Ben Settle

It may be coincidence.

But, when I first launched “Email Players” back in 2011 I didn’t see anyone pricing their continuity at $97/month. Probably someone did here or there. But, since then it seems everyone and their mother is using that price.

And you know what?

It’s probably not a good idea for a multitude of reasons.

Especially for *my* own product.

Here’s what I mean:

I hereby admit I made a mistake pricing “Email Players” at that, and would change it (and will, eventually) today if I wasn’t so lazy (it involves re-editing multiple pages on my site, re-recording audio for my podcast intro, and a bunch of other things).

Why?

Many reasons.

For one, when everyone prices things the same it’s basically marketing incest. This is one reason not to be a copycat and swiper. When you “swipe and deploy lol!” you are essentially looking like a poser. Sac up and be an individual if you are in swiping mode just because so-and-so guru told you to.

Secondly, you are not positioning yourself uniquely at all.

You are looking like everyone else charging $97/month.

$97/month has become almost trendy now.

And finally, there’s another reason not to do $97/month.

A reason that is hurting my own positioning (which is why I’ll be changing it for my own product), product brand, and overall feeling of “Value” about my business. A reason that, alone, is why nobody in this industry especially should be selling anything for $97/month. And, yes, it’s a reason I explain in more detail, as well as what kind of prices are much *better*, in the upcoming May “Email Players” newsletter.

This info can help anyone who sells continuity or wants to.

(Regardless of what price you sell.)

Details in the May issue which I’m sending to the printer shortly.

Here’s where to subscribe:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

A freebie seeker this morning is not satisfied with the free Value I provide:

Weird.

Heard so much about you and your top level email marketing tactics, but your first 3 emails to me have scored ZERO on a scale of usefulness, and TEN on pitching your $97/month product.

Ironically, you slam the goo-roo fanboys and yet, here you are doing the same “goo-roo” thing.

Remember when you needed to build a relationship first?

Dayem.

Why didn’t someone *tell* me I didn’t know how to build a relationship via email? Or that I score a big fat ZERO on the usefulness scale? Like, for example, these readers who replied to the same content of one of the 3 emails Usefulness guy got:

(Comedy not based on truth is simply not funny.)

It hit me… Words of wisdom!
I’m going to write those words somewhere where I see them often.

I don’t have a list yet, that’s why I haven’t bought your emailsplayers yet. but once I do, I’ll be digging around for more info lol.

Anyways, thanks for the free, cool, emails

Matt

And…

…”Indifference makes people more persuasive”

along with ‘having contempt for what you cant have’…

Ben, it’s almost too powerful to spread around,

Bruce

And…

Great email!

I “LOL’d” at this part “complicated funnel screen shots that have more circles on it than an in-home MLM presentation.” ?

Christina

It’s always amusing to me how whenever one person whines about something I write not having Value or whatever, several more will find Usefulness in that exact same content.

Weird how that works… innit?

Ah well, enough fun times for my soul.

Let’s get down to bid’niz where I now pitch my $97/month product:

The May issue (which goes to the printer Sunday night) contains a bonus training with one of the best A-list copywriters on the planet. A writer who has competed and beat controls from some of the best writers who ever lived, including the late great Jim Rutz.

It’s not full of “ninja tactics” or whatever.

Just solid info from a writer who wins in the harshest copywriting environment there is.

Here’s where to subscribe:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

One of my favorite Seinfeld episodes is when George Costanza is desperate to get Jerry’s girlfriend to like him.

The fact she doesn’t like him really bothers him.

He becomes obsessed with her.

Even to the point where he tells Jerry:

“This woman hates me so much. I’m starting to like her…She just dislikes me so much… It’s irresistible… A woman that hates me this much comes along once in a lifetime.”

People laugh at that scene.

But, the reason it’s funny is because there’s truth to it.

(Comedy not based on truth is simply not funny.)

Indifference makes people more persuasive — whether it’s in romantic relationships, business relationships, customer relationships, or any other kind or relationship. That’s probably why one of Robert Green’s 48 Laws Of Power is to have contempt for things you can’t have, so you make yourself immune to such forces.

Which brings me to why I bring this up:

There is a way to use this quirk of human nature in your emails.

It’s something I’ve done for many years, in many different markets.

And, if you use your hot little fingers to turn to page 5 of the forthcoming May “Email Players” issue, I show you how I do it.

Time’s running out to subscribe before it goes to the printer.

Here’s where to subscribe:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

One of my favorite (and, quite possibly my oldest — not age, but time buying my bizarre products) customers Monique Nelson *finally* succumbs:

Somewhere around 10 years ago, I discovered this guy named Ben Settle. I stumbled upon him as he was just starting to come into himself as a now well renowned email marketing strategist. I have not only seen him learn and grow and become incredibly memorable and successful, but I have been able to learn and grow by learning from him.

And man, oh man, the things I have learned!

There is really no one else who I could recommend as strongly if you’re interested in learning how to write in any capacity. ESPECIALLY if you own a business. If you have clients, they need to hear from you, and you need to give them incredible material to read.

I have been learning from Ben’s daily emails pretty much since he started writing them. I’ve bought most of his materials and programs. And I’m now a paid subscriber to his monthly print newsletter.

In one single delivery, there is so much gold that I am fighting very powerful urge to highlight the whole thing sentence by sentence.

If you want to learn how to be more interesting, never have writer’s block again, connect with your audience on a very personal (aka successful) manner, and so much more, start following Ben Settle.

She’s right, of course, about how it ain’t just about emails.

My unruly ways work for any kind of writing and communication:

• Content
• Video scripts
• Sales letters
• Blog posts
• Articles
• Public speaking
• Podcasting
• Even novels (about to publish the 5th Enoch Wars book very soon, with the final two ready by year’s end)

The May “Email Players” issue is just around the corner.

To get it before it goes to print (the deadline), go here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Back in the January issue of the “Email Players” newsletter, I talked about the late, great “world’s most feared negotiator” Jim Camp — whose methods radically influenced my ways over the past 10 years.

One of his big things was to never, *ever* be needy.

Not on purpose (like some fools do on flakebook to be “authentic”).

And, certainly not because you can’t help it.

Why?

Because neediness causes you to make foolish choices when selling. It also can cause you to pay more for things you want (or get paid less for things you sell). And, lose several notches in your marketplace positioning over time.

tl;dr:

Neediness bad.

Non-neediness good.

In fact, just not being needy is like semi-advanced marketing “game.” So many marketers — including email marketers, and especially people prattling on about how awesome they are on Flakebook — are not only needy, but the more they pretend not to be needy, the more obvious they are and the less money they make, the more anxiety they feel, and the smaller their business shrinks compared to what it would be if they simply eradicated neediness.

Neediness is a deadly foe to anyone in the persuasion business.

But, it can also be your greatest ally, too.

That is, if you know how to harness it like I’m going to show you in the May “Email Players” issue. Yes, my fine-feathered little droogie — I am going to show those smart enough to be subscribed 3 ways (there are many more, but just these will make you lots of sales) to create neediness in your customers.

And before anyone asks:

No, I am not talking about using “tactics” to try to trick them.

I am talking about using principles that happen to make people needy regardless of what tactics you use. Principles I use all the time. And, principles you will be able to use, too, should you subscribe before it goes to print in a matter of days.

Here’s the linkage:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

“Email Players” subscriber Aaron Grossman sees an upshot in his business’s T-levels after applying my wicked ways:

“finally bit the bullet and started daily emailing few weeks ago. It’s pretty much a guaranteed number of clients onboarding with each email. I have to train more in-house practitioners to keep up with the demand and rehaul our entire system. Oh well. Ben, anytime you want bloodwork done it’s on us – however I suspect your T levels are just fine.”

What can I say?

Them’s the kind of problems I create…

The May “Email Players” issue goes to the printer shortly.

To give your sales a shot of Testosterone, grab your syringe, and grunt on over to this link:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

I hereby submit the following is true:

Last year a certain esteemed A-List copywriter succumbed to elBenbo’s diabolical wiles, and leapt into the darkest, most misogynist corner of his mind to subscribe to “Email Players.” This person is easily one of the most successful A-list copywriters on the planet. And, has lots of controls, including against some of the big legends in the direct mail industry.

Anyway, will this person last?

Will this person build a list?

Will this person mail said list daily?

(Using their unearthly copywriting skills and my evil methods)

Or, will this person grow tired of my obnoxious ways, and stay in the safe place world of freelancing?

Only time will tell, of course.

But you know what?

If they don’t stick with it, it ain’t gonna be because I didn’t do my part to make this person the best they can be in elBenbo’s Army. And in the May “Email Players” issue I show the exact same advice I gave this incredibly gifted copywriter on that fateful day when they enlisted in “Email Players” for getting a side-gig (using just daily emails) going that will eventually (if not quickly) dwarf their fancy-shmancy control income with the world’s biggest and most prestigious direct marketing publishers.

But, a word of warning:

What I reveal is almost deceptively simple.

I daresay it’s the single most simple email-driven business template ever created.

And, as “Email Players” subscriber Shane Hunter remarked when seeing it:

“$5 says nobody does this plan, even though plenty will talk about the ‘value’ you have bestowed on this fine day, Ben.”

Anyway, the May issue goes to the printer soon.

Here’s where to subscribe to get it in time:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Recently, a fine, upstanding citizen on Flakebook declared about selling with email:

“…you actually have to give a crap about your subscribers. That’s a secret Ben Settle forgets to share.”

Well, I’ll be *triggered*.

I had no idea I was being so neglectful.

No idea I was engaging in sheer, uncircumcised marketing malpractice.

Someone slap the cuffs on elBenbo!

Blind me with pepper spray!

Clearly I have been asleep at the switch all these years forgetting to tell people to care about their markets. Except, of course, in daily emails (like when I tell you the importance of bonding with your list, not bull shytting them, being transparent, not hiding sales pitches, not trying to manipulate with dorky “ninja” persuasion tactics, etc), Email Players, Crackerjack Selling Secrets (first chapter), 10-Minute Workday, CopySlacker, my podcasts, and pretty much any podcast I’m interviewed on when the topic comes up.

Yeesh.

And people wonder why I mock Flakebook.

Anyway, that’s not the first time that’s happened.

Nor will it be the last.

But, one thing will remain constant:

I’ll be using the blue light special’s who say idiotic things, half truths, and outright lies about me to my advantage via my daily emails to make even more sales.

And you know what else?

You can (and should) just as easily do the same.

Enter my “Email Players” newsletter.

It shows you how to write email people look forward to reading and buying from.

Which, makes turning lies about you into sales.

Here’s the righteous link:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

“…your father lived by a philosophy, a principle, really. He believed that if you could do good things for other people, you had a moral obligation to do those things! That’s what’s at stake here. Not choice. Responsibility.”

— Ben Parker
“The Amazing Spiderman”

Not sure what’s with this quoting the Amazing Spiderman two days in a row thing.

But, hear ye this:

Another oft-asked question chucked at me when being interviewed on podcasts is “How long should I wait to sell in my emails?”

Answer:

Why wait?

Listen, Papi, do you have a product/service that can genuinely help your list? If you answered no, then why are you selling it? If you answered yes (the correct answer) then what good does it do them by keeping it a secret and pretending to not be (gasp!) selling something?

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again:

(And *keep* obnoxiously saying it)

You have a moral and ethical obligation to at least let people know your product/service exists if it is going to solve a problem for someone.

I’m not saying you have to hard sell it.

I’m not saying you have to shove it down their throats.

I’m not even saying you have to make it elaborate and detailed.

I’m simply saying tell ‘em the option to buy something that will help them with whatever problem your product/service is there, and they can take it or leave it, your toes will be tappin’ either way.

Simple?

Of course.

Which is why so many people refuse to do it.

So much safer and secksy to hide behind the skirt of “good will” emails, playing Twister trying to pretend you are a good guy and thus won’t sell anything (which makes zero sense), or tucking your pitch safely in the P.S. instead of making it prominent.

Anyway, you’re gonna do whatever you’re gonna do.

But not selling isn’t doing anyone any good.

Not your suffering prospect.

Not your boring emails that just “give Value!”

And, certainly, not your dwindling bank account.

All right.

Enough of this.

To learn how to write emails that sell in a way where people look forward to reading and buying from them, check out:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle