The difference between being eccentric and being a schmuck

Last year I read a fascinating book by a self-made billionaire: “Am I Being Too Subtle?: Straight Talk From a Business Rebel” It was written by Sam Zell. And one of my favorite quotes from the book is: “If you dress funny and you excel at what you do, you're eccentric. But if you dress funny and are just average at what you do, you're a schmuck.” Case in point: Many years ago the late, great Gary Halbert was notorious for showing up at seminars and events with a baseball cap on that said in big, bold letters: “CLIENTS SUCK!” And he’d go out of his way to make sure everyone knew he hated clients. Why he wanted nothing to do with clients. And why he was NOT taking client work, so don’t bother asking, etc. The result: A predictable line of clients coming up to him in private at various times during the event all but begging him to accept them as clients, throwing money at him, and basically trying to sell him on why he should do business with them. Gary was truly eccentric. Contrast that to the typical Twitter newb who can only quote & swipe others and has no real experience outside of reading eBooks pounding his chest about how great he is on social media. He simply looks like a schmuck. Yes, even if a few other newbies are fooled by the charade. The point of bringing this up: A seasoned pro like Gary Halbert was able to play a totally different game than a newb or even someone who has been at it for a long time, but doesn’t have all of Gary Halbert’s unique attributes, exceptionally high IQ, history, timing (getting clients in the 1970’s, 80’s, and 90’s is not the same game as it is today), personality, writing chops, experience with desperation (he had to use the electric bill money to pay for his direct mail projects, then sit in a dark house with his wife waiting for orders that never came, we got it easy on the internet today...) time spent in prison (literally), and a whole host of other experiences and factors. The newb with none of the above has to play a totally different kind of game. Otherwise, he looks like a schmuck and gets paid like a schmuck. Which brings me to the rub: Figuring out your game in marketing can change everything. By my guesstimate 90% of people up in this business are playing the wrong game to at least some extent. And if they simply figured out what game they should be playing instead of trying to play their favorite guru’s game... things like getting new business, building a fat email list, attracting the big money clients, and a whole host of other problems can potentially vanish like a fart in the wind. This is no exaggeration either. I am living proof of this. I spent at least 15 years playing the wrong game. Almost everyone I know up in this industry is playