Ben Settle

One of the most Valuable business lessons I ever heard was from the great Ken McCarthy (founding father of Internet marketing as we know it — to give you an idea of how far back he goes, Time magazine credited him with originating the idea of using click-through rates as the key metric of website performance).

What was the lesson?

Sociopaths.

These are people who are simply not “wired” to care about anyone (whether by birth defect, accident, emotional damage, etc) and, thus, have no moral problem hurting, conning, or financially ruining others. In fact, to these people, doing bad things is as ordinary and “routine” as ordering a hamburger at McDonalds.

Don’t bother trying to rationalize it, either.

You can’t.

These particular people are 4% of the population (1 in 23 people you know, let that settle in your mind for a moment…) according to Martha Stout (the Harvard psychologist who wrote the book “The Sociopath Next Door”) and don’t have any feelings of regret, love, or compassion. In fact, the idea of caring about someone else is as foreign to them as the color “red” is to someone born blind. And because of this, they have no problem lying through their teeth, stealing your money, or doing whatever it takes to get what they want from you.

Even if it means ruining your life as you know it.

But here’s the chilling thing about this:

Since these people don’t have any natural reactions and moral guidance, they watch the rest of us very carefully. They are especially observant about how we respond and react to other peoples’ words and actions. As a result, they become masters of persuasion and manipulation; as well as at faking empathy, compassion, and concern for others.

They do it so well, they come off as more “human” than normal people.

Some of them are almost supernaturally good at it.

Even to the point where they will have you believing they’re your best friend within five minutes of meeting them.

Now, to be fair, not everyone with this condition does bad things.

And, they don’t live very pleasant lives.

(Always on the run, etc.)

But quite a few of them do.

Anyway, how does this affect you?

Maybe it doesn’t.

But, probably it does — or at least will, some day.

Why?

Because the bad ones are many times drawn to positions of power and influence and where they are treated like rockstars for their persuasive abilities, like law, politics, religion, and, yes, direct marketing — where their every word is quoted like “gospel”, and where they are admired, encouraged, and practically worshipped for their “extraordinary” persuasion abilities.

That’s the bad news.

Even worse than that though, is this:

When you have something worth stealing — like your time, money, talent, list, or some other asset — the bad ones will target you. It’s as reliable as lies coming from a politician’s mouth. And if you have something especially valuable, they will pick you out and “work” you for months if they have to, just to get your trust and become your good buddy. And while they’re acting like your new best friend they’re actually stalking you (like a predator), waiting for the right time to strike and run away with “the loot.”

And when they go in for the “kill”?

(Figuratively … or possibly literally, I suppose…)

You’ll never see it coming.

One day they’re your best pal… the next they ripped off your customer list and sold it to your competitor. Or got you to spend months of your time to ignore your other clients with the promises of writing an ad “on speck” they make a bundle from but never pay you a dime of, and then copyright that ad and claim it for themselves. Or got you to pay them a fat fee for some service up front (high ticket copywriting, consulting, coaching, etc) only to skip town.

Scoff all you want at this.

But I can assure you this happens all the time in big or small ways.

And if you have something Valuable to steal, you will be a target.

Maybe not today.

Maybe not tomorrow.

Maybe not even next year. But it will happen, and is just a matter of time.

That’s the bad news when it comes to these yahoos.

The good news?

(There’s an adamantium lining in every cloud if you know where to look…)

In a lot of cases, the exact same persuasion principles and tactics these people use to do great evil, can also be used to do great good. Like a baseball bat (for example) can be used by a professional athlete to hit a game saving home run or by a union thug to bash a car windshield in, these principles can be used to fleece people of their life savings or make you flush for the rest of your life writing emails and ads that sell legitimate products to receptive leads and improve their lives and solve their problems.

Enter the June “Email Players” issue.

I spend almost half the issue talking about one of these people in particular.

Specifically, 6 principles (all extremely simple, and not sexy, which is probably why so few email marketers and copywriters do all of them) he used to do truly vile and evil deeds (unspeakable in an email like this), that have also been used by some of the most respected copywriters, marketers, and consultants to ethically build big businesses, create wealth and profitable joint ventures, negotiate multi-million dollar deals, and, believe it or not, even catch other sociopathic serial killers.

So that’s the June issue.

I’m sending it to the printer tomorrow.

After the deadline, it’ll be too late to get your mitts on it.

Here’s the link:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

True story:

A while back, one of my pals Justin Devonshire wrote a great post about the “9 Things Successful Entrepreneurs DON’T Do Online…” It was filled with all kinds of great tips I believe everyone should be doing.

The only one I might dispute (although he has a point) was #5 on his list.

In that point, he said:

“#5. They don’t rant about the ‘big influencers’ of their industry, like everyone else does. Y’know, the Tai Lopez, the Joe Wicks, The Dr Phil, whoever its trendy to bash at the time. Instead they learn something from them, and see what the others don’t. They talk about what they learned from those figures, even though its often met with harsh criticism and, once again, philosophical bitch-fests.”

I agree almost 100%.

Unless, you are:

1. Trying to pick a fight or getting into a pissing match with someone (not usually advisable for vast majority of people, especially if you have a thin skin, although some — like Donald Trump, for example — not only get away with it, but thrive on it)

2. They say something you can prove is wrong, and want to tell your audience the right way of doing whatever it is (or a better way — neither of which is “trash talking” though, just honest disagreement)

3. Using the model I show in the June “Email Players” issue

There is an email model (that could easily be a template anyone could use in any industry) on page 15 I use when I disagree with something that isn’t talking trash, but gives your list a clear path to choosing either you or someone else to buy from or follow.

(And if you do everything else right, there’s a good chance they’ll choose you…)

I have used it many times over the years.

And, I show a recent example in the June issue.

To subscribe before the looming deadline, go here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

A gleaming gem for Twitter:

I enjoy following an eclectic variety of thought-leaders and thinkers (as well as bizarre accounts that tweet weird stuff) on Twitter — one of which is a fellow called “Black Label Logic”. And, recently, he said something that can put more money in the hot little hand of anyone who uses emails:

(Or writes any kind of sales copy)

“You cannot elicit an emotion from someone who has no seed of that emotion within them from which it can grow.”

There’s a lot of Value packed into that sentence.

Especially if you want to write emails people can’t “un-read.”

Example?

Okay, one of the most profitable emails I wrote in the prostate niche was to sell a product (as an affiliate for a product on clickbank) for men who have problems getting their “solider” to salute. And, it had had this subject line:

“Prostate problems and your flaccid member”

This bad-boy did extremely well, too.

And, it did well because it applied the black label logic quote above from start to finish.

It also broke a lot of “rules” in the process.

Anyway, here’s why I bring this up:

If you’d like to (1) get a deeper understanding of the quote above… (2) see how it applies to sales copy (3) know how applying it can put many more rupees in your hot little hand… and (4) see the email above in its all it’s glory… then the upcoming June “Email Players” issue will give you all that and more.

The deadline to get it is in a couple days.

After that, it’ll be too late.

Here’s where to subscribe while there’s still time:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Admission:

I’m not the king of cold emails (that person was interviewed for last month’s “Email Players” issue). I prefer having an opt-in list and mailing from there. But, over the years, I have picked up a few tricks here and there.

And, one of the best ones is called:

“Knock-Knocks”

This is from the mind of the late, great ad man Norman B. Norman.

And what this means is, imagine you are in a neighborhood full of people who are in your market. You knock on the door. When they open, what do you say to get them to not only not slam the door on your face, but actually invite you in to tell them more? Or, even better, yank you in by your arm and DEMAND you tell them more before leaving?

Sounds simple enough, no?

It is simple.

But, that does not mean it’s easy.

It goes beyond copywriting tricks and chokes. And it takes a knowledge of buyer psychology you aren’t going to easily find in the typical email and copywriting books, courses, and trainings. (It also applies just as much to writing your warm list as your cold list — in fact, knowing this will help you clean up to your main list far easier than usual, in my experience.)

Which brings me to the pitch:

The June Email Players issue.

Specifically, it includes a real-life example of a cold email we use in the golf niche that got us overrun with response, nobody complaining, and will make us all a fat bit o’ change in the long run.

And, I believe what made it work was the Knock-Knock.

Anyway, this issue goes to the printer in a few days.

Grab it here while the grabbins’ good:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Came a question from one of my website readers:

“What would be the best approach to cold email industrial clients (Facility Managers) Subject Lines Types…etc? The objective is to simply set an appointment.”

Cold emails is something that comes up again and again.

And, I included a bonus training about this in the May “Email Players” issue.

Well guess what?

This question comes up so often, I decided to do some more training about this in the upcoming June issue. Specifically, I show you exactly how in the golf niche, we are using cold emails to get tons of replies, set up tons of business relationships, and will ultimately make us lots of sales.

More:

I show you not only the psychology behind it, but the actual cold email.

(Which cannot be “swiped” since it is very personality-based, but it very easily can be modeled for near any industry.)

Anyway, I’m sending the June issue to the printer this week.

If you want in before the deadline, go here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Piggy-backing on my email from Friday:

(About the ethical persuasion secrets used by the evil psychopath Ted Bundy)

One reason he was so persuasive was this:

He had 100% complete outcome independence.

By that I mean, he was not emotionally connected to whether or not someone told him yes or no. Probably because he didn’t have the emotions necessary to care about such things in the first place, since he was an ice-cold psychopath.

This obviously gave him a huge advantage us regular blokes will never have.

We mere mortals have to consciously create outcome independence.

And, when you do, you’ll possess one of the most Valuable attributes anyone — marketing or otherwise — can develop, where you don’t need anything from someone.

You don’t need them to open your email.

You don’t need them to click on your link.

And you don’t need them to buy what you’re selling.

People can smell neediness like pewp on a shoe.

It turns them off instantly.

And in the June “Email Players” issue, I talk about this and many other attributes Bundy used to do great evil, but that you can use to do great good in your business and other areas of your life.

This sort of thing makes some people uncomfortable.

Good.

That’s the whole point.

Subscribe before the looming deadline here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Let’s talk about… psychopaths. 

The great Ken McCarthy (founding father of Internet marketing) has an entire section of his copywriting course about these people, and how the direct marketing world is rife with them. And, not long ago, I was perusing my Twitter feed when I came across a meme that was a quote of Ted Bundy. If you don’t know who Ted Bundy was, he was a serial killer and psychopath of the highest order. He was also, unfortunately, extremely persuasive and naturally knew and used many persuasion “techniques” most copywriters and marketers have to learn via books and high ticket seminars. 

Anyway, here’s why I bring it up:

About 15 years ago, I subscribed to the great John Carlton’s newsletter, and remember him talking about how much he learned about sales, persuasion, and gaining trust from complete strangers from a street con and hustler with no morals whatsoever. And, he talked about how the same principles that work for the sociopath, work for the honest man.

In other words:

The principles are neither good or evil.

They just “are.”

And just as a surgeon’s knife can save a life, it can also stab someone’s eyes out.

(Thus the importance of ethics in marketing.)

All of which brings me to the rub:

The upcoming June “Email Players” issue.

I spend almost half the issue analyzing the Ted Bundy quote I saw on Twitter, and showing you how to apply the things he did out of pure evil, to ethically sell and build your business, and in ways that will do right by your customers and make them want to buy from you.

The result is more sales in your righteous piggy bank.

More customers that look forward to buying from you.

And, more peace of mind for both you and your buyers.

Very powerful information.

And, “Email Players” subscribers will possess it next month.

That is, if you are subscribed in time.

Here’s where to subscribe to get you some:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

“Email Players” subscriber Matt Rizvi recently wrote on his blog:

I’ve read so much of Ben’s stuff, that I can spot his lingo, his cadence, his Midwest charm, from the other end of this flat Earth.

But I didn’t realize how much I knew Ben’s sound until I joined the lists of lesser-known copy ‘experts.’

Then something strange happened…

I started hearing Ben’s voice EVERYWHERE.

Not just his principles, his style: from the way he spells bid’nis (instead of business), shyt (instead of shit), or ho’ (instead of whole)… way down to the granular stuff like the exact time he sends his emails in the morning (6:30am PST). I even see guys ripping off the look of his landing pages (you know who you are).

Mr. Rizvi is, unfortunately, correct about all of this.

I say unfortunately for two reasons:

1. I don’t like people who are incapable of thinking for themselves

(And prefer they haunt someone else)

2. They are only hurting themselves, and some even get mocked in many circles as frauds — including the circles they probably want to be invited in to some day.

(But won’t because nobody will trust them.)

As the great Ken McCarthy writes in his “System Club Letters” book:

“Copycats don’t get far in jazz. In fact, they don’t exist. Unless you can figure out how to bring something new to the table, there’s no seat for you. Business is a little more tolerant of ‘knock off’ artists, but in the long run the prize goes to businesses that develop a unique personality. The ‘me too’ business makes for slim pickings.”

Want to excel at what you do?

Get the best customers and clients?

Make the max amount of of the green stuff?

Then think and solve problems, instead of incessantly aping and copying. (Every ad/email is a unique problem you can’t solve by mindlessly swiping someone else’s personality, writing style, ways of talking, etc).

Do that and you may be copied, but never duplicated.

Why?

Because you’ll be an original you.

(Instead of a fax of a copy of a scan of someone else.)

To learn how to write emails this way, go here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Few days ago, I was forwarded a screenshot from a Facebook thread asking for advice on the best list-building course.

There were several names mentioned.

Including, Yours Phony’s.

And, the person said:

“There are many good list building teachers. Avoid the charlatan Ben Settle.”

Which I found as odd as it was amusing.

Why?

Two reasons:

1. I would avoid taking list building advice from me, too.

2. I don’t sell a course on list-building.

I might have an eBook on it somewhere.

And, I have written about my “traffic snowball” in an Email Players issue and a couple of my other programs.

But, mostly, it’s not something I’m particularly good at.

In fact, my main methods for list building are:

• Being interviewed on other peoples’ podcasts
• Word of mouth
• Search engines
• With periodic paid traffic

(i.e. most of the methods I use are slow, and take time and effort.)

Anyway, the naysayer was correct about not taking list building advice from me.

I’m also grateful he spelled my name right, too.

Plus, I got some new leads from it.

How?

Because when you troll people on social media, people tend to look up said person being trolled, and if you have your act together, you’d be surprised how many will join your list and, eventually, buy from you, if you do email right.

I love my unpaid marketing interns.

They serve me well…

All right on to business:

The June Email Players issue goes to the printer soon. And, the main lesson is about (ironically) charlatans. But, not the kind you find online trolling Facebook.

I’m talking about the kind that literally kill people.

Here’s the link:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle