Ben Settle

Yesterday I prattled on about how one of my influences for how I run and have structured and built my business/lists/audience is my snobbish family who lets nobody “in.” Some others I’ve talked about publicly and privately include blokes like blogger Mike Cernovich, right wing talk radio host Michael Savage, TV producer Aaron Spelling, Gary Gygax (inventor of Dungeons & Dragons), etc etc etc.

These people have (or had when alive) insanely engaged audiences.

Thus, another brimstone-scented brain fart:

None of these people (to my knowledge) talk or teach about how to be “engaging.”

They simply are (or were when alive).

(A couple of them are more like enragers than engagers.)

No idiotic goo-roo inspired checklists need. No dorky social media queen Facebook live videos consulted. No listening to anyone but their instincts about their audience and desire to dedicate themselves to their Mission each day. Earl Nightingale had great advice in the video version of his “Strangest Secret” teaching:

“Look around at how everyone else is doing something, then do the opposite, and you’ll probably never make another mistake for as long as you live.”

Preach it, Brother Earl.

Anyway, Immoral of the story:

If you want to learn how to be “engaging” in your marketing, flakebook groups, emails, whatever… simply do the opposite of anyone who teaches how to be engaging.

Literally.

Do the opposite.

It’s what I do in my daily emails, podcast, flakebook group, etc.

And, I daresay elBenbo has done a pretty good on the “engagement” side of things, considering the small numbers of people I have on my lists and in my audience.

There ain’t no magic to it.

No 81-point ninja checklist, either.

It’s solid principles, personality, and the info I teach in “Email Players” about email.

More info on the newsletter over yonder:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

P.S. Yes, I realize I kinda just taught how to be engaging and told you to do the opposite of anyone who teaches how to be engaging — just treat this post like a George Lucas script where you enjoy the show, ignore the plot holes…

One of my influences for how I run my business, deal with my audience, and interact with people that seems mysterious to many — but is just Captain Obvious common sense to me is something I learned from my family.

Specifically, my mom’s side of the family.

It’s a biggish family.

And, they are all huggers (I take after my dad’s side on hugs, nobody hugs on dad’s side… we’re true Midwesterners — we love each other so much we sometimes *almost* tell each other) and Loyal to a ridiculous fault that makes the term “blood is thicker than water” laughable.

Anyway, all my life I noticed something:

It’s very hard for outsiders to get “in” on my mom’s side of the family.

It drove my ex-wife nutzo.

It drives almost everyone who marries into that family nutzo.

And, it even drove one of my ex-girlfriends nutzo (she took it personally even though she’d never met any of them…)

What do I mean by “in”?

Let’s just say when we (my uncles, aunts, etc) are all gathered around, it’s very difficult for anyone else to join the conversation without being ignored, somewhat mocked, or even, in a few extreme cases, outright told to hit the bricks.

Again, I have noticed this my whole life.

But, it wasn’t until my grandma’s funeral a few years ago when I heard a couple of my uncles discuss it that I started realizing I’ve been doing this in bid’niz for years.

I ignore 99% of people who email me.

And, I especially ignore anyone who tries to small talk me or bait me into drama.

The few left over are “in.”

The rest?

It sometimes takes years to get my attention.

Why?

Because that’s just how I am. I have multiple layers of security in my mind — more layers than the circles of hell in Dante’s Inferno, I reckon. The marketing proles and drama queens take it personally, of course. But it’s not personal at all. I simply prefer living by a principle of preferring 4 quarters to 100 pennies.

If someone doesn’t like that?

Tough bewbies.

Anyway, here’s why I am prattling on about this:

I think there is some kind of self projection going on where I assume *everyone* is like this. That everyone makes it hard to get in. That everyone has a very small inner circle of trust and they ignore everyone else. This is, of course, a bad assumption on my part. Except for the fact, it has forced me to learn how to write ads and email and do things in a way where I assume everyone is as guarded as I am.

This makes me write my ads and emails differently than a lot of people.

It’s why I don’t just use the typical shallow tactics most marketers do.

It’s why I work hard to plumb the depths of human psychology (when it comes to persuasion).

And, it’s why, I believe, I have a much tighter bond with my list than practically everyone I know.

(Even if it is rather one-way, but so be it…)

Anyway, do with this info what ye will.

But if you approach all your persuasion activities as if you are trying to get “in” with someone like me or my family, it will force your ads to be more persuasive.

All right.

Enough brimstone for the soul.

If you want to learn how I use email to get “in” even on the hardcore skeptics, check out “Email Players”.

Here’s the link:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Lately Yours Unruly has been having a bit of fun with the goo-roo fanboys and their masters in goo-roo land.

And, I got an email recently asking why?

Is this some ploy to get sales?

Or for positioning?

Or is elBenbo just a hater?

Well, yes, it does bring me sales. It does help solidify my positioning (I am the one who invented the word goo-roo as a play o the word “guru” — to differentiate the two). And, yes, I do hate on many things.

But, mostly it’s to repel them.

Here’s what I mean:

I am a big fan of using repulsion marketing. (As opposed to attraction marketing). In my case, each “Email Players” issue is essentially taking something basic and fundamental and going deep (lots of rabbit holes) as opposed to most people who just teach tactics on a shallow level.

Goo-roo fanboys love shallow, prole bait tactics.

They sound so new and cool and trendy.

But, the deep fundamentals and principles (to them) are the opposite:

Dull.

Boring.

Dry.

Old hat.

They don’t make the goo-roo fanboy look cool and smart and “badass” to the newbies and other goo-roo fanboys on all the marketing forums or facebook groups. It’s hard to swing his John Thomas around on Flakebook talking about things like the principle of curiosity overriding programming or consistency trumping proficiency or learning how to set an agenda so price (and other objections) isn’t a factor in the first place vs some magic headline formula or clever phrase to close the deal on the spot, yada yada yada.

It’s all about what sounds cool vs what actually works for the goo-roo fanboy.

It’s why they are so easily dazzled by horse shyt.

But when they see something legitimate?

That’s worked for 100+ years?

Yet, isn’t being talked about on stage at a seminar?

They scoff.

“Too basic.”

“Nothing new.”

“Meh.”

Anyway, the point?

Too many of these jackanapes have been slipping in to “Email Players” recently. And, my goal is to turn them off, because they always, Always, ALWAYS end up not using — much less valuing — my information. Thus, when they subscribe, they simply waste time (mine and theirs) and paper. I don’t want anything from them — except for them to buy from someone else.

(Plenty of other email guys to choose from, take your pick…)

Hey, no need to thank me for saving you money and time, goo-roo fanboys.

I got ya…

All right, enough goo-roo fanboy musings.

To see the newsletter they love to buy but never use go here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Once upon a time, I wrote about the goo-roo casino.

Specifically, how casinos psychologically manipulate schmucks even when they’re losing into thinking they are winning by the way the machines react with pretty flashing lights and music, and the way the numbers are presented.

It’s quite brilliant in its deviousness.

Anyway, here’s why I bring it up:

I recently was re-watching “The Wolf Of Wall Street”.

And, the character Mark Hanna talks about this phenomenon, especially when it comes to certain affiliate marketers who go from one launch to the next doing the ol’ “push-send” routine — where they sell anything they can to their list using hype and goo-roo social proof to the hilt, and then rinse and repeat soon after with yet another affiliate offer, and then again soon after, yada yada yada.

He puts it like this:

“We don’t create shit, we don’t build anything. So if you got a client who brought stock at eight, and it now sits at sixteen, and he’s all f___ happy, he wants to cash it and liquidate and take his f___ money and run home. You don’t let him do that. Cause that would make it real. No, what do you do? You get another brilliant idea, a special idea. Another situation, another stock to reinvest his earnings and then some. And he will, every single time. Cause they’re f___ing addicted. And then you just keep doing this, again, and again, and again. Meanwhile, he thinks he’s getting shit rich, which he is, on paper. But you and me, the brokers? We’re taking home cold hard cash via commission, motherfucker.”

Amusing, isn’t it?

It’s a lot like what the push-send affiliates do.

And, it’s exactly what their opportunity-minded, pricing-shopping, scarcity-minded customers fall for.

Every single time.

Because, yes, they’re *addicted* to the dopamine drip they get when buying new products.

Wait…

Hear that?

That’s the sound of a thousand goo-roo fanboys who do push-send furiously typing me a reply.

Gooooood.

Bring it, boys & ghouls.

Or, take that energy and do something productive — you know, like creating your own product. Building a list of people you care about. And getting your products in their hands using daily emails people look forward to reading and buying from.

Enter my “Email Players” newsletter.

It shows you how to write such emails.

If you’re tired of making peanuts off dopamine addicts and want real customers, who aren’t slaves to their brain chemistry go here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Today is the deadline to get the March “Email Players” issue.

A few of the ditty’s inside include:

• How to use a theory created by an infamous psychologist to pound out hundreds of emails people can’t resist buying from (even if they don’t want to be sold).

• A sleepy little Bible verse you can use to trick your competition into selling your products for you — without them even knowing it.

• elBenbo’s unfiltered opinion on putting so-called “open loops” in your emails.

• How a self-described ass-hole constant’s brilliant book ad template that is perfect for writing emails with.

• How to beat spam filters by *embracing* them.

• A secret stash of email ideas online inspired by the late, great copywriter Gene Schwartz.

• How to profit from being in gmail’s promotions or junk mail folders.

• And a ho’ bunch mo’…

I’m sending this bad-boy into the printer later today.

Get your lovin’ here while you still can:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

The Chairman and CEO of one of the fastest growing publishing companies (Streamline Publishing) on the planet says:

I was with four direct marketing legends…, David Deutsch, Mark Ford, Clayton Makepeace and Brian Kurtz. I asked who could train my editors on subject lines and headlines and simultaneously they said Ben Settle.

Eric Rhoads

Yeesh.

It doesn’t get much better in the props department than that. Well, that does it then. Now my ego is *really* bloated and I’m afraid I’m gonna need a bigger crown – STAT.

Anyway, on to bid’niz:

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

If you want to learn some for-real cool psychological principles that can make you lots more sales (and come up with almost endless email fodder) this issue will turn the trick.

Here’s where to subscribe:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Last week someone was telling me how some people were complaining that I’m too negative.

Apparently, that’s a bad thing.

Not to me, though.

I wear that as a badge of honor. I AM a negative guy. I’m crotchety, ill-tempered, and often talk about negative things. I see no reason to pretend otherwise, and happily accept the label.

Why am I so positive about being negative?

The answer is simple:

Practically everything I’ve done that is noteworthy was motivated by negative emotions and motivation. Whether it be writing novels (I wrote “Zombie Cop” simply to make sure the girl I had been dating prior knew she would never get a guy more successful than me — a dorky motivation, but there it was, so I used it…) or rising in the ranks of the copywriting world or creating all the products, content, daily emails, public speaking performances and gigs, and the list goes on.

All of it is, at its root, spurned on my negative motivations.

Like fear of poverty.

Or wanting to show people from my yute who da man is.

Or wanting to be better than any guy I was replaced with from former girlfriends.

And the list goes on.

(Those are just a few.)

I’m not saying I stay in a constant state of negativity (and I don’t think you should, either). The Hulk has to turn back into Bruce Banner eventually — and spends most of his time as Banner. But when the evil villain threatens your world or peace of mind you gotta hulk out.

It’s the same in nature.

Rainbows are pretty to look at, I guess.

But they do nothing for the land.

Violent thunderstorms, on the other hand, clean out the air and ground, provide water for crops, clear out dead trees (a natural forest fire is normal and necessary), keep lakes and rivers healthy, and keep people from dying in droughts.

What do rainbows do?

Nothing.

So it is with a lot of so-called “positive thinking.”

Most of it accomplishes very little.

It’s the negative stuff that moves mountains.

I even did a podcast about this a few weeks back — about all the blatantly negative attributes of God via the Old and New Testaments. There were quite a few, let me tell ya.

So there you go.

The case for negativity.

Don’t like it?

Go worship a rainbow.

The rest of us have work to do…

Beginning with the March “Email Players” issue which goes to the printer in a couple days. It shows you how to harness negative fears, urges, etc (amongst other things) to bang out all kinds of emails using a method devised by a brilliant psychologist.

The deadline to get it looms.

Subscribe here:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

“Email Players” subscriber Burak Tuyan shows us how it’s done:

Do you remember those sample emails that I sent you?

They landed me the gig. (And the competition was tough).

But I’m not here to brag.

There are two, more important takeaways here — which I’m grateful for:

1. Being an “Email Players” subscriber helped me attract the right kind of client (both co-founders are VERY competent in their field, and they know what they want).

2. The daily emails I wrote for them – using your principles – already started getting good results even in the first week (in terms of sales, of course, not any kind of hocus-pocus numbers).

Thanks!

So easy to look like a stud to clients when you use my system.

And the sooner your realize that, and grasp it, and accept the words of elBenbo about this… the sooner your mortal copywriter feelings of despair and anxiety will cease to cause you pain, my Child.

The March issue mails soon.

Just applying the info in the first part of the issue will make you a hero to clients.

Here’s where to subscribe before it mails:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle

Couple weeks ago while speaking at Ray Higdon’s personal branding bootcamp I had lunch with the authors of the smash hit book “Go For No”.

I’d been a fan of their for years.

And, afterwards they sent me their book.

In the envelope was a nice card and a smaller card, written in a child’s handwriting, that said:

One day I asked my daddy for a cookie but my my daddy didn’t let me have a cookie. So I asked for a cookie but he didn’t let me have a cookie. So I asked for a cookie and he didn’t let me have a cookie. So I asked for a cookie he let me have a cookie. The end.

I wrote them back and immediately said:

That is probably the single best example of the power of daily emails (or any kind of relentless follow up selling anything).

So simple.

So easy.

So simple and easy even a child can grasp it — even if the average opportunity-minded goo-roo fanboy looking for “cool ninja tricks, man!” will never grasp it, constantly floating from one technique, tactic, and trick to another.

Selling ain’t complicated.

Nor should it be.

Which is why my email methodology works so well for so many.

It ain’t based on complexity.

It’s based on simplicity.

The kind of simplicity anyone can use to start writing emails your list eagerly looks *forward* to reading and buying from — day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year, and, yes, decade after decade.

If you’re ready to let go of complicated it can work for you.

If not?

Then get ye behind me.

The rest of us have work to do.

To see a ridiculously simple way of writing emails based on a dead psychologist’s brilliant work, check out the March issue of “Email Players” — which goes to the printer in a few days.

Here’s where to subscribe while you still can:

www.EmailPlayers.com

Ben Settle