Ben Settle

A couple weeks ago, “Email Players” subscriber Kia Arian wrote an email to her list about the power and wisdom in making your own rules, and not blindly adhering to someone else’s rules.

In the email, she told a story about her daughter.

And, how she told her when you make your own rules, you don’t have to follow other peoples’ dumb rules.

And, how challenging dumb rules can create huge businesses.

Like, for example:

FedEx offering overnight delivery.

Amazon delivering everything to your door usually sold locally.

Apple selling computers 3x more expensive than Microsoft.

Charging $100 for a newsletter in industries where other give such information out free.

And so on, and so forth.

Anyway, I found her email quite timely.

Especially because of something I am teaching inside the April “Email Players” newsletter that takes merely “breaking rules” and defiling the usual “sacred cows” of marketing dogma to a whole new level even the giant businesses above don’t do. But if you do it, can potentially enlarge your business in ways you may not be able to fathom right now.

To get this issue before the deadline, go here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

And by Starbucks, too.

And Subway.

And, a handful of other businesses that utilize a business-building mentality that can radically change 5-figure businesses to 6, 6-figure businesses to 7, and 7-figure businesses to 8 and beyond.

Details in this long, droning video I shot for you here:

Not long ago, a bloke replied to one of my emails with the subject line “donkey balls”, followed by this message of hope & change:

I love your emails, you’re just sending them too often.

I’m way too busy to read each of them every day, so what happens is, they accumulate in my inbox, which gives me anxiety as I’m a zero-inbox freak.

But I also refuse to get off your list because I’m learning how to become a marketing God by applying your exact strategies in my business, so I’m torn.

Elbenbo please, just send them less often.

Much thanks in advance,

Yours in honor and humility.

My answer?

Actually, I don’t have one I haven’t already said a thousands times already. So, instead, I’ll reprint what another reader said around the same time.

(Funny how that kind of timing works…)

It even contains a lesson in and of itself:

Hi Ben

Do people really email you and complain that you send them too many emails?

Aren’t they on your list to learn how to send emails?

Isn’t watching how you mail and what you mail kinda like free training?

You should post a ticker like on the telethons showing the disgruntled clowns tapping their cheeto fingers on the opt out button from your promotional barrage

Looking forward to tomorrow.

Jeff

I agree with Mr. Jeff, my “donkey balls” marketing seems like an Obvious Adams thing to me.

But, the most obvious things are usually the most missed.

Which brings me to the rub:

Page 4 of the upcoming April “Email Players” goes into detail about the why I no longer just do the one-email-per-day thingie that’s become almost trendy for people to talk about these days… and now sometimes do multiple per day when I am motivated to.

It’s a lesson that can put many more pennies in your business’s piggy bank.

Subscribe here if you want it, before the deadline:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Over the last several months I’ve been making some sweeping changes in my business.

Some obvious.

Others not-at-all obvious, that I write about in the upcoming April “Email Players” issue.

One of these changes is, I’ve been in the process of converting all my audio/video products to high-priced print books — with no digital component (PDF, audio, video, etc). Yes, I know this annoys a few people. And that’s perfectly okay with me if they are annoyed, I don’t hold their annoyance against them. In fact, one such annoyed person even said since I don’t offer my Copy Troll book in PDF, so the text can be enlarged, I am “discriminating” against my customers with vision impairment.

In reality, I’m not unsympathetic to his plight.

However, my business model is what it is for a reason.

Thus, people can choose to buy or not, but if I wanted to write my books in morse code, and only deliver them via a FAX plucked off the machine by an undead raven from Westeros I would, if it made sense for my goals and business plans.

Which brings me to something I heard the great Dan Kennedy once say:

“Build your business to suit your preferences.”

There are many (many) people who have created businesses who are miserable precisely because they tried to be all things to all people. Like, for example, introverted shut-ins who think they have to do Facebook livestreams and manage and interact with a Facebook group or on social media all day. Or people who love digital products who think they have to do print products, or people who love to write who think they have to do video or audio. Or people who would rather have their blood sucked out by leeches than talk to groups of people but who thing they have to do group coaching. Or people who go stark raving mad when alone for too long but who work from home away from people… and so on and so forth.

In my case, I despise digital products, for a plethora of reasons.

And, thus, I do print.

Anyway, do with this info what you will.

But there’s a lot of power in running your operation to suit your preferences.

Especially if you want to enjoy being in business, and not feel trapped by it.

Also, speaking of Dan Kennedy:

The April “Email Players” issue is all about something I heard him say 18 months ago that radically changed everything I do, has radically changed the number of sales my business gets, and, I believe, can radically do the same thing for your business, too.

