Ben Settle

To punch off 2019 with a bang (before it even arrives), I want to show you where arguably the single best email “swipe files” can be found, studied, and modeled.

Swipe files that aren’t “emails.”

But, that I have extracted many profitable email ideas from over the years.

Specifically, in consumer-based niches.

(i.e. prostate problems, weight loss, financial-related, etc)

But, that can also just as easily be adapted to any other kind of market.

Anyway, what swipe files am I referring to?

None other than magalogs written by the best A-list copywriters.

Interesting fact:

There are at least three — that I know of — “A List” copywriters who subscribe to “Email Players.” Presumably, they do so to get a different perspective on how to write emails. Especially since, all three are old school direct mail copywriters (and one is retired from the game, but like all masters of their craft, still keeps a hand in what’s going on). And the irony of this is, I have probably learned more about email from them than they ever will from me.

And the reason why is, certain magalogs are perfect email swipe files if you know what to look for.

(And what to ignore.)

And guess what?

If you know which parts are great for adapting to emails (and which parts aren’t), you can use magalogs to help pound out some of the most profitable emails you’ll ever use.

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

But, I suspect it can apply to you, too.

And, no matter what niche you sell in.

Enter the January “Email Players” issue:

I not only explain this in far more detail, but I show you — word for word — four examples of exactly how it works, so you can just as easily model and adapt (not copy & paste) some of the greatest, most responsive magalogs ever written into emails that pay you a pretty penny, too. (And, yes, I show you where to find them — both free and paid resources.)

So that’s one of the many lessons in the January issue.

It goes to the printer on New Years Eve.

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

Here is the link:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Many years ago, I first heard the term:

“marketing malpractice”

The great Gary Bencivenga said it while being interviewed by the great Ken McCarthy. And, I got to thinking about it recently while watching my favorite version of the movie “A Christmas Carol.”

Specifically, how it applies to Scrooge.

He is built up as some kind of smart & shrewd (if not greedy & miserly) business man.

But, I think he was more of a business dingbat.

And, here are a few reasons why:

• Afraid to spend money — As I have heard the great Dan Kennedy teach over and over and over… the wealthiest of his clients never look for ways to save money or get their postage or marketing costs down… they look for ways to spend MORE, to get a clear and hard-to-knock off competitive advantage. Think companies like Disney, for example. But Scrooge? He’s such a tightwad he’d probably drive a day out of his way to save a few cents per gallon on gas.
• Takes credit for stuff he didn’t do — In the version of the story I was watching… the Ghost of Christmas Present waves his horn at angry people and they stop being angry, and stop wanting to fight. When he does to it to a couple guys about to come to blows, the ghost says “We stopped that fight, didn’t we?” And Scrooge, who did nothing, agrees, “We sure did, didn’t we!” What a bum.
• Makes his employees miserable — Scrooge goes out of his way to be as evil as he can to his employee. Which is just idiotic. As I heard “for real” Mad Man era-advertising genius Walter Bregman once tell Dan Kennedy in an interview (about today’s advertising agencies): “When the penalty for failure outweighs the rewards for success the result is mediocrity.” Anyone who wants mediocre talent working for them is not someone to emulate, but to look at as what not to do.
• Thinks he can buy loyalty and forgiveness — I may very well have missed it, but in the version of the story I watched, Scrooge never once asks for forgiveness from the people (like Bob Cratchet) he tormented, kept in perpetual “fight or flight” mode… and made completely scared, miserable, and worried 24/7. Instead, he just buys the kids presents, throws money around, and thinks he can buy that forgiveness. Bah humbug.
• Is a breathing spreadsheet — Scrooge has zero regard for the intangibles that make a business work, that can’t be tracked, measured, or scaled. Like, for example, his personal brand (which is about as attractive as a rotting fish…), his lack of approachability (even I am approachable by email, but Scrooge is, well, someone people avoid like the Bigfoot apocalypse plague…), and his crap reputation as an employer (i.e. why would the best and brightest want to work for him, knowing he’s an arsehole and pays the bare minimum salary he can get away with).

The point?

Scrooge is an awful businessman to model or emulate.

Anyway, that’s my opinion.

And, not only is it my opinion, it just happens to be a fact, too…

To get in on the January “Email Players” issue, go here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

After today, I’ll be going back to daily emails instead of daily videos.

But this last one, I think, is the most valuable in many ways.

(The obvious bias embedded within notwithstanding…)

Anyway, over the past 2 years, I have been using the notorious — and often mocked — Myers Briggs (or Myers Bullshyt, depending on who you ask) personality profile analysis to make a lot more sales from my emails and sales copy, have a lot better and smoother business relationships, and know, sometimes within 5 minutes of talking to someone, whether I should JV with them, work with them, or go into business with them.

And guess what?

In this video, I show you exactly how you can, too…

Burping along with daily video week (while I retool the Email Players sales letter, I am posting daily videos instead of emails), today’s lesson is about email swipe files.

And, specifically, A-list email swipe files.

Here’s where to watch my 4:30 am lesson in the pitch blackness:

Since I’m still retooling the Email Players sales letter this week (posting a daily video instead of a daily email) I put up a video today, called:

“A secret way to use neuroscience to get great at marketing”

It may “sting” a bit for certain people to hear it.

Maybe, it will even get me a bit of grumpy mail.

(Hopefully…)

But, it’s for their own growth.

And, it will hopefully take the mystery out of something that plagues a lot of people in regards to their email, copywriting, marketing, and other business endeavors.

Here is the link:

This week I am “retooling” some stuff with Email Players, the sales letter, etc… and so, instead of promoting that like I’d normally do, I am going to be sharing some valuable videos, instead.

Today’s video is called:

“Secret of the bloody-fingered copywriter”

And, it was inspired in many ways by an obscure phone recording of two copywriting masters I heard almost 20 years ago.

Enjoy…

Originally, I was going to reveal my new “Anti-Affiliate” Program today.

But, I’m holding off on that for a little longer.

Instead, I posted a video on my blog that was going to be part of the 30+ videos that will be bonuses for people who buy my “Super Villains of Persuasion? book next month when it launches.

But this particular video doesn’t really fit in with the rest.

So, I decided to put it up free on my blog today.

If you want to watch it, here it is…

Back when I was on Twitter, I saw this extremely cool (in my completely biased opinion…) Tweet from “Email Players” subscriber Alexander J.A Cortes about the newsletter:

The best investment I’ve made for my business has been @BenSettle monthly newsletter

I don’t read anything else but his newsletter

My growth speaks for itself

Pick your expert, learn, apply

There’s much wisdom (besides just buying my newsletter) in that free tweet money can’t buy — about the idea of picking your expert and learning. I remember the great Ken McCarthy (founding father of internet marketing) say something similar about picking your teacher and slavishly following what they say in his excellent book “The System Club Letters” book.

More:

I have observed Alexander also does something very unique when building his business.

Something pretty much anyone can do.

Something that is very similar to how Gary Halbert used to make a lot of sales from his space ads back in the day, but that can be “adapted” to the internet, and costs no money to do.

I talk about this on pages 6-7 in the December issue.

I’m sending this to the printer tonight.

You have probably minutes to subscribe to get it in time.

(Depending on when you are reading this.)

After that?

Too late…

Here is the link to get it while you still can:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

I’ve taught many times, in various venues (Email Players, speaking at events, etc) how important it is to catalog each and every one of the insecurities plaguing your market.

Especially the ones they don’t want to talk about.

And, if asked, would insist they aren’t bothered by them.

Why?

Because doing so can make you a fair amount of the green stuff. Especially if the only people competing against you are the typical marketers who can’t write subject lines deeper than “Last chance!” or body copy content deeper than listing benefits.

One example is an email I wrote in the MLM niche.

It was about a stay-at-home dad whose wife cheated on him.

That email, which got the most clicks and sales of the 10+ emails that went out for that campaign, was all about a common insecurity a lot of husbands have about their wives making more money than them while they work closely with other men at their jobs who are more charismatic and powerful than them.

And that (in my humble, but accurate opinion) is why it worked so well.

This is why one of the most profitable kinds of subject lines you can write are the ones that wrench on a deep, painful, and maybe even shameful insecurity a lot of people in your market secretly possess.

Especially one the template I give in the December “Email Players” issue presses on.

Due to the uniqueness of it, you can probably only use it once in a while.

But, when you do?

Well, I can’t make you any promises.

But, I suspect you’ll be one smiling donkey.

Anyway, I’m sending this issue to the printer in a bit today.

To subscribe in time to get it, go here immediately:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle