots who can’t think for themselves.

I used to naively think they weren’t actual idiots.

I figured they were capable of thinking for themselves, but just too lazy to.

Nowadays?

I believe they are intellectually incapable of independent thought and legitimate idiots. And, if that describes you, be honest with yourself, as the last thing you should be doing is wasting any money on anything I teach or sell or even reading my emails at all.

But if you are an independent thinker…

If you are capable of rational & creative thought…

If you have the character to stick with me over the long run, and not just join & quit after a few months like the new product junkies & marketing hobbyists who spend all day on social media like flies on the same turd merely talking about marketing & copywriting…

And, if you want to learn my ways, subscribe to “Email Players”.

The book I mentioned above comes with the subscription.

The deadline to get the milestone 100th issue is coming up fast, too.

It doesn’t talk about subject lines.

But, it does talk about something you can apply to your copy – nobody else to my knowledge is teaching, must less doing – that can radically amp up your sales & response.

Here’s the link to subscribe in time to get it:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Behold a true story from the troll crank file:

One of the highlights of my business was when a secret guru troll made a video about Yours Crotchety saying I do a decent job, but really, I only know about email, copywriting, etc on a very superficial level — and just a little bit more than all the people I sell to. Including, presumably, the various A-list copywriters & other assorted world class business & marketing minds I somehow managed to “dupe” who rake in multiple millions per year who tune in to read my monthly rag of pulp email gooiness.

He was a jolly, rather portly troll, who I admittedly liked immediately.

I couldn’t NOT like him, even if wanted to.

In fact, my woman said at the time she felt like a 3rd wheel, as I couldn’t get enough of this pleasantly plump troll, and mined so many sales from him that weekend, ignoring her the whole time.

But, what I liked most about this jealous secret guru’s claim was the irony.

Here’s what I mean:

I launched the prestigious “Email Players” newsletter in July of 2011 to approximately 3,000 or so people on my email list, and got exactly 83 subscribers. And in the first 99 issues since, both my email list and “Email Players” subscriber list has grown almost ten times that size — still very smallish, but always growing, extremely responsive, and methodically curated, as I talked about in this past May’s issue.

Also in the time since:

I’ve learned a helluva lot about selling, marketing, copywriting, publishing, growing a subscription company, and overall business-building that has propelled me far past many of my peers & colleagues, by their own admission.

More irony:

Still also in the time since, even a couple of true guru-types (legitimate guru types, note the correct spelling…) have asked me about how I run and structure my email-driven business and lifestyle in a way where I am still a one-man-band, yet my business brings in 7-figures and growing… with my workday often being under an hour, and sometimes just a few minutes.

Yet even more irony about my favorite secret guru troll’s claims:

I’m about to publish the 100th issue.

One hundred issues adds up to nearly 2,000 pages of content.

Especially counting all the bonuses, inserts, etc.

In fact, in 2020 I am also going to publish a very ambitious book about my email-centric book & newsletter publishing model. But, in this milestone 100th issue in November, I’m going to lay the groundwork for that by revealing the 6 most profitable methods/ideas/concepts/strategies/tactics/secrets/insights, etc (i.e what I call “money bombs” for exploding sales) I use for building my business to maximum size in minimum time, and with minimum stress. I have been testing, tweaking, experimenting with, honing, and perfecting these 6 methods/insights in multiple markets (not just selling to “online marketers” — but golf, weight loss, dating, biz opp, self defense, and most recently software, and the list goes on…) over the past 100 issues of this tabloid/newsletter.

And, my prediction is:

I suspect even the most ardent & militant anti-Settleist troll who despises all things Settleism, and who even wishes evil & destruction on your Humble Storyteller…
would be able to profit from them while living in their moms’ basements, between bouts of watching pournos, eating handfuls of cheetos, and social media trolling those they are envious of.

Whatever the case, I believe this 100th issue will be my most profitable yet for businesses.

The info inside can be used by both newbies & seasoned pros, too.

Although you will have to have a business & list, even if small, and not just a marketing hobby.

But whatever the case, it can be both immediately & long-term profitable for real businesses.

That is, if you’re subscribed.

And, if you’re subscribed by the looming deadline rushing towards you.

Here’s the link:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

A few months ago, reader Fernando Gomez sent an email that sums up the power of customer curation in one foul swoop:

(Replying to an email I wrote about not catering to short attention spans)

Hi Ben,

My name’s Fernando Gomez and I’m a Spanish copywriter.

I just attended Dan Kennedy’s “Business of copywriting 2.0” seminar these last 2 days (26th-27th July, Cleveland) and he told us about that same thing, how he thought those studies saying average human being’s retention span was down to 3,8-5 seconds, that of a goldfish. And he wondered who wants to have goldfish as clients or who wants average human beings (broke and stupid) as clients.

The late, great Jim Rutz once talked about something similar.

He said (paraphrased) when he was writing to the investment niche especially, if someone has money to invest they are most likely at least as intelligent if not more intelligent than him. So this idea of dumbing things down didn’t really make sense to him.

And going by his massive control record, I reckon he was on to something…

Anyway, just more reasons I don’t always buy into the blanket idea copywriters do about getting the reading levels down to 2nd grade or pandering to fruit fly-like attention spans, especially since these things are always market-dependent.

Whatever the case, to get the scoop on my “Email Players” newsletter go here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

A few months ago, “Email Players” Sean Corbett sent me a true-life example of why when the late, great Gary Halbert said to write for money and not applause, he wasn’t just whistlin’ dixie.

Here are the gory details:

(Profanity edited so as not to offend any delicate spam filters or mush cookies)

I was doing this before buying Email Players, but still had been following your daily emails for a while.

My main client and I measured e-newsletter performance by the amount of “F— You”s we get in return.

(client has a complex service that involves a phone call with the head salesman and only then can be sent to an online sign-up form)

If the email is a Zero F__You then it also doesn’t generate any profit.

We aim for a 3-4 F__-You quotient, to know that the email gets the blood up one way or another. More than that, and I am just aggravating the list unnecessarily.

At least one email should threaten you with legal action.

Those ones also make the most sales, and generate the most “Thank-You”s too.

You seem to qualify your list much harder than my client, but I’d imagine you are still above a Zero F__-You quotient. Especially near the end of the month.

A confession:

I don’t get nearly as many angry push-up troll & hater responses as I used to.

I don’t know if it’s because I curate as hard as I do.

Or if they know I will simply profit from it.

Or if they just don’t find me an easy target for their rage.

But, I will say this:

The essence of what Sean said is true across the board. If you ain’t ticking off the people you don’t want, chances are you ain’t turning on the ones you do. And, it’s something my “Email Players” methods let you do quite easily.

Maybe not to get the blessed FU response.

But, to make more sales.

Create better and more loyal customers.

And, yes, to have more fun.

Subscription details here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

A reader (name withheld by request…) learns the hard way:

I saw this email today and it struck a nerve. My wife had a complete mental collapse from the corporate pressure she experienced in the pharma world. Sadly it has become an common problem in that world. It took a long time to recover from that and we realized going back to that environment with any company was not a viable option. She had to find something else and it had to be able to replace a large portion of her previous income. Thankfully we had time because of our large savings account.

My goal was for her to find something she was genuinely passionate about. It did take long for her to find that passion. Now the path was one not one neither of us expected but she was happy and that was the point. She used Facebook
lives to do makeup looks and explain why people should use her chemical free, gluten free, cruelty free professional grade makeup line. Over time it became this group of women that viewed it as sisterhood. It became for some their escape, support system and a positive place for them to go every day.

To the point of your article below, Facebook made change after change. The number of people on her lives dropped dramatically. People who followed her where not getting notification that she was live. She would get kicked off her live if she asked people to share it. The list goes on and on. These events have a direct impact on her ability to grow her business and her monthly paycheck. Some months it had a significant impact on her paycheck. It has become a constant battle to figure how to manage the everchanging rules of Facebook. It is incredibly frustrating to thousands of people.

There are hundreds of thousands of people and probably millions that use Facebook in the same manner to provide there livelihood. In my wife’s case it has become so bad that she started looking for another platform to utilize. The problem is the interaction that she has with people is what makes her successful. If she simple did a video and posted it the results would barely register. Forgive the long email but I wanted to share the story to provide perspective for this question.

Is there a way to create a platform that allows you to do interactive real time sessions that you own and control? The power of Facebook is the millions of people that view it everyday and any one of them could stumble across her page and become a customer. In fact they do and that’s part of the reason why her business has grown.

This is what happens when you rely on another platform.

People on social media would be much better off doing this, instead:

1. Build an email list using the social media platform of your choice while you can

2. Then sell, interact, whatever to that list

Problem solved — if you know how to use email, at least.

Especially since, if you have a Facebook following, that ain’t a list.

That’s simply a table at a convention with people walking by who may or may not buy, may or may not interact, may or may not even see your table… where the convention owner can, at his pleasure, shut your table down, shuffle you somewhere out of view, even ban you from the convention center altogether.

Knowing that, use that convention to build a list while you can.

Then, once they’re on your list, you can email them at will, send them to a place where you can interact, do whatever.

And, there ain’t a blessed thing Flakebook can do about it after that.

My prediction:

A whole lot of businesses are going to be in for one rude awakening as Flakebook cracks down even more on the de-platforming, shadow banning (whatever the kids are calling it), mining personal data, and making it even more unpredictable to make sales and build an audience on there than it is now.

Don’t say you weren’t warned.

After reading this, any evil that befalls your business due to over-reliance on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc makes you not an innocent victim, but a willing victim.

In the meantime, check out:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle