Tuesday, June 4, 2019
Tuesday, May 28, 2019
Monday, April 15, 2019
Ben Settle’s Ten-Minute Workday Program Review – Worth the Investment?
Imagine a life without clients.
No more cold emailing, LinkedIn prospecting, or swallowing your pride for sweatshop wages on Upwork.
Or how about no more worrying paying the bills when invoices slip overdue and clients go AWOL.
Let’s face it, copywriting is a dream job. But can have it’s fair share of headaches.
The good news is that ‘clientless copywriting’ doesn’t have to be a fantasy. All you need are the skills and strategy to launch projects of your own.
As the great Gary Halbert noted…
The wealthiest, happiest copywriters are those who sell their own products.
If you’re like me and dream of abandoning client work to create your own campaigns, I’ve got a system to share with you that shows you how to do it.
Because when it comes to creating and selling your own products, there are few better to learn from than Ben Settle.
Ben now earns over half a millions dollars every year selling info products. And he says it now takes him less than 10 minutes to do it.
Just imagine it, earning a bigger salary than a full time doctor in less time than it takes to eat your breakfast.
Even better, you can get all the training to replicate his business model in 30 days or less. Because ‘Ben Settle’s Ten-Minute Workday’ program shows you how to make hundreds of thousands from writing emails…
even if you’re a self confessed loner, introvert, and slacker like he is.
What Ben Settle’s Ten-Minute Workday program covers
- How to find ‘starving markets’ of people already spending money on the sort of products you can sell to them over and over again…
- Top six places you can find high quality “ready to sell” products that others will fulfil for you at rock-bottom prices.
- Easy ways to build up the list of names you can email to each day with his exclusive “6X Multiplication Method”…
- The secret structure to writing highly effective “10-Minute Emails” that’ll have your readers begging to buy your product…
- How to write Attention-Grabbing Subject Lines that guarantee with near 100% certainty your readers will open your email and read it from top to bottom.
- Creating a “continuity” product that can (and should) bring in anywhere from $29… to the $97 a month Ben charges for one of his products.
- How to create Paid Membership Sites where your readers get “private access” to your knowledge and research… and are happy to pay you hundreds of dollars for the privilege…
And much more all revealed over 12 “deep dive” instructional webinars.
Some of the biggest names in direct response marketing have happily flown Ben to their offices and paid him as much as $5,000 for a single day to gain this information.
Yet you can get all of it for a fraction of that amount.
If that wasn’t enough, you also get:
elBenbo’s Private 2018 Swipe File comprising of 457 pages of sales copy for inspiration, along with 9 other bonuses that include collections of the best issues of his popular newsletter, exclusive insider interviews, and additional trainings.
This all sounds amazing. But should you get his course?
First, I need to be straight with you and say it’s unlikely you’re going to make the $607,000 claimed unless can amass a ton of insider knowledge on a topic, and have the creative flair to present like Ben does.
But…
Based on more conservative calculations on a napkin, let’s say you build a list of 100 subscribers willing to pay you $29 per month for a short newsletter containing survival hacks or natural health advice (just two of many profitable niches that are easy to research and write about), that will make you a tidy $34,800 per year.
Not enough for a new lambo.
But enough to help you sleep better knowing your bills and living expenses are covered.
And remember, the beauty of Ben’s business model is there’s almost no upfront costs involved beyond advertising costs (if that’s the traffic route you go down).
Even better, the potential ROI is huge compared to the one time fee for client work (and all the headaches that go with it). Few writing businesses are this scalable — once you get the ball rolling, there’s no limit to how big it can grow or how much money you can make.
But…
You have to be willing to put in the hard work upfront.
It may take months before your list starts pumping out greenbacks.
But if this doesn’t put you off, and you’d love to focus on writing rather than client work, Ben Settle’s Ten-Minute Workday program may be the perfect business model for you.
You can find out more on Ben Settle’s Ten-Minute Workday program in this sales letter written by Paul Hollingshead, co-founder of AWAI. Paul earns more per year writing 50 page financial sales letters than most copywriters make in a decade. So if he thinks Ben’s email program is a smart career option, he’s worth listening to.
What’s more, AWAI are offering a $1,000 discount on the course. But only until April 19th.
That’s this Friday.
So if you’re interested in implementing Ben’s business model and saving $1,000 in the process, checkout what Paul has to say.
It’s the one opportunity this week you don’t want to put off…
P.S. The links in this post are affiliate links, so I’ll earn commission if you sign up for Ben’s course. Yet I’ve followed Ben’s stuff for years. I know he’s legit. And considering his reputation and track record, I think Ben Settle’s Ten-Minute Workday program may be the best course out there on ‘clientless copywriting’ and growing profitable email lists.
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Wednesday, March 27, 2019
5 Ways to Project Status to Attract High Paying Clients
Want to know the secret to attracting high paying clients?
STATUS.
Clients respect status.
But it’s not something you can earn just dropping knowledge bombs in Facebook groups.
You’ve got to project status with every interaction, Skype call, and piece of content you publish.
Here are five ways of developing the aura of status A list copywriters project to compete at the top table.
1.Demonstration
Demonstration is Gary Bencivenga’s #1 form of proof.
‘Showing’ how you achieve results is far more powerful than ‘telling’ clients what an amazing copywriter you are.
Publishing case studies on LinkedIn, being interviewed, appearing on Podcasts, and sharing your secret tactics are all great ways of demonstrating your status as a major player who walks the walk.
2. Be scarce
When you’re on a call with a new client, it can be tempting to offer 24 hour turnaround time on your proposal, email or whatever.
But this is firstly going to result in quality issues. Secondly, it’s going to give the impression you were sat around twiddling your thumbs until you got their enquiry.
Always ask for more time than you realistically need (for practical reasons too) and make it clear your time is valuable by making it scarce.
3. Be the prize
As any high stakes negotiator (or serial dater) will tell you, neediness is the #1 way to repel people.
In every discovery call, make it clear you’re the prize and the value you offer is greater than your fee. Remember that you’re ultimately providing them with a ‘sales machine’, not a Word doc.
If your dance card is consistently full, consider giving new clients hoops to jump through, like a prescreening questionaire or simple puzzle. This helps scare away the price shoppers and ensures you’re dealing with people who value your time and skills.
4. Be expensive
When a client asks for your rates, don’t handover a pricelist like you’re selling burgers at McDonalds.
Copywriters supply a service that results in customers, profits, satisfied shareholders, and salaries getting paid. Charge accordingly.
If you want to know if you’re charging enough, check out AWAI’s recommended rates for guidance.
5. Be the adult in the room
B level copywriters write the sales letter, wish the client luck then ride off into the sunset to hunt for their next victim.
Whereas A level copywriters take ownership and stick around for the long haul.
Experienced pros know only too well that campaigns are rarely profitable from day one. So they know to dig in and help the client make sense of the data, find the leaks, and to test what screams rather than what whispers.
A level copywriter also don’t shy away from telling clients hard truths.
Sometimes clients have to be told their new super ingredient isn’t all that super and how much they’ll need to spend on testing before they have more than a snowball’s chance in hell of profitability.
Sure, sticking around for the hard times is going to make your job harder, more stressful, and make you fondly remember the days of writing keyword articles in bulk.
Yet being the adult in the room is what defines A listers, and defines your status as a problem solver rather than just a wordsmith.
When all else fails, get adventurous
If you’ve already ticked off all 5 status builders, try being outrageous.
Wear suits with a personal coat of arms… add pink streaks to your hair… or create your own tagline.
But ultimately, when you strip away all the tactics and gimmicks, what matters is being someone who can get the job done.
There’s no fast track to this.
The only way is to build your skills, get some wins, and take ownership of your losses.
Think and act like a class act and status will follow.
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Tuesday, March 5, 2019
Thursday, February 28, 2019
Wednesday, February 20, 2019
Tuesday, February 19, 2019
How to Resurrect a Cold Email List
Got a list of subscribers you haven’t contacted in a while?
Here’s how to re-engage in a way they’ll welcome and can generate sales at the end…
Don’t send a grovelling email saying “sorry for not contacting”.
March in with fanfare and ribbon tape like you’re Macho Man Randy Savage.
Hit them with your best stuff. And if people unsubscribe, see it as cleansing the unworthy.
