A little while ago, I reprinted something my favorite deranged Facebook cartoon Dexter Abraham said about funnels.
Specifically:
“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…”
The esteemed A-list copywriter Bob Bly then posted it on his Facebook.
The result?
One guy suggested Dexter might just be being “curmudgeon” for the sake of it (guys like me and Dexter are unrepentantly curmudgeon — and have been since before it became trendy). And another one said the advice of not focusing on funnels was “ridiculous.”
Of course, he was wrong.
Dexter is 100% spot on.
There are way too many people more worried about their big “Funnel!!!!” than learning the basics of direct response first. They are spending all their time trying to build their precious funnels out deep before they even have an offer, a list, or audience of any kind. Just like brilliant copy won’t sell a turd, a brilliant funnel won’t even produce a bowel movement in the first place for the copy to sell the turd if you don’t have a list and an offer and an opt-in page, etc, first.
This should be common sense.
But, it’s more fun to talk about hacks, tricks, and “funnels!”
Anyway, I’d take the Pepsi Challenge pitting any one of my “Email Players” subscribers with a simple opt in page, list, offer, and back end offer against any of these “OMG look at my big funnel!!!” people who have all the fancy software and onboarding sequences a mile deep but can’t write an email or create a decent opt in page or figure out a good offer to save their lives.
When you get the base down, then you build out, not the other way around.
Common sense ain’t common, though.
So I don’t expect anyone to actually take that advice…
For those smart enough to grasp this, “Email Players” will show you the email side:
Ben “The King Of Curmudgeon” Settle
