Ben Settle

Couple years ago, on a podcast, I was asked about what’s working especially good now for my sales copy and emails these days?

I had several answers for this.

One was this idea of not trying to swim upstream, always trying to out-ninja people with tactics and persuasion choke holds, beating someone into submission with lame mental game tricks just to get a sale.

And, instead, go the opposite way.

With less energy and effort.

I illustrated my point with the movie “Babe”.

Babe (if you never saw it) is about a pig who becomes the world’s best sheep herder. While the sheep dogs threaten, bite, and yell at the sheep to bend them to their will (taking a lot of time and energy, and coming home exhausted)… Babe simply asks the sheep politely if they will go move to the other fence or into the back of the truck or whatever.

The sheep end up loving Babe.

They do his bidding without any resistance whatsoever

And, they are even *happy* to do it.

So it is with email, copywriting, marketing, and all persuasion.

It’s like A-list copywriter Doug D’Anna told me:

(Paraphrased)

“If I walk into your house
I can get your dog who loves you
to jump out of your lap to come to me,
a complete stranger she’s never met.
Want to know how?
Simply by holding up her favorite dog cookie.”

Anyway, some cud to chew on, Pork chop.

On a (somewhat) related note:

One thing people have trouble with is getting price out of the way — whether selling one-on-one or via copy of some sort. And, are always playing Twister with facts and trying to change the subject whenever price comes up.

Well, guess what?

When you email using my oftentimes uncouth ways, you won’t have to do that.

You won’t t have to use any lame tricks.

And, you won’t have to posture and pretend to be someone you’re not.

(Just the opposite.)

“Email Players” subscription info here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Once upon a time, a blond chick I knew admitted something amusing to me.

She said she’s not a natural blonde but will always keep her hair dyed blonde because being a blonde has made her life a lot easier. Ever since going blonde everyone treats her differently. Men (i.e. mouth breathers) put her on a pedestal and do whatever she asks… cops don’t give her tickets… she gets better service at restaurants and stores… more attention on flakebook… and a whole host of other “perks” she never got before she dyed her hair blonde.

All this and:

1. She didn’t make any changes to her personality
2. Gets what she wants from people with far less effort
3. Gets help from people she wouldn’t get otherwise

These are the facts.

And, they apply to many a blonde I know.

(It ain’t just an isolated incident — and yes, I know there are exceptions, so context…)

The point?

Blond privilege?

Why, yes.

And to not use it would be even more foolish than the blonde who tip-toes past medicine cabinets so she doesn’t wake up the sleeping pills. In fact, if you have (or can grant yourself one) an asset or advantage in life (a… a… oh nos!) *privilege*, use it. Don’t hide it, feel guilty about it, or cage it up to appease people spending their lives consumed by envy or guilt while giving everyone the evil eye. To do so would be like the blonde who put her computer in the microwave after it froze up on her.

Awright, enough.

On to the business:

If you want to give yourself some solid privilege in the business world, making sales just by banging out simple, fun-to-write emails, get that righteous self of yours over to the URL below.

It can grant your business all kinds of privilege, baby.

And lots of it…

Here’s the link:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Recently, the great Russell Brunson asked if I’d speak at his next Funnel Hacking Live event.

Specifically:

Teaching his fans my unrepentantly simple & anti-complex funnel slacking ways.

Of course, I said yes.

Even going so far as to break my year long, self-imposed (and loving every minute of it) “if I can’t drive there, I don’t go there” travel moratorium. After all, I’ve been a big fan of Russell’s for well over a decade now. And, in fact, one of the highlights of my business career was when, about 5 years ago, he came to one of our Oceans 4 Mastermind’s in Vegas and, at dinner told me two things:

1. He couldn’t stand me at first, but I grew on him over time…

2. Meeting Yours Crotchety was the main reason he wanted to attend the mastermind

Look, I realize most reading this couldn’t care less.

But, here we are…

Down to business:

Next month’s November “Email Players” issue is the milestone 100th issue – and is extra long, extra valuable, and, yes, extra profitable.

Here is the link:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

I’m going to miss it when the current “outrage culture” we live in goes away after the next big economic crash happens, and people go back into survival mode instead of today’s current weak “what can I be offended by on someone else’s behalf today?” mode.

Case in point:

A couple months ago I wrote an email mentioning my woman and her multiple businesses.

To which a gloriously overachieving feminist retorted with:

“My woman”?

Yikes. Unsubscribe.

Of course, I showed it to my woman as I graciously allowed her to hand feed me grapes off the vine.

Her reply?

“I love that you’re describing me as a multiple business owner but she’s still offended. Yikes.”

Here’s another beauty in one of my Villains book reviews:

“I recommend this book to any patriarchal old timers. The frequency and way that Settle speaks of women is pretty telling of his character. You can be a “villian” without speaking of and viewing women in this manner. I have a pretty good idea what kind of women are flocking to him.”

I must hand it to this amazing white knight:

In just 52 words he managed to insult a horde of women readers who love those books.

The irony writes itself…

Yes indeed I shalt miss all this outrage and virtue signaling.

Until then?

I’ll keep writing periodic emails making fun of it.

Doing so curates those I don’t want on my list (like the dorky chick above complaining about calling my woman my woman…) and also gives me something to write about nobody else in my immediate market/niche is.

I doubt this adds to your life at all.

But, who knows?

Maybe someone is getting behind on their angry pushups and needed to hear it…

For everyone else:

Here’s where to subscribe to my “Email Players” newsletter:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

One of the reasons I am keen on getting the October “Email Players” issue out tomorrow and into subscribers’ hands as fast as possible has nothing to do with any “how to” info.

It’s for the 3 full page ads inserted inside.

But, these ain’t just any old ads.

They’re formatted in an experimental way I believe will make them either do exceptionally well… or become exceptional duds.

I won’t know either way until it gets in everyone’s hands.

But, I will say this:

It’s a format the late, great Gene Schwartz endorsed.

Few (if any) people have used it in my niche.

And, even if someone did/is, it ain’t the way I’m doing it.

Plus, when I showed it to “Email Players” subscriber Ken McCarthy recently, he seemed genuinely curious about how well it’d do, too. And, since including these ads cost just $654, I don’t really need many sales of the (over $300) book they sell to turn a profit.

The point of all this?

I’m not sure there is one.

Except, maybe as a heads up to the ad geeks in my Email Players of the Horde. And, also, for the rest of the ad geeks who aren’t yet subscribed but want to see what I am up to.

For them, tomorrow’s the deadline to get this issue in time.

After that, it’ll be too late to get it, Pokey.

Here’s the link of doom:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

“Email Players” subscriber Michael Walker once asked:

“Quick question if you have 20-30 seconds.Have a list I haven’t done anything with in 2. Nearly 3 years. Going to use your email a day philosophy but wonder if I should waste even one sentence explaining why they haven’t heard from me or just dive in, say I’m back and give them great entertaining emails and not explain anything.”

An extremely good question.

A question, incidentally, many people ask.

Especially once they discover the power email can give you, and how lists can suddenly go from limping along to potentially super profitable almost right away.

Anyway, here’s part one of my answer:

Waking up a dead list is like waking up long-slumbering mummies. Most will not be happy, and will chase you around and try to kill you.

Part two of my answer?

(The “how-to” part of it…)

Can be found on page 8 in the October “Email Players” issue.

Don’t expect miracles, of course.

But if you follow the instructions I sent to Michael and don’t get lazy or scared to do it, it can salvage as many of those names, and turn them into sales possibly very quickly for your business.

That old devil of a deadline is tomorrow.

To subscribe in time to get the October issue, lurch on over to:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

“Email Players” subscriber Lorri Yurkowski shows both the business and non-business applications to learning, using, and sharpening my diabolical email ways:

The value in your teachings goes way beyond the surface business and marketing stuff.

Since I’ve started buying from you, I find that I’m so much more clear, direct, and invincible to drama and bullshit in my actual life.

This “inner peace” makes me feel like I’m functioning on a higher plane at times, as dorky as it sounds.

I feel… free of all those trappings.

People notice.

And I get more respect.

I think that’s what separates the Settle-heads from the riff raff. We find value in what you teach because we find value in ourselves.

It all works together.

When you value yourself, you’re gonna buy the thing, do the thing, and not worry about what some idiot has to say about it.

You’ll dump the girl and move on.

Anyway, got a notification that my next Email Players has hit the road. Can’t wait!

“Settle-heads”

I hereby declare that a new title for those who follow my ways…

Whatever the case, the deadline to get in on the October “Email Players” issue is coming up fast.

Here’s the link:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Once upon a time I got trolled on YouTube by a secret guru who resembles the author of “Game of Thrones”. And, I like to pretend one of the reasons God put him on this wonderful earth is just for me, to profit from.

I say this, because within just a few days of trolling me:

• He got over 30 “thumbs downs” – and maybe one pity thumbs up – on a video he created “shredding” me
• Several of my current customers bought more of my products that weekend as a direct result (I know this, because some of them took pleasure in letting me know)
• Podcast interview requests from people who wanted to make fun of the secret troll rolled in
• Some of the people who watched the video became new Email Players subscribers
• I made a lot of sales from an email I wrote about it soon after
• He got high fives from some other secret gurus on Facebook — which resulted in lurkers who watched them on facebook that night joining my list
• I am still making sales from it to this day

In fact, it was so profitable, I kept trying to keep that fire burning.

My woman even said she felt like a “3rd wheel” at the time to this mighty secret guru. And, as I told one of my customers not long after:

“Trolls must be encouraged, lest they lose heart…”

Anyway, here’s why I bring it up:

Profiting from trolls is the easiest thing in the world.

And with the secret guru — people who are constantly rejected and reviled and believe “if ONLY!” people saw how great they are, they’d be respected and listened to — variety of troll, it helps to know their traits so you can spot, entrap, and profit from them.

Something I talk at length about on page 15 onward in the coming October “Email Players” issue.

Here’s the link to subscribe while you still can:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

An inspiring secret guru story for the ages:

A couple months ago, a (former) “Email Players” subscriber kept repeatedly nagging me to look up and document some information he could easily have done himself by going to the sales letter he bought from. And, I decided it was easier to simply cancel him than waste time with his constant pestering.

After which he spazzed out in magnificent secret guru glory:

you know I teach classes and have hundreds of students and I never refuse to answer a simple little question like I asked you.

YOU FUCKING SUCK! big time

I’ve seen your pictures and your a little bitch whose tune would drastically chance if we were face to face. You’re a coward who would never pull some sh—t like this if you were standing in person with me…

Hide behind your cowardly internet you faggot, because that is all you can do!

fuck off!
With Great Love & Respect,

N

The “Great Love & Respect” signature is priceless.

And that was just one of the drama queen emails my new pal sent.

But, what’s instructive here is his demonstration of secret guru projection. With these amazing people I have noticed everything they say about someone else is what they feel and/or think about themselves.

“You suck!” = “I feel worthless and it makes me angry!”

“You’re a little bitch” = “I get called a little bitch all the time so I’ll do the same to feel better!”

“You’re a coward hiding behind your keyboard!” = “I cowardly hide behind my own keyboard but it makes me feel like a tough guy to project it on someone who was mean to me…”

And so it goes…

Best part?

The more self-loathing they are, the more these little doggies posture & bare their baby teeth and nip. That’s why it’s all but impossible to get mad at them when you understand their tormented psyches, much less take them seriously, or do anything but pity them, while also shamelessly & mercilessly exploiting their rage to make sales…

More:

The October “Email Players” issue goes into great detail about these secret gurus — which are the business equivalent of the “secret kings” Vox Day described, who I learned much about this from reading about them — and how to identify, deal with, and profit from them.

These secret gurus are a very special kind of troll.

And, thus, they deserve extra special care and attention…

Here’s where to subscribe while there is still a little bit of time to get this issue:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

P.S. Another secret guru “tell” is the way they write large swaths of emotional text, as the one above did replying to one of my other emails.

Truly fascinating creatures.

And, if you know what to do with them, they are truly profitable, too…