Aim for a week’s worth of quality content before presenting another offer. And remember that even if your open rate is just 20%, those 20% are your raving fans. They’re people eager to consume your content and open to you promoting products that help them on their journey.
Today’s tip comes courtesy of Brian Cassingena’s presentation at Project Persuasion Goes Dark 3.0.
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Monday, February 18, 2019
Creating a Channel that Crushes
This post is based on Mitch Miller’s presentation “Down the Rabbit Hole with Tai Lopez” at Project Persuasion Goes Dark 3.0.
You’re not just a copywriter. You’re a channel.
A channel people can subscribe, follow, and Like.
But only if they see you as someone on the rise. If you’re career is on the ascendenance, they’ll want to ride on your coat tails.
But if your progress has stalled or your content sucks, they’ll abandon you just as fast.
A more successful guru to follow is one swipe away.
So you need to be strategic about what you publish and how it reflects your brand. Every post needs to promote what makes you unique, what you represent, and why people should listen.
As Dan Kennedy says “Only fools market the thing”.
Pros know to maket what makes a “thing” special. And a great way to do this is to harness “self-congruity”.
Take the Tai Lopez Masterclass in Self-congruity
Self-congruity is why people are attracted to certain brands. It’s because these brands project the values they desire to obtain, and represent the tribe they want to belong to.
Take Tai Lopez.
Lopez targets people who desire status and money. So he projects his own status and money to attract them.
His followers see money as the trigger for all the other things they want in life. So Lopez projects himslves as the ideal version his target market wants to become.
Because you see, we have three versions of ourselves:
- Past self
- Present (real) self
- Ideal future self
The present self is what people want to escape. And it’s becoming the ideal future self that triggers all their hot desire buttons.
Lopez knows to present himself as his market’s ideal future self. Because it’s the most powerful way to get people to take action.
Use Glamour to Magnify Your Appeal
Hand-in-hand with self-congruity goes “glamour”.
Glamour is the act of glorifying or magnifying what’s real.
Lopez uses the imagery of cars, stacks of money, and private jets to create glamour around his brand.
He may take glamour to extremes. But it’s something we all do all the time.
If you use filters on photos, dress up in clothes you wouldn’t normally wear, or rent cars and houses for photoshoots, you’re using glamour to enhance your personal brand.
But you’ve got be careful about how you use glamour.
Because it’s an illusion.
And if you use it too much to hide what you don’t want the world to see, like how a ballerina’s shoes hide the bruises, the backlash can be brutal.
Display your Kryptonite
Nobody likes people who are fake or pretend to be too perfect.
When Superman was unbeatable, few fans felt emotionally engaged with his struggles.
But when it was discovered kryponite robs his powers, his popularity soared.
When you try to seem too perfect, people are eager to see you get smashed into a skyscraper by an alien.
It’s only when you admit you’re not unbeatable after all that people come to your side.
So if you’ve spend too much time developing a perfect online persona, consider showing some weakenesses.
And a great way to do it is with “Zohavian Handicap Signalling”.
Zohavian Handicap Signalling is where you do something high risk to display your weakness.
It’s why antelopes jump up and down when a lion appears. Not because they want to get chased. But because they know their display of bravery will help attract a mate.
Make High Risk Gestures Others Aren’t Willing to Do
If you want to create a channel and online persona that’s unique, attracts your target market, and doesn’t push “glamour” to the point of fakery, think what you can do to reveal something about yourself that’s high risk.
Take a stand on a contentious issue. Rattle some cages. Call out someone for offering bad advice.
And when you do, record a full production video instead of just going live in your car on Facebook.
Because when you do what others are unwilling to do in defining your brand, the more you’ll crush competitors playing it safe.
And the more Likes, follows, and subscribers you’ll get to your channel.
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Friday, February 15, 2019
CIA Mindset Hacks for Managing Stress
During his time as a CIA agent spying on North Korea, he had to be aware of his surroundings every waking moment on edge.
The ability to stay calm under pressure then served him well as a serial entrepreneur, with 30+ startups under his belt.
At Project Persuasion Goes Dark, Mark Joyner shared his advice on managing stress and staying at the peak of your game.
Stress is kills
It drains your energy. Darkens your mood. Makes you sick. And it takes years off your life.
Stress may be unavoidable.
But in the freelance copywriting game, where you’ve swapped the comfort of a regular paycheck for surviving by your wits and word processor, having systems for managing stress is vital to your success.
1. Reduce Overwhelm
Our brain’s can only handle so much information at once. But the amount of apps, channels, and people demanding our attention overwhelmed our brain capacity a long time ago.
The only way to stay productive is to make some cuts.
Identify the habits and channels that aren’t helping you (for me, it’s reading the news) and look to reduce the time you invest in them. Or even better, cut them completely.
Focus on the things you can control and help you towards your goals. Everything else is a distraction.
2. Don’t Feed the Trolls
“The greatest fear in the world is of the opinions of others. And the moment you are unafraid of the crowd you are no longer a sheep. You become a lion. A great roar arises in your heart. The roar of freedom” – Osho
Haters gonna hate.
Us copywriters (me included) tend to be introverted types. We don’t go looking for fights on Twitter.
But as you start growing your following and running ads, the trolls will find you.
There’s no shortage of frustrated people in this world looking for someone to unload on. So when they come, set ground rules on how you engage, if at all.
Personally, I engage with people online the same way I would face-to-face. But if they can’t play nice, I pull down the shutters.
A mind hack for dealing with trolls is to be clear on who you are and what you do. That way you can create emotional distance so you can walk away without feeling like you’ve lost face.
After all, if you’ve confidence in what you have to offer, why should some random troll’s need to unleash bother you?
3. Pursue Fulfilling Projects
Life’s too short to be working for clients who don’t appreciate you or writing about junk nobody needs.
Find projects and quality products you believe in.
This will naturally make the hours at the keyboard more fulfilling. Believing in what you’re selling will naturally make your copy more persuasive too.
4. Replicate Your Role Models
People I follow include Arnold Schwarzenegger (if you’ve read his autobiography you’ll get why), Joe Rogan, and Dave Asprey (Bulletproof Coffee founder). I follow them for their work ethic, desire to inspire others to be better versions of themselves, and their healthy attitudes to life.
We might not have the money and success of our celebrity idols. But what we can do is share some of the traits that led to their success.
So write down the characteristics of your role models you admire. Then try to adopt them in your daily life.
Mark Joyner and yours truly
5. Know Your Path
“Comfort is bullshit. Getting most out of yourself is real comfort. Get that through commitment” – The Iceman Wilmhoff
We live in the safest period in history. Globally, you’re less likely to be killed in war or die in poverty. But that doesn’t mean happiness is assured.
We still carry the same primal drives as our ancestors. They had to struggle every day to survive. And the only reason they survived and prospered was because of their motivation to overcome challenges.
The drive to overcome challenges is still buried within us. And it’s something we’re going to need armies of psychologists and sociologists to cope with when AI arrives. When people suddenly have no reason to get up in the morning they’re primed to self destruct.
It may still be a few years before AI can write a natural sounding sales page.
So until that day arrives, remember it’s making progress towards your goals that makes you happy. Not the pot of gold at the end.
6. Enjoy the Ride
When you retire, your brain starts to shut down.
The satisfaction that comes from living a productive life was reinforced to me when I met Drayton Bird a couple of years ago.
Drayton is the UK’s copywriting godfather. Our own David Ogilvy. And he’s still going strong in this 80s. I plan on doing the same.
Many entrepreneurs see retiring by age 40 as the goal. Or amassing a few mill to pay for endless travel.
But this is a mistake countless millionaires have made. They may have bank vaults of cash to roll around in, but many still feel empty inside.
It’s the journey, not the destination. So enjoy the ride.
7. Conquer Procrastination
Procrastination arises from indecision + distraction.
Here’s how to beat it…
Get clear on what you want. Write it down. Then write down how getting stuff done gets you closer to that goal. And post it somewhere around your screen.
Writing down your objectives this way makes it easier to stay focused on the prize. You can strip away the time wasting habits and bat away the “fear” of doing something hard that makes many of us freeze when staring at a blank screen.
If that’s not enough to get you shutting down tabs, keep ratcheting up your desire for the things you want until it overwhelms your avoidance behaviors.
The more you focus on being productive, the more it becomes a habitual pattern.
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