A true life story of hair-raising proportions for swipers:
One of my longest business-related business friendships is with a marketer, copywriter, and public speaker I’ve personally learned much from over the years. He has built an extremely successful business, has probably the biggest list of “Who’s Who” clients in the entire internet marketing industry and is, overall, one of the best human beings I know on this planet, and someone I strive to be more like myself in many ways. And, to pay Your Pal and Humble Narrator homage a few months ago, he blatantly used one of my most popular and longest-running subject lines in an email to promote his podcast.
Being on his list, I received this email the day he sent it.
And, my first thought was:
“Uh-oh…”
Not because he used my subject line.
I have enough respect and knowledge of him to know what he was trying to do (he wanted to promote and honor Yours Crotchety, not steal from me — I want to be 100% clear he did nothing wrong, per se). But because I knew — the second I saw it — the fallout would not be pleasant for him, since our lists overlap to the tune of several thousand email subscribers.
And, right on cue:
I got a bunch of people forwarding his email to me.
Each essentially asking:
“WTF! He is stealing your subject line!”
… along with how they lost a lot of respect for him, and some other things that did not bode well for my friend. And this was even so despite the fact he was promoting an episode of his podcast in that email which paid lots of homage to me about that very subject line.
i.e. That’s why he used it.
Not to be lazy or steal, but to promote me.
So again, his intentions were 100% noble, and he did nothing “wrong” at all.
He was trying to lift me up, and promote me, as friends do for each other at times — and as I have done for him, and will continue to when it is relevant, as he’s one of my oldest pals up in this business. But, he did not mention me or anything about the subject line not being his anywhere in his email. Thus, he was subject to the reactions, whims, and assumptions of potentially hundreds — if not thousands — of people who would never know how he was actually trying to promote me in his podcast, because they would never listen to the episode anyway. And even if they were normally going to listen to his show, they decided on the spot not to, on the strength of that one goof-up, which prompted them to lose respect for him.
Anyway, long story even longer?
He felt horrible about it.
And he did the best damage-control job he could, by sending another email out immediately clarifying what he was doing. Which, ironically, only prompted more people to forward that email to me, and make comments like:
“I used to like his stuff, but now I wonder…”
And other assorted comments, despite me telling them what was going on.
Plus, the reality of the internet is, for every one person you hear from about any particular matter (good or bad), there are often 5, 10, 15, 50, 100, or more people thinking the same thing but who never mention it. And lest you think this is relegated to just this one instance, think again. Just recently, another one of my biggest fans got nailed for doing the same thing, and for far less of a swipe. In fact, he didn’t even “swipe” at all. It’s simply that he sounded too much like me (still finding his voice, probably) and suffered the same fate. With my friend, who has been established for two decades, it was not much of a big deal in the grand scheme of things.
But for these newer young un’s who think trying to “sound” like me or anyone else is a good idea?
They are destroying their businesses before they even begin.
All of which brings me to the point:
How has your long-winded story-teller built up this kind of loyal fanbase, this kind of instantly-recognized brand, and this kind of rock-solid positioning where even some of my sworn enemy trolls will call out people they see copying me (my trolls are endlessly useful, a topic I’ll be touching on more next month)?
The answer to this question is both simple and complex.
And a small thinker would assume it’s because of my writing style, or because I inject my personality into all my emails, or because I try to write emails that make people think and not just emotionally react, or something else “mechanical” they can can, clone, and deploy.
And they’d be wrong.
Those are a part of the madness behind the method.
But a wiser, deeper-thinking guy or ghoul will know it goes way beyond that.
And, such wiser, deep-thinking guys and ghouls who make up my paying “Email Players” subscribers will find out the answer to this question in great detail soon… when they receive the September “Email Players” issue.
This is, in my obviously biased opinion, a special issue indeed.
One that’s been 8+ years in the writing.
One that will introduce those smart enough to be subscribed (and wise enough not to have quit in the past — as I don’t allow people who have quit to return) to a whole new world of thinking, marketing, selling, business-building, publishing, freelancing (if’n you freelance), copywriting, email strategy, and (dare I say it?) existing.
One where sales come to you with far less effort and work.
Where trolls attack you with far more gloriously spiteful ankle-biting.
And, one where new business can potentially flow to you in far greater numbers over time than you ever imagined possible. I am talking about a business world whose laws are not governed by outdated lazy reliance on swiping and admirable, classy books like “How To Win Friends And Influence People” (far less effective in today’s broken, celebrity-obsessed culture, unfortunately)… but by the irresistibly (and, at the same time, repulsively) attractive business-building law I talk about inside the September issue.
But, a word of warning, my fine feathered golden pigeon:
Following this Law will almost certainly be uncomfortable.
Maybe even intolerably uncomfortable.
But, it’s not only the best way to build your business — especially with email — in this day and age of social media chest-pounding, market over-saturation of free information, and overheated market places packed with copycat competition… but also to do right by your customers, keep your market from falling for bull shyt, and building a business that is nearly impervious to being knocked off… with an audience and fan following that are intensely loyal to you in ways few — if any — of your competitors or colleagues will ever experience.
A tall order, you say?
Of course it is.
But I do’t deal in short orders, and, as everything I teach in “Email Players”, if you hate long-term business planning, if you hate hard work, and if you hate any kind of insistence you think & implement instead of can & clone, this issue will be a huge disappointment to you. This is triple true if you are a new product junkie or goo-roo casino bar fly who just wants to subscribe to get this one issue, thinking it will do you any good with that sad sac attitude, and not realize the power comes from long-term learning and implementation of everything else I teach in compounding, synergistic application.
Whatever the case, it goes to the printer soon.
And once it does, it will be too late to get this issue.
If you want in on this, here’s what to do:
1. Go to the URL below before the looming 8/31/19 deadline
2. Read the sales letter very carefully, especially the Q&A — don’t be lazy and just skim it, know what you are buying so you make an informed decision
3. Sit back, and await the September issue
Here’s the horrifying link:
Ben Settle
