Ben Settle

One of the formative experiences of my entire business career was in an old, obscure teaching the great Dan Kennedy did about a wildly successful plumber.

A plumber who got all the customers he could handle.

Could charge far more than any other plumber probably could.

And, that impressed DK so much, he used it as a case study in his Peter Lowe Conference talks.

And, even though Dan was talking about direct mail lists, the lesson behind the story has been one of the single greatest email list building methods I’ve ever used, and continue to use, and will continue to use for many years into the future.

Plus, it’s free to use, too.

(Unlike the direct mail version of it.)

And, I have found it lets me connect a pipe (so to speak) to the faucets of paid traffic platforms and, in a completely roundabout sort of way, drain some of the best leads from those sites onto my own in many cases, and in a way that is much simpler than it sounds.

The February “Email Players” issue is all about what this is and how I do it.

There is nothing at all “new” about it.

But, I believe the way I’ve systematized it can help almost any business — new or old — start to build a responsive email list fairly quickly. Maybe not a big list, certainly not as much as paid advertising. But, I’ll take the Pepsi Challenge using this against paid ad lead quality any day.

The only caveat is, of course, you have to be subscribed.

And, just as important, subscribed before it goes to the printer tomorrow.

After that, it will be too late to get this issue.

Time is short on this.

If you want it, high-tail it over to this link immediately:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

P.S. I have admittedly make this method sound a lot secksier than it probably is.

But make no mistake:

That doesn’t mean it can’t work as well, if not better, than I have described…

“Email Players” subscriber Mark Jordan witnesses the power of Emperor elBenbo’s fully armed and operational market research battle station:

You know your market like the back of your hand, speak my language, and write in a way that seems like we’re having a conversation.

I’ve gotten much better at all those things since being a subscriber, but for some reason it just clicked like a mf in my brain today.

I’m telling you man, being a subscriber is the single best thing I’ve done for my business. I have so many “aha” moments and shit just clicks when I’m reading your stuff.

There are two “secrets” I have for knowing my market like this.

One is doing daily (and often multiple daily) emails the way I teach in the “Email Players” newsletter and especially in the book I give to new subscribers. Doing so gives me daily market intel.

The second?

Is what I teach in the bonus “Ravings of an Adman” insert inside the upcoming February issue.

Ain’t nothing complicated about it, either.

More:

There’s also nothing complicated about the list-building method I teach in depth in the main issue next month. It’s not scalable, takes time and energy, and you’ll need patience to use it. But, it easily produces some of the best leads on my email list I’ve ever gotten.

And, I believe it can do the same for your business, too.

That is, if you’re subscribed in time to get it.

Deadline is in less than 48 hours.

Get your list-building lovin’ while you still can here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

There’s admittedly nothing secksy or exciting about this list building method I learned studying the late Walt Disney. But those with a nose to hear and ears to smell can take it, run with it, and profit from it for years into the future…

Once upon a time, your pal elBenbo had part ownership in a business selling eBooks in the weight loss market.

I did all the emails and sales copy.

My pal Jim Yaghi did all the traffic and lead generation.

And, according to Jim, my emails and sales letters converted over 40% of our list into some kind of buyer. It was probably a lot more than that, in hindsight, because we also sold a lot of Kindle books, too, and we couldn’t track those sales.

Anyway, why am I telling you this?

To brag?

Pound my chest?

Show off?

Well, yes, of course.

But also because I want to tell you about *what* I did to get these results that anyone — newbie or pro — can also do, to convert more leads into buyers. And what I did was use a special kind of market research that had nothing to do with being on anyone else’s lists to see what they were doing (I wasn’t on anyone’s list in that market — and even actively avoided them), nothing to do with using a swipe file, and nothing to do with creating big, outrageous claims.

If anything, the emails were sorely lacking in benefits.

And, our sales letters were super “crude.”

(i.e. no graphics or even before-and-after pics)

But the secret I used to convert all these leads like this was much easier than you probably think. And, a year or so after selling my share in the business, I let one of my consulting clients in the same market use one of the most profitable of those emails I wrote however he wanted.

The result of this one email for his business?

Well, I’ll let you see it in his own words:

“[The email you gave us] put us in 1st place on this launch and doubled our sales on day 2. unheard of in our industry. All the big guys are blown away that we’re only sending 1x per day…hitting unopens in the afternoon and crushing them on salezzz…. They’re all sending 2-3x per day and they still can’t keep up!”

What made this email so responsive for him?

The answer is the way I researched the market.

A way I talk about in detail in the bonus “Ravings of an Adman” insert in the upcoming February “Email Players” issue.

It’s so simple, too.

Which is probably why so few people do it.

Or, bother to do it correctly.

The deadline to get the February issue is in just a couple days.

The main issue is all about building an email list — specifically a way I use to get large “spurts” of subscribers that are several cuts above (in terms of quality) most other lead gen methods I’ve used, and that costs nothing to do, but does take time, patience, and the work.

The link to get this issue in time is here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

“Email Players” subscriber Jon Workman chimes in:

elBenbo,

Just wanted to send you some props for a couple of things.

1 – This week I’ve used your [NOTE: a method I taught in the January issue this month — elBenbo] teachings to sell my book and it’s working like a champ, with little to no shrinking of my list. If all goes as planned it will pay for groceries this month, or 6 months of email players. Either way, that’s a big deal to me.

It’s also produced an opportunity to use your “troll techniques” on one single, very mild, lonely troll. But I’ll use it nonetheless.

2 – Recently watched a few f-book videos of a marketing guru who says: 1 – Email is dead and everyone should move on. No one reads emails anymore. 2 – I don’t have a “real business” because I’m not making $500k a month like he does (insert video of him turning up his nose and getting into his Bentley).

I actually am glad he’s teaching that about email. That means my emails will be more noticeable and it won’t be so hard to get them opened. Everyone else can have the social media spotlights.

And as far as my “non-business” goes, like I said, it’s putting food on the table this month. My kids think that’s a big deal too.

Thanks for your teachings. Email players has been a fantastic investment (and much more affordable than the tens of thousands it would cost to work with said gooroo).

No regrets.

Thank you, Mr. Workman.

(What an apt last name…)

Anywhat, the February issue deadline approaches like a goo-roo racing to the newest marketing fad.

It’s all about building an email list.

Specifically, a way I use to (legally and ethically):

1. “Siphon” traffic from others (including from Facebook, Google, etc) — without these sites and their masters even knowing about it, much less have anything to say about it

2. Get this traffic 100% free — as far as paying money, there is a small one-time investment of time and energy

3. Nab only the best leads — the kind that are likely to want to buy from you before even getting on your list, and stay with you for many years to come if you follow my loving, tender email ways

You only have a little more time to subscribe to get it.

(Deadline is this Thursday 1/31/19)

Here’s the link:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

This is bound to (hopefully) get me in some trouble.

Even with people I highly respect.

But, not long ago, I had a discussion on someone’s podcast about this idea of haunting Amazon reviews as a way to do market research. After all, reviews are where people often voice their frustrations with a product (and sometimes even other products, too). Which means you can see peoples’ recently complaints, frustrations, and points of view in virtually any market you want.

All of which makes a lot of sense on the surface.

And, I won’t say there is zero value in doing so.

But, when you dig a little deeper, you will realize they ain’t all they’re cracked up to be, and there are many far better places to do research.

Here’s what I mean:

I can sum up the problem with Amazon reviews as market research in one word.

A word that also, incidentally, applies to YouTube comments, too.

And that word is…

Trolls.

I have many books on Amazon. And, the vast majority of negative reviews are simply trolls or people who are not good buyers to begin with. They don’t represent anyone’s legitimate marketing, with legitimate concerns, frustrations, or points of view. They are simply bored, have an axe to grind, or are maybe too foolish to form a coherent thought.

Example:

I have a book for brand new people on there.

This fact is literally in the title.

And the description readily and clearly admits there isn’t anything new in it, or whatever.

One of the negative reviews?

“There isn’t anything new here.”

Does that sound like a legitimate review from an intelligent person you’d want to sell to?

Of course not.

Most negative reviews — and maybe this is just in my case, but I doubt it, since I have seen it in many other authors’ cases — are simply bored trolls voicing their opinions, and not people in a market giving useful feedback you can actually use in market research. That’s not to say these trolls aren’t useful for other things. They are. And, in fact, next month I’ll be talking about how to profit from them.

But for now?

If you’re using Amazon reviews as your research, by all means continue doing so.

It’s not completely worthless.

But, there are far better places to do it.

And, especially, the way I mention in the bonus “Ravings of an Aman” insert that goes with the upcoming February “Email Players” newsletter. A place that will give you far better market intel (and without you paying for it) than Amazon reviews ever will. A place I use whenever I want to do market research — and want quick email ideas. A place that has, frankly, been extremely profitable for me.

Anyway, details on page 2 of the insert.

The main issue is all about building a responsive email list.

And, market intel info can make applying the list-building info even more profitable.

The deadline to get this issue is Thursday, January 31st.

Also:

I don’t cater to procrastinators and am an unrepentant tyrant about deadlines. I bring this up because, I won’t be letting anyone in after the deadline for any reason. And, this issue will become part of a high ticket product about list building eventually, which will cost far more.

Here’s the link:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Recently I was reminded about why Facebook groups are turning into swamps.

Yes, even the paid ones.

“Email Players” subscriber James G. elaborates:

I can’t seem to stop myself, but I paid for and joined yet another group. To my horror and surprise, I discovered after joining they meet up on Facebook.

Now I’ve started to notice a really annoying trend with these Facebook groups. Instead of genuine learning from each other, it turns into a macho shouting match to see who can get the gooru’s attention and coveted reply or like. It’s about who can be the biggest, boldest, brashest douchebag. It’s a bunch of wannabe shitheads acting like they’re the Zuckerbergs of copywriting. This is the last one, I swear. If I didn’t pay for it I’d leave already.

Thanks for not having a Facebook group. Whether it’s true or not, Email Players just feels more legit and less chest-poundy.

:vent over

Fun fact:

There was a time when I was a huge fan of marketing with Facebook groups.

In fact, I had (easily) one of the most engaged, rabid, and profitable Facebook groups in the marketing world at one time called “elBenbo’s Lair.” If you don’t believe me, simply ask anyone who was an active part of it. People used to call it “real life” and were so addicted to it, and saw so many concurrent threads inside it showing on their main FB timeline, they would mistakenly post things meant just for the group on their main FB timeline accidentally — and oftentimes to their red-faced shame. It was such a part of the existence of some of these members, that I had grown men literally whining like little girls on Facebook about me when I abruptly shut it down.

They can still be profitable, of course.

I even did an “Email Players” issue about the psychology behind what I did a while back.

But mostly they are swamps.

And while I am biased (having deleted my Facebook account back in November), I advise everyone I know to delete their accounts too. Or, at the very least, their Facebook groups and build their own groups on a private platform instead.

There are many reasons for this.

One, the utter disregard for your privacy.

Anyone willingly using Facebook who has their identity stolen, compromised, or used for nefarious reasons has nobody to blame but themselves at this point.

Another (marketing-related) reason:

You’re competing with too many people for attention.

Unless you have your own elBenbo’s Lair-like group going on, where you’re the only thing people care to read, you are competing with all the brain farts, advertising, virtue-signaling grandstanding, chest-pounding, oh-woe-is me whining, and posts just looking for attention.

This is especially true if you’re using groups for email list building.

You’re much better off doing what I teach in the upcoming February issue.

It requires no social media presence.

But, lets you (legally and ethically) siphon away the best social media leads.

The deadline to get this issue approaches fast.

Here is the link:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

A few years ago, I did a training at one of my pal Ray Higdon’s elite masterminds.

(i.e. the kind people pay thousands of dollars to attend)

And, I remember one of the people in the room asking him a question about generating traffic and leads, and building a list, and about paid lead generation vs free lead generation. And at one point in his answer, in his infinite wisdom he chanted the magic words:

“You can’t scale free.”

Very true.

Very, very, very true.

And at the time, I realized I was probably leaving many sales on the table by not doing paid traffic, and quickly went to work hiring the best people I know about the subject to do it for me using Facebook and Google AdWords.

At first, they generated quite a few leads.

And, also, quite a few customers.

But, over time, I started realizing something:

Paid leads mostly sucked for my particular business.

I could see how they would be great for many businesses, but not for all businesses. Especially if you want a business like your pal elBenbo has — where you don’t want to spend a lot time “warming up” leads, dealing with low class jackasses looking for “free”, and dealing with people you have to exert more effort into turning into buyers, dealing with people whining about getting too many emails, people who can’t even read in some cases (I exaggerate not about this).

This is why, unless something changes, I’ve switched to referral-based leads.

i.e. leads referred to me.

No, you cannot “scale” these leads.

Not in my experience, at least.

But, there is one method I use to get large “spurts” of leads at a time — and without giving the privacy-butchering powers-that-be at Google, Facebook, etc any of my money, but while still being able to siphon leads from those sites (and without even having a Facebook account, which I deleted months ago, I might add).

I am teaching it in depth in the February “Email Players” issue.

But, a word of warning:

There is nothing “sexy” about this.

There is nothing, really, even “secret” about it.

It’s something certain, very smart online marketers have been doing since the last 90’s, frankly, but that doesn’t get talked about hardly ever anymore for some reason.

Probably because it takes time.

And effort.

And, yes, patience.

If you have those attributes, this list-building method can work like gangbusters.

If you don’t have those attributes?

Save your money.

In fact, don’t buy anything from me.

You’ll simply be disappointed.

What I am teaching is very much an “evergreen” method that has worked for decades in all kind of selling, and that I will be including in a much higher ticket paid product about list-building either later this year or early next.

The deadline to subscribe to get this issue in time is Thursday, January 31st.

Here’s the link:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

It always astounds me how so many old school door-to-door methods of selling either work directly online, or are easily adapted to selling online.

Or to any kind of direct response marketing.

For example:

Referral lead generation.

The man the Guinness Book Of World Records says is the “World’s Greatest Salesman” (the great Joe Girard) consistently outsold every car sales man by a country mile year in, and year out.

And one of his big secrets?

Referrals.

He sold in such a way where his customers couldn’t help but tell all their friends, family, co-workers, even complete strangers about him. That meant, people came to him already trusting him, knowing he could help them, and eager to hand him the sale.

These are the best kind of leads you can get.

They readily buy.

They readily use/consume/implement what you sell them.

And then, assuming you give them a good experience and your product/service works, are far more likely to spread the gospel about you to everyone they know — including their email list, social media audience, colleagues, yada yada yada.

Enter the February “Email Players” issue.

I go deep into my all-time favorite referral list building method.

A method that has added many hundreds of subscribers to my list in the past few months alone. But, not just ordinary subscribers. These are, in many cases, cream-of-the-crop subscribers.

This is a method pretty much anyone can use, too.

Even if you’re a raw and “wriggling” newbie.

I won’t say it will build you a huge list really fast, necessarily.

(Especially if you’re brand spanking new to marketing.)

And it does take some elbow grease, time, and patience.

Plus, it’s not at all “scaleable”, either.

But it’s my #1 favorite method.

And, I teach it in depth, everything I know about it and everything I do to implement it, in the February “Email Players” issue. In fact, it will become part of a higher ticket product (along with the March issue, and a couple other back issues I’ve done about list building) later this year or early next year.

The deadline to get this issue approaches quick.

Here’s the link:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle