Ben Settle

“Email Players” subscriber Christopher Browning puts on his pirate hat and makes the naysayers walk the plank:

BTW.. I use your ways to fill out a 75 person seminar.. 3 times….

First it was 30 people.. but more kept coming

Then 50 like a relentless flood.. Got a bigger room

Finally 75 and I said.. No more… I’m not finding another room again. “Bugger off the rest of you!!”.

Anyway… the grateful masses complement mes on the emails..

They asked how I made them engaging so they looked forward to reading them…

I smiled like a gleeful pirate who swindled a duchess out of her finest jewels “to help the children”.

“Ben Settle”, says I.

This pirate be drinking the elBenbo rum and soberly filling up treasure chests.

Now I’ve got people asking me advice on how to write emails and I’m not a copywriter.

My Biz-nesss coaching fees just went up.

Thanks fellow Oregonian. Drink a Rogue Brewery Chocolate Stout for me.

A fine testimonial that was, Captain.

I keep telling people:

My system works to sell just about anything — info products, physical products, commodities, services, coaching, and, yes, even seminars.

It’s all the same, only the call to action is different.

The April “Email Players” issue goes to the printer tomorrow.

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

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Not long ago I was telling some people about some things I want to do in 2017.

One of which is to invest in local real estate.

Anyway, one of my pals knows a guy in town here who is selling a hotel down by the water. He kept pitching me the benefits of buying, the price, the cleanliness, some ideas on how I could use it to expand my piggy bank, and so on and so forth.

My answer?

(More like objections)

“We’ll see”

“Not really interested in buying a hotel biz”

“It’s not kind of thing I want to deal with”

And so on, and so forth.

My friend’s reaction?

“Man, tough sell today…”

To which I retorted some info about selling me not with tactics first, but with solid principles based on sound thought and how humans like to buy. I then (to practice, not grand stand or anything, we are buds) I batted out a quick transcript of what he *could* have said to sell me using principles first, then the tactics.

Took me about 3 minutes to bat it out.

Then I asked him how did I do?

(As far as my sales pitch)

His response:

“How would I know?
You got me sweating if that means anything…
Now I want it….
and I have some property over here they want…”

And guess what?

In the April “Email Players” issue (which I send to the printer tomorrow) I show you exactly — word for word — what I told him. It is a prime example of how to sell to people with closed minds.

(Like mine was.)

Time’s almost up to get this issue.

Subscribe here while the subscribing’s good:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Following is something I should have written about a long time ago.

Here’s the scoop:

A few months ago, an “Email Players” subscriber in the “make muney” niche (yay!) sent me a bunch of questions about affiliate marketing. And, as I read his questions, it was painfully obvious he was not at all grounded in the basics of direct response marketing.

I could tell just by the questions.

It’s like my favorite kung fu analogy:

He was trying to learn how to (metaphorically) snuff out a candle with the wind created by the speed of his punch instead of first learning *how* to punch in the first place.

Very common.

Especially for people in the “make muney!” niche.

If that’s you, some advice:

1. Get out of the friggin make muney niche if you haven’t actually made muney

2. Ground yourself in the fundamentals of direct response

Very simple.

But, not very secksy at all.

And, not something people want to hear.

Too bad.

If you don’t want to be a mediocre (at best) copywriter, marketer, salesman, whatever it is you do… ground thyself in the fundamentals of your craft. Don’t try to be OG or cool or bad ass or a rockstar or whatever the flakebook lingo is these days.

Master those boring fundamentals.

Know them better than anyone else.

And, you will conquer in whatever niche you’re in.

Anyway, the April “Email Players” issue reprints the entire email exchange I had with my customer to get him on the right track. Even if you are not “new” take ye heed of the lessons.

Or suffer the fate of mediocracy you will, Old Skywalker.

She goes to the printer in a couple days.