It takes some guts to implement.

It also takes creative problem solving, too.

It’ll also very likely get you spurned, mocked, maybe even laughed at, and is not something you just see how I do it and blindly apply to your business. It takes deep thought, deep marketplace analysis, and a deep desire to see big changes in your business and not small changes.

To subscribe in time to get this issue, go here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

One of the most valuable lessons I ever learned was something the great Dan Kennedy said his most successful multi-millionaire clients do, but virtually nobody else he’s ever seen in business does, or are willing to do.

Something there is a lot of psychological “resistance” to doing.

And, in some ways, horrifies certain people at the very thought of it.

But those few super successful clients who do it?

Mr. Kennedy says they not only do this potentially horrifying thing, but take an almost twisted delight in it.

Anyway, I first learned of this about 18 months ago.

And, have rapidly been implementing it ever since.

The result?

Since doing what Mr. Kennedy commanded, I can tell you my business has grown like crazy, my sales have grown like crazy, and my brand (as well as my list of envious trolls and pissed off competitors) is growing like crazy. In fact, the first year I started doing it (2017) was my first 7-figure year in gross (not net) sales, which I believe had a lot to do with following this “gruesome” advice. And, while I was already doing some of it before (it fits my personality quite snuggly, which made it way more exciting than frightening to do, your mileage will almost certainly vary…) when I embraced it — even as it’s gotten me laughed at, scoffed at, and even yelled at (on paper) by certain people — my business has only been growing faster and more rapidly in the past 18 months than it has in the past 18 years.

It’s also something, incidentally, the late, great Earl Nightingale did, too.

And, I *think* it can work the same kind of miraculous results for my Horde, as well.

That is, those with the guts to do it.

(And no, it’s not being “controversial!” or anything like that, it’s way more encompassing.)

Anyway, here’s why I bring this all up:

After 18 solid months of implementing this concept, I have decided to dedicate an entire issue of “Email Players” to it. Not only how I am implementing it, but how I’ve also done so (without realizing it, and completely on accident ironically) with the most successful clients I worked with back in my client days.

But, a word of warning:

I wrote this issue as a “beacon” to guide you, and not a business plan.

I say that because the copycat nature of the internet marketing world seems to turn people into drooling zombies incapable of creative problem solving or independent thought. And, if that’s you (and be honest with yourself if it is… it’s perfectly okay, most people are better off being shallow-minded followers) doing exactly what I do will very likely destroy your sales.

That’s the grim news.

The un-grim news, though, is this:

If you take the *concept* and apply it to your unique business, your unique personality, and your unique goals… I believe it can change everything you ever thought about business, and take you to new heights of success most business owners can only dream of.

Something else:

Of course, like all the truly life-changing information in the world… small thinking, opportunity-minded types will be very disappointed in this issue. These types (i.e. people who look at the newsletter as a one-time expense they can profit from in the short term, and not a long term investment that builds on itself each month) who are at the mercy of their emotions and tempted to subscribe right now to just get this one issue should realize they will get zero value from it, simply won’t have the mentality to use the info properly, and will be wasting their money. Which means they will then be tempted to whine to me about it, probably. On the other hand, bigger thinking types who aren’t afraid of being laughed at, spurned, and mocked in their industry/profession/niche… who have the character to stick with a decision long after the excitement of the moment has passed… and who think, plan, and execute ideas with a big picture world view… will, I believe, find it changes everything for them.

And, changes things quite rapidly for their businesses, to boot.

A tall order?

Well, you can be the judge after reading and using the information.

That is, if you subscribe before the looming deadline when I send it to the printer.

After that, it will be forever too late.

In fact, even if I decide to sell back issues again some day, I will very likely omit this issue from the list, as it gives an intimate glimpse into how I think, work, and build my business I prefer to keep as exclusive as possible after this issue goes to print.

All right, enough.

If you want to learn what’s in the April issue, here’s the link to subscribe while there’s still time:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Let’s play a game.

I don’t know either of the two gentlemen below from Eve. But try to guess which one you think is going to ultimately be the more successful one… and which has cursed himself to wander the goo-roo casino all of his days…

Here goes:

Email #1

Ben, This email is useless because you don’t give any value in it. Its a pure sales pitch. Hopefully your future emails will not be a waste of my time.

Email #2:

Just want to thank you.

Just using the free info I’ve got from you and a few principles I’ve learned from your emails I just had my first $2000 day (ever) from a product I thought was dead.

What I did was:

1) Stopped being needy AF
2) Offered no refunds
3) Gave no apologies
4) Told leads flat out that my product isn’t for losers (proles)
And some other stuff you taught me for free (except I bought your villains books)

Anyone that says you don’t give value for free I’d like to tell them fakoff. If they can’t find it then they can’t be helped and should probably unsubscribe.

As for me you’ve given me so much I still haven’t even implemented that I suspect soon (if I can stay disciplined) even your not cheap products will be pocket change.

Larry Shier

PS use my words as you see fit

The irony of the fanatical “value-seeker” never ceases to amuse me.

Especially since, they more often than not already have “value” staring right at them — not unlike the farmer in the Acres of Diamonds story who sold his farm to look for diamonds, killed himself when he failed, only for the person who bought his farm to end up finding a huge diamond mine on the land that was there the whole time.

And so it is.

Which brings up another point:

There’s a reason I am not on the “Give value” bandwagon so many other people who teach marketing subscribe to.

It’s not because I don’t think it works.

Nor is it because I think it’s a bad idea, either.

Showering your free email list with value is a completely legitimate marketing strategy, and I highly encourage it if (1) you are more concerned about being liked (and getting Facebook likes) than being respected… (2) you’re content and happy with the rate at which your business is growing now, and… (3) you measure success by the approval & high-fives of peers, non-buyers, & marketing gurus… instead of how much bigger your business & income grows each year while maintaining or enhancing your lifestyle and enjoyment of the game.

If that’s your bag, I’m the last guy you should listen to.

And, this is especially true when it comes to the upcoming April “Email Players” issue.

Why?

Because the entire issue is about a secret way of doing business I’ve been experimenting with for approximately the last 18-months, after hearing an obscure marketing training I doubt 1 in 1000 people reading this email have ever heard of, much less studied in any kind of depth. And in these last 18-months, since incorporating this secret, my business has seen more rapid success and  “spurts” of growth than it had in the entire 18-years prior to applying it.

More:

I make no guarantees it will work the same for you or anyone else.

But, what I can say is this:

Once you see what this is, you can’t “unsee” it.

You can choose to (foolishly) think it doesn’t work.

You can cowardly dip your toe in the water, not fully commit to it, and then pull back once it makes you uncomfortable.

(And it will.)

You can even decide it’s too scary, and not even consider doing it, whip up an excuse for why you “can’t” do it to protect your ego, and go safely back to what you’re doing now to build your business.

And there is no shame in that if you do.

But, once you are introduced to this way of approaching business, there is no getting it completely out of your mind.

No not noticing the massive, quick, seemingly “overnight” success of those few you observe who do have the sac to do it.

And, no lying to yourself that you don’t wonder what would happen if you did throw caution to the wind, take a swan dive into applying it to your business, and risk your reputation with your peers and Facebook friends who will no-doubt think you are dumb, stupid, and crazy.

Which brings us back to the people I described above.

i.e. the ones more concerned about being liked than respected, are content with their current sales, and who measure success by the approval & high-fives of peers, non-buyers, & marketing gurus over all else.

Those types will be very disappointed in this issue.

Especially since, there is no checklist of what to do.

There’s no sales copy to swipe.

There’s not even much talk about email – although the info fundamentally changes everything about how you approach email, especially if you are the “give value” type.

Instead, what it is, is this:

1. A short description about what exactly this way of doing and approaching business is.

2. Exactly how I’ve been applying it to my business the past 18-months especially – much of which will NOT apply to you, requiring thinking and problem-solving in applying it to your business. Although it’s not exactly rocket science, either. The “what” to is easy, the hard part will probably be the social backlash after implementation, for most.

The rest will then be up to you.

While I’m still at it not giving value in this email, I will also predict this:

In my opinion, this is one of the single most valuable – if not the single most valuable – “Email Players” issues I’ve written in the 8 years I’ve been publishing it.

But, due to the rank simplicity of the content, combined with the fact it takes hard work (mostly research), an open mind, and a thick skin to implement, hardly anyone will actually do it. And so, I suspect it might make a few people a lot (as in potentially millions in sales) over the next couple years. But, also, prompt lots of cancelations, when people who are comfortable & content with small, safe growth and seek social media props from their peers & colleagues – not big, scary growth and being mocked & questioned by their Flakebook & advertising critic friends – realize they simply have no place at elBenbo’s table anymore, as my ways simply aren’t intended for them.

A “cleaning house” issue like this is long overdue.

Especially since, I am implementing a valuable new feature to the newsletter, and absolute purity of the subscriber base in terms of seriousness about their success, and open-mindedness about learning is mandatory. Even to the point that I’ve been manually canceling a small handful of friends I had been “comping”, to keep it a paid-subscriber only publication.

That may sound a bit melodramatic.

But, those who see the new feature I am testing in the April issue will understand why.

Here is where to subscribe before the deadline:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

P.S. Aw shucks.

I forgot to add value.

Maybe next time…?

I recently re-watched A Clockwork Orange for the first time in probably over 10 years. I remember doing an assignment about it in college in a class where we read a particular book, then watched the movie and analyzed them.

Towards the end, we had to pick a scene from one of the movies and screen it, and analyze it before the whole class.

I picked a particularly disturbing scene from the movie.

And, the teacher said:

“You can tell a lot about someone by the scene they pick…”

I don’t know if he meant it as an insult or a joke (probably the former…)

But I do know, it is still one of the most disturbing & bizarre movies I’ve ever seen, and like that painting of Kramer in Seinfeld, while watching it, I couldn’t look away…

There is also a useful marketing lesson embedded within that, too.

And that lesson is this:

You can boost up your business’s box office gross quite a bit by writing emails in such a way where — even if people don’t think they want your offer — they can’t help but click the links in your emails, and find it hard to look away. And the easiest way I’ve ever done used to do that is via curiosity. People will sometimes buy very expensive products and services they didn’t even knew existed 5-minutes prior due to the wise us of curiosity in direct marketing.

And you know what?

I go into great detail about curiosity in the book I send to new “Email Players” subscribers.

And, it’ll sharpen you up for a bit of the old ultra profits.

If this interests you, more info here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Not long ago, I sent an email with a list of 24 tips on how to triple your success.

And, one of the tips was:

“#12. Don’t Virtue Signal”

Virtue Signaling is when, for example, someone publicly declares their support or disdain for something just to show how virtuous they are to everyone watching, just to get props, Flakebook likes, and public praise, and no other purpose than that.

It’s especially rampant in social media.

But, it’s certainly nothing new.

In fact, even Jesus railed against it 2,000 years ago about not practicing righteousness in front of people just to be seen doing it, or telling everyone about giving to the needy to show what a swell guy you are, not looking gloomy when fasting to be seen by everyone how much they suffer for their faith, etc.

More:

I’m far from the only person to have noticed how many virtue signalers actually have contempt for the very issues they virtue signal about.

Anyway, so that’s the scoop on virtue signaling.

It’s dorky.

It’s needy.

And, yes, it’s damaging to your business’s box office gross.

And, why I recommended not doing it, even if it gets you short term social points from other virtue signalers on Facebook, etc.

All right, on to the business:

The April “Email Players” issue talks about a topic that, if you apply it, is almost like anti-virtue signaling. And while it won’t make you very popular if you do it (and you will almost certainly have people questioning your sanity), it can make you more sales and build your business bigger than you ever dreamed possible.

At least, that’s been the case with me.

And, I suspect it will be for you, too.

Here’s where to subscribe:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Recently, I was re-reading a 20+ year old interview with comic book writer Peter David (who made the Incredible Hulk one of the highest selling Marvel titles back in the 90’s).

He shared a lot of valuable ideas for writers in the interview.

But, my favorite was about all the incessant copycat writers:

“People focus on the surface elements, try to emulate them, and then are surprised when they don’t succeed. It’s the writing equivalent of what many beginning artists do: copy the surface elements of a style and not look at the things that make it work as a whole.”

Anyway, here’s why I bring it up:

New “Email Players” subscriber Andy recently made an observation about this phenomenon.

And, it’s especially relevant to the people incapable of independent thought who not only copycat me, but who copycat anyone else, too…

First off, I’ve finally started accruing my own list and became an email player today. Feels good man.

But the pressing issue is how many dopes I keep seeing trying to be Ben Settle clones. I get it, the lingo del benbo is amusing, but only when spoken by him. Otherwise it seems forced/un naturale.

Self proclaimed gooroos will run these terms into the dirt without ever learning why they worked in the first place.

I had some shitbird send me an email that tried sounding like you and it just added kerosene to my fire.

“what gives you acid reflux in your current endeavours?”

fake ass marketing charlatans

These proles are out there pushing folks towards your subscription. Nice

I probably should be thanking them.

But, if anything, I pity them.

Why?

Because they are also sabotaging their sales, their brands, and their entire businesses.

Whatever the case, I’ll never understand why people want to copy someone else’s personality.

Especially in email — which is personality-driven.

But, marketing proles aren’t known for being particularly bright.

To learn how to use your own personality to sell your products & services with email, go here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle