Did you see Ryan Healy’s goo-roo “smack down” a while ago?
It caused quite the broo-ha-ha.
You can read it by clicking here.
And recently, someone asked me this about it:
QUESTION: Ben, you are always talking about the “goo-roos” but you never name any names. I am curious about why?
BEN: I think it took mucho cojones to do what Ryan did.
And he did what he thought was right.
But I would probably never do anything like that, even if I was inclined to “out” someone or had the time and energy to do the homework it takes to do the deed any justice.
Why?
Two words:
Benjamin Franklin.
You see, Benjamin Franklin was America’s first millionaire, a world-class entrepreneur, and a master of persuasion (he was one of the most effective diplomats who ever lived).
He probably had plenty of “dirt” on people.
Probably could have ruined all kinds of peoples’ careers.
And probably had the opportunity to “out” his fair share of corrupt politicians, diplomats and other “dignitaries.”
But he never did (from what I can tell, at least).
In fact, according to one of the biographies I read about him several years ago, he hardly ever said anything negative about another person (no matter how despicable or depraved the person was).
Just wasn’t his bag, I guess.
And, as a result, he was trusted, believed and confided in by most everyone he ever met.
Anyway, like BF, I choose not to name names, either.
Instead, I’m more of a “fruit inspector.”
When I smell some rotten goo-roo fruit, I examine it and show others how to tell if it’s rotten for themselves.
It’s up to you if you want to pluck it or not.
But naming names?
It’s just not my bag, either.
Ben Settle
P.S. To learn how Benjamin Franklin “judo flipped” vicious gossip to his advantage when persuading people to listen to him and act on his ideas (including hostile leaders of enemy countries) check out page 38 of “Crackerjack Selling Secrets” at:
I ever tell you about my biggest “ah ha!” copywriting moment?
It was about 4 years ago.
And I was writing a sales letter for Ken McCarthy’s copywriting info product. And even though I learned a lot of cool stuff inside the course, probably the most valuable lesson was the one I learned while writing the ad.
What was the lesson?
That your ad is NEVER tight enough.
You see, most ads are way too wordy.
They just blather on and on… taking forever to make a point, cramming way too much (irrelevant) information in and, as a result, lose sales.
Usually lots of sales, too.
And this one (seemingly “sleepy”) lesson about the importance of writing super tight copy Ken taught me (by rejecting my early drafts) has been worth just as much as all the copywriting courses and books I’ve studied.
Which brings me to the point:
The cool free copywriting resources Ken’s giving away.
Every year Ken holds his famous System Seminar which brings together the world’s best Internet marketers, copywriters and testing experts for a giant “brain dump.” And this year’s lineup includes two legendary “old school” marketing & copywriting masters:
Bob Bly and Drayton Bird.
These are the “best of the best” copywriters/marketers today.
And to give a demonstration of the kind of info they’re teaching, Ken interviewed them both… and is now giving the interview away free.
To grab it, just shoot on over to:
And no… this is NOT an affiliate link.
I just really want you to have this info.
Ben Settle
P.S. For more 100% prime “Grade A” Ken McCarthy copywriting secrets
check out his Copywriting Grab Bag interview. In fact, one customer (Courtney Houde) told me he’s listened to it over a dozen times… and STILL listens to it about once per week now (he got it about a year ago).
And you know what?
He credits listening to that interview with Ken for helping him go from working the late shift at Subway (literally) to being the in-house copywriter for one of the Internet’s top info publishing companies.
Not too shabby, is it?
Here’s where it’s at:
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I have to come clean about something.
It’s a tad embarrassing to admit.
But the lesson within is so important, I really have no choice.
Anyway, here’s the scoop:
Lately, I’ve been getting some praise about the emails I send out. And in many cases, from people saying, “that one got me Ben, I HAD to buy…” or something like that.
Sounds like a good thing, right?
Well, not so fast, Jethro.
For one thing, I have had MANY more email failures than big successes. And, I can think of at least two cases over the past 6 months where my lack of email communication skillz has kinda made me sound like a jerk or an idiot (or both).
The first was back in October.
I had just finished a long stretch of ads (about 7 in a row) for a client and, upon the last one I asked something like, “Is this the last one?”
Sounds innocent enough, right?
That’s what I thought, too.
But it turns out I gave the exact OPPOSITE impression than what I intended! You see, I was genuinely asking if it was the last of the 6 or 7 ads we’d discussed. But it sounded to him as if I was saying, “I hope this is the last one, I don’t want to write any more ads for you.”
Yikes!
A second example:
Just yesterday I sent an email to someone else I work with in another venture. I used a term that, where I grew up at least, is a very common figure of a speech.
But, that’s not how it read at all.
In fact, it read like an insult! He even suggested I should have probably read it a few times before pushing send.
And he was right.
I should have been more careful.
The point?
Email is like a surgeon’s knife.
It can be used for good, and to help grease the skids of your business (and personal life — it’s how I met my wife).
And it can also be used to cause damage, too.
So be especially careful with it when communicating sensitive info, where 100% clarity is a must.
Or, in those cases, just use the phone, instead.
Ben Settle
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Got a bizarre little marketing humdinger for you today.
Check this out:
Recently, I was listening to an Internet radio show about supernatural events happening around us all the time, whether we realize it or not.
Some of these accounts were spiritual in nature.
And some were urban legends.
One of the urban legends was about the so-called “black eyed children.” These kids have jet black eyes (no iris or pupil) who’ll ask you for a ride home or to come inside your house to use the phone. And according to the legend, when you encounter these little punks, you get a feeling of pure evil, like you know on some level they’re a threat to your life. And, when you refuse to help them, they get very aggressive and insistent, almost to the point of violence.
But here’s the thing:
So far, nobody has let them in the car or house.
And, furthermore, they reportedly cannot even ENTER your car or house unless they’re “invited” — implying a relationship to the old vampire, ghost and demon legends.
Creepy little buggers, aren’t they?
Anyway, here’s the point:
We’ve got a bit of this online these days, too.
Except, instead of being black eyed children… what we got is black eyed marketers.
You’ve seen them, haven’t you?
Goo-roos who come a-knocking on your door (via email) or have some goon in a boiler room call you up.
They may even seem “normal” at first.
But soon, they give you that “icky” feeling. Like you just KNOW whatever they’re selling is NOT in your best interest. But, since they’re so persuasive (they know all the goo-roo tricks) you’re almost tempted to let them in your wallet…
Hey, the black eyed children may be a myth (or maybe not…)
But the blacked eyed marketers definitely ARE real.
They WILL eventually come to your door.
And, if you let them, they will EAT you alive.
I wouldn’t let ‘em in if I were you.
Ben Settle
P.S. The best way to protect yourself from BEM’s is to know how to sell, so you will already know you don’t need their watered-down, over priced junk. For 101 selling secrets used by history’s most successful sales, marketing and advertising pros just stroll on over to:
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Not long ago “it” finally happened.
I’d heard about “it” happening to copywriters before.
And, especially to the bigger name copywriters, like John Carlton, Dan Kennedy, Gary Halbert, Gary Bencivenga, etc
Anyway, what is this “it” I speaketh of?
Someone swiped one of my ads almost word for word.
But here’s the ironic thing.
Even though the “perp” swiped my ad… and did it for an ad competing against mine in the same market (a blatantly unethical no-no)… it didn’t make me angry at all.
In fact, I found it kinda amusing.
Why?
Because even though the swiper thought he was being “clever”… he missed the whole point of what made the ad successful and swiped all the wrong parts.
It was just a complete mess, too.
His headline missed the emotion mine targeted, his sales argument lacked any trace of fire or passion (as they say in Hollywood terms, he “phoned it in”), and it was such a hatchet job nothing read smoothly or organically.
It was just cut, paste, smooth over, pay me my fee, Mr. Client.
Yikes.
You know, that’s the big problem with swiping.
Copywriting ain’t about the words.
It’s about the market.
The best prose won’t mean jack if you get the market dynamics wrong (or ignore them altogether, like this swipemeister did).
Anyway, it really was kinda funny.
I mean… there are few things so amusing as a two-bit thief so lazy all he can do is rip off the spare change laying on the kitchen table… instead of taking the time to find the rolls of $100 bills stuffed in a safe in the wall.
I guess it’s true what they say after all:
Crime really doesn’t pay.
Ben Settle
P.S. To see how some of the highest paid copywriters on the planet write their sales letters, emails and other ads, simply ska-daddle on over to ye old copywriting shoppe at:
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I gotta hand it to big pharma ads.
I may despise how some of them have the feds in their hip pocket (this comes from an FDA/FTC lawyer, and not based on opinion). But even I’m shocked by the cojones it takes to forthrightly sell drugs with side effects spookier than the very symptoms they’re supposed to suppress.
Take the commercial I saw last night, for example.
It was selling a drug that supposedly treats anxiety.
Yet, the same commercial clearly (almost BOLDLY) declared the drug may actually cause you to have suicidal thoughts!
Takes “candor” to a whole new level, doesn’t it?
And it just goes to show never to underestimate the extreme lengths some people are willing to go (and the risks they are willing to take) to solve a painful problem in their lives.
I mean, think about it:
If someone cheerfully risks WORSE pain, discomfort or even death itself to eliminate a pain (or achieve a desire)… how sexy does the marketing have to be?
How “irresistible” does the offer have to be?
How persuasive does the ad have to be?
Anyway, here’s the point:
The easiest way to be a marketing rock star is selling to markets so “hot to trot” your product flaws don’t matter.
Do that and you almost can’t fail.
Ben Settle
P.S. If you don’t sell to a market so rabid they’re willing to risk life or limb to solve their problems, despair ye not.
Most of us don’t sell to markets like that, either.
However, you can “spice up” your sales with the 101 historically proven ways to sell almost any product to any market (even cold markets that are normally hard to sell to) over at:
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Here’s an interesting sales letter question:
“Ben, I was just reading your Crypto Marketing Newsletter sales letter and was wondering if this part isn’t costing you sales:
For example, people who never take any action (and need constant hand-holding) should not bother subscribing. Or those easily offended by my (occasional) right-wing politics. Or goo-roo fanboys always chasing the latest “magic pill” products that promise riches without effort.
No offense, but if that’s you, please do not waste your time.
I’m sure there’s a place for you to learn from somewhere.
But It Ain’t
This Newsletter!
Is this snippet costing me sales?
I don’t know.
Frankly, I don’t care, either.
There really are certain people I do NOT want subscribing. Like those extremely needy people who whine, try to abuse my time, don’t appreciate value, have no sense of humor and freak out about the dumbest things.
I say let ‘em haunt the “churn ‘n burn” goo-roos.
And if that attitude costs me sales, so be it.
But you know what?
I’m not sure it’s “costing” me sales anyway.
For one thing, this little launch is doing WAY better than I thought. It’s totally surpassed my original goals and expectations (especially considering my modest sized list).
And for another thing, this kind of “salty” talk works.
Successful people LIKE to be told how it is.
To have the facts (even the downside) shown to them.
Suckers, on the other hand, like to be told they’ll be swimming in a vault of gold coins like Scrooge McDuck just by downloading a lame little $9 eBook.
Hey, I know that offends some people.
But those are the people I DON’T want subscribing to my newsletter, buying my products or even hanging out on my free email list.
Like it or lump it that’s the way it is.
Some people are in the “attraction” marketing business.
And I am too, in some ways.
But I’m also in the “repulsion” marketing business as well.
And you know what?
It’s worked out pretty good so far.
Ben Settle
P.S. The first Crypto Marketing Newsletter issue (about writing emails people like reading and BUYING from) goes to print Monday (March 1st). If you want in on that first issue before it’s too late, just dash on over to:
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One of history’s coolest marketers is Bruce Barton.
Back in his day (early to mid 1900’s) he was a household name, a giant in the advertising business and even an advisor to presidents.
And he was an AWESOME teacher.
One of his best teachings (in my humble, but accurate, opinion) was in a 1924 radio broadcast about when the Biblical patriarch Joseph was the second in command in Egypt.
Joseph was “it.”
Egypt’s top dawg.
Everyone was commanded by Pharaoh to follow his orders and his name was as familiar to every Egyptian man, woman and child as their own, until…
“And Joseph died…and there
arose up a new king over Egypt
which knew not Joseph.”
(Exodus 1:6-8)
Boom!
In a matter of a couple decades, all Joseph’s power, prestige and name recognition vanished like a fart in the wind. He went from being “the man” to being a footnote in some hieroglyphic somewhere — completely forgotten.
There’s a HUGE lesson here for entrepreneurs.
And that is this whole idea of how easy it is to be forgotten.
Happens ALL the time.
One day you’re “Joseph” and everyone in your market knows who you are… the next they’ve forgotten you or have found a new king to hang with (and buy from).
Anyway, this is why I’m so big on email.
When you do it right, it’s almost impossible for your list to forget about you (in fact, you’ll many times make “top of mind” status).
Yes… I’ve beat this drum to death this week.
But this is the #1 skill to have, IMHO.
Nothing else even comes close.
Which is why the first Crypto Marketing Newsletter issue is ALL about email, and contains some extremely simple (and fun) ways to write emails people love to read and buy from.
But there’s no time for dilly-dally.
Once I send it to the printer Monday, it’ll be too late to get it.
So if you want in, jump in your chariot and giddy-up on over to…
Ben Settle
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Can marketers really “control” minds?
Not to burst any goo-roo bubbles… but I kinda doubt it.
Maybe that disappoints some.
Yet, as far as I can tell, even the goo-rooest of goo-roos can’t control another person’s mind with their marketing, and force them to buy something helplessly against their will.
But you know what?
Just because you can’t “control” someone’s mind with your marketing doesn’t mean you can’t at least temporarily influence the “conversation” going on in their heads.
The nightly news nitwits do it all the time.
You can be happily eating your dinner or playing with your dog and then — boom! — some talking head on the boob tube tries freaking you out about whatever the scare-of-the-day is.
It’s how they keep people glued to the show.
And how they get lots of ratings that brings in more ad revenue so they can do it all over again the next day… and then do it all over again the next day…
Ugh.
Luckily, there’s a a GOOD way to do this.
A way that HELPS people.
And that also just happens to bring in more of the green stuff.
How?
Email, baby.
If you know how to do email, you can slip into your reader’s mind (in a fun, ethical and NON-scummy way) each day, and give them a fun little adventure… instead of the usual steamy pile of goo-roo offers, spam, political drama, bad news, etc.
This way, everyone wins.
You get to bond with your list more (and maybe make a sale) and they get to forget the daily grind and think about something fun and exciting (even if for just a few minutes).
This is why email is like the 8th wonder of the world.
It’s also why, if I could only pick ONE selling tool, email’d be it.
And guess what?
The first issue of The Crypto Marketing Newsletter goes over 10 extremely cool ways to “step” into your prospect’s world with email.
To be a bright spot in their day.
And even make your emails fun to read and BUY from.
Ben Settle
P.S. This first email marketing issue goes to the printer Monday. So subscribe and grab it why you still can over yonder at:
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