Get your lovin’ here while you still can:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

“Email Players” subscriber Stephen S. (last name withheld by request) declareths:

Dear Wise and All-Powerful elBenbo,

I finally made the plunge and joined your email players list this week. It only took about two months of your daily emails, going through all of your bensettle. com podcasts, and a bunch of your older podcasts. After cursing you to hell, I jumped head first and made the decision for two reasons.

First, I did it as a commitment technique. I haven’t been sending an email a day, and I needed a push. So, I decided I would make a commitment to your program for one year, and see what happens. If I am going to spend $1164, it will make me send a stupid email per day. If it doesn’t work, that is relatively little to spend on my education. It is cheaper than a class at college. So far, it has worked, and I haven’t even gotten the first newsletter.

I dig his style, what can I say?

This also made me think of so-called “accountability” groups.

While all the Facebook live drama queens and marketing proles are prattling on about their lame accountability groups, guys like Stephen take the goat by the testicles and make themselves accountable to their Mission.

This is why “Email Players” subscriber are a cut above the rest.

My boys and ghouls are winners not whiners.

Life is good on Planet EP.

If you want to join us in the fun, the April issue mails soon.

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

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

I speakiff the trufe:

A couple years ago a lovely woman named Natasa Lekic, CEO of a New York firm that helps authors create a book and then connects you with sought-after editors in the industry, sent elBenbo a life-altering (in a way, at least) email.

She said two things.

1. She’s NOT the biggest fan of my emails

2. But, she said she read some of my Zombie Cop book, said it was good, and that Yours Unruly has a great sense of pacing and world building.

She even offered to connect me with an agent.

(That’s not what her company does — so nothing in it for her.)

Anyway, she got me thinking about something hardly any (if any) other marketers think about. And that is, the idea of world-building. To me, it’s very natural after mindlessly spending my yute playing Dungeons & Dragons and other RPG’s. Building worlds, characters, adventures, narratives, story arcs, and all that jazz comes very natural to me due to that.

And, it was just as natural to bring that to my marketing.

To my brand.

And, yes, to my bid’niz as a whole.

And you want to know what else?

I deliberately brought it to my Facebook group (Immigration is closed — don’t ask to be let in, and no I will not make any exceptions, I am getting rid of people at the moment) where I have built a “world” revolving around me, what amuses me, and my products and life. The result has been a lot more sales, a more bonded (and happier) audience, great new friendships, new bid’niz ventures (like our upcoming Wine Villains event in Napa, California in July), and the list goes on.

Very few people (if any) understand how to world-build like this.

And, even those who do, do it on accident.

(Like I originally did before I got the email above and thought about it.)

But, that doesn’t have to be the case with you.

Because, the April “Email Players” issue explains some of the ways I built my own World not just in a flakebook group — but how it extends to my entire business.

This sucker goes to the printer shortly.

If you want it, you’ll need to subscribe before I send it in.

Here’s where to do the noble deed:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

I don’t talk about it anymore because I closed Immigration.

(For the foreseeable future.)

But, since last June I have been running a Facebook group called elBenbo’s Lair. However, it is far more than just a “group.” I spent many months planning, plotting, and building out what I wanted it to be and then, around late November of 2016 — executed my evil machinations.

Since then elBenbo’s Lair has been mocked.

Laughed at.

Awed at (most recently by a world class psychologist who’s been written up about for his groundbreaking work — see below).

Angered at.

Loved on.

And, yes, a huge profit source for those within its Walls that have eyes to hear and ears to see. For me, it has been worth far more than just about anything else I’ve done up in this bid’natch (I am future pacing myself here, but so far prospects are looking finger lickin’ good for it). My group (or, Society, as I call it, it is FAR more than just a mere group) breaks pretty much every rule a Facebook group is supposed to follow — especially according to the FB fluffpreneurs always prattling on about “engagement” and “authority” and “influencers” and “value” and whatever other trendy buzz words they spew out in their silly little Flakebook live videos.

Many have tried to copy elBenbo’s Lair already.

But, it can’t be duplicated.

Not by anyone.

(And this is by design.)

But, guess what?

In the April “Email Players” issue I spend a lot of time showing some of the inner machinations behind what I’m doing. No, not so you can “swipe and deploy lol!”. Nor is it a template or a checklist that will magically give you the secret to a magical Facebook kingdom.

What it is intended to do is two fold:

(1) Get you thinking about using a Facebook group to reach your market (and, as “Email Players” subscriber Sean Kaye says, “plumb the depths of human psychology”)

(2) Motivate you to take my email teachings more seriously

As my daily emails laid the foundation for it all first.

Goo-roo fanboys will hate it because it’s not duplicatable.

And, while elBenbo is often copied, he’s never duplicated.

Because, at the end of the day, everything I do is about personality (which you can’t copy), and positioning (which you also can’t copy), and the relationship you have with your market/list (also impossible to duplicate).

What I can do is give you a useful beacon.

And, from there, you can make your own way.

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

If you want in, best hurry before it goes to the printer and is too late:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

P.S. Here is what a world-class psychologist/former grave digger — who was snarkily opposed to me dating his daughter back when I was interested in doing as such, so you know it’s not biased — says about the group:

…Much as I hate genuflect to Ben (because of what he would risk doing to my dear daughter Molly) Ben groks what the psychologist Rollo May said, “The opposite of courage in our society is not cowardice, it is conformity.”

From his pulpit, Ben preaches and bellows, “Stop conforming, think for yourself, take the road less traveled.”

Too many people choose death over thinking for themselves. Not literal death like when I scooped the last shovel of dirt on the grave. But killing off parts of themselves to fit in, be accepted, do whatever it takes to avoid scorn, ridicule, rejection.

They do what I have done too often in my own life.

Give up on what makes me alive.

These “small compromises” done often enough can lead to becoming a zombie without the fearsome looks.

I think there is no other place on this planet that says “We kill you (banishment) if you bring value to our group.” The Lair forces you to think differently.

The good folks I buried could not return from the grave and get another shot at life.
There can be liberation, freedom, and perhaps coming back from the grave if you don’t give up what makes you feel alive.

Is the Lair an antidote to the slow strangulation of conformity? Perhaps.

In a different context, Patrick Henry eloquently stated, “Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!” Patrick Henry faced a parallel and painful dilemma we face today: the chains of conformity vs holding on dearly to what makes you feel alive.

Stop digging your grave. Put down your shovels. Rejoice in the group.

Again:

There’s no more access to this group.

Immigration is closed.

And, in fact, we are ban-hammering people left and right to get the numbers *down*. But, you can learn some of the alphas and omegas of how I built it in the April “Email Players” issue.

That is, if you subscribe before it mails, here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Everyone’s favorite deranged facebook cartoon, and a “for real” business owner (us kitchen table types are kind of a joke compared to the real deals like Dexter in my humble, but usually accurate, opinion…) Dexter Abraham dispenses some much-needed Medicine to 99% of the marketing world about how to do a funnel and launch products.

Take it away, Dexter:

“Don’t focus on launches or funnels as most of the goorooos will have you believe you need…

… Instead focus on building a list, learning how to write to them, understanding basics of an opt in page, and HOW to sell to them with email…

^that is the type of launch and funnel which will serve someone where this person is.

If you’re going to invest than do it with someone who has been doing this at a high level for a decade plus Ben Settle “

You see most of us get all hyped up on crack when we see the end result.

We forget that what may he nest for us is what the success we are seeing was doing 5 years ago.

You don’t run a marathon first

You don’t get the Ferrari before the pinto usually.

Fundamentals are necessary and if you don’t build them as a solid infrastructure you’ll end up fucked later on.

And depending on your outcomes you may never need anything else.

Ive observed from afar and can make the fairly accurate assumption that Ben for instance is doing quite well with launches NOT including all the fancy bells and whistles.

Sound fundamentals, knowing how to connect with market, and simple basic funnels are all most will ever need.

And NO this isn’t an infomercial for Ben either.

It’s an example of not just someone who does some thing exceptionally well BUT…

…a reminder to you that you need to ask better questions about what you need in your business and then dig deeper.

Think rationally

More often than not what you need isn’t what you are all hopped up on crack about.

Carry on

To Dexter Abraham you listen, my Youngling.

Here’s where to begin:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Lately I’ve been using a term:

“marketing prole”

And, yesterday when I used it, someone asked me what that meant. Well, it’s an idea I heard from Shane Hunter. And what it means in my mind is, people who still work a job, have a very working class mentality, and a very scarcity based mentality (none of which are “bad”), but have one toe in the business world and play business, with no intention of actually really doing anything. These are the people who always have an opinion (based on nothing but feelz and a book they read). They love to hang out in reddit, facebook groups, and marketing forums spouting their nonsensical opinions. And, they are the opportunity buyers who buy everything for the dopamine drip (they get each time they buy a new product — yes, it is a very real addiction people have), but never do anything with the product, and just go from one to the next, never committing, never doing, never earning.

Again, not “bad” people.

In fact, many of them are hard working and responsible for the most part.

Except when it comes to business or not being envious of others who have what they don’t.

An example?

Well, take yesterday’s email.

I mentioned a reddit forum.

Somehow, my name popped up in there.

And, a couple marketing proles, without knowing anything about your pal elBenbo, just going on marketing prole envy and feelz, declared one of my Kindle ebooks (a $2.99 cent book I could easily package into a $100 book, no good deed goes unpunished…) got fake reviews.

A book with a mere 55 or so reviews.

That has been selling since 2012.

And that I rarely ever directly promote.

Now, for any marketing prole reading this:

If I was going to pay for reviews, why would I only have 50 of them?

I mean, what would be the point?

If I was going to pay for reviews I’d want hundreds to trip the system in amazon.

But, I don’t expect them to think.

Or, really, do anything, but talk.

So there you go.

An anatomy of a marketing prole.

Probably you know many of them.

Maybe, you even *are* one?

If so, it’s never too late to change your wicked ways. If you are ready to get some real work done, ignore the other marketing proles, and make something of your business, my “Email Players” newsletter could be just what Herr Doktor ordered.

Or not.

It takes work.

It takes a monthly investment.

And, it takes consistently building a list and writing an email each day.

Can’t do those things?

Then off you fugk back to your safe places.

Otherwise, here’s where to subscribe:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Last week one of my subscribers sent me a link to a reddit thread where some people were ripping on a guy’s emails.

It was obvious the guy being ripped on was one of my followers.

But, not a paying subscriber.

Instead, he was one of these marketing proles who simply reads my daily emails, thinks he can “reverse engineer” what I do, and make himself a boat load of the green stuff.

Afraid that’s not how it works.

Merely observing what I do gives you *maybe* 25% of the picture.

And, this guy proved it.

He basically tried to “swipe” my personality.

And, also, he tried to swipe my ways of speaking, my attitude, and even the words I uniquely use. Just that day, in my daily email, I, for example, used a word I once heard on an old 1940’s pirate movie. A word nobody in our space uses. Yet, it was prominently displayed (out of context) in his email that was (rightfully) being ripped to shreds.

The result?

He sounded like an drooling igit.

A copycat.

And, yes, a jackanape.

Worst part?

He wasn’t writing to his audience at all.

Instead of modulating his personality to them (a market who would shun how I write to this list), he *forced* his personality (or, maybe more accurately elBenbo’s personality, as he was copying me) on them.

Dumb.

Anyway, another example of why you should never copy, swipe, or ape emails.

If you are someone who wants to learn how I really do things, and not just try to “reverse engineer” what I do, you’ll have to sac up and join my “Email Players” newsletter. That includes reading the “Email Players Playbook” (that comes with the subscription — if you don’t, you will NOT get the full picture), and reading the newsletter each month, without quitting in a few months thinking you “got it” (you don’t, not even close) or whining about info overload, or stubbornly refusing to apply the info inside.

This leaves a small number who really do follow my wicked ways.

To be one of them, subscribe at the link below and prepare to work hard.

Here’s the link:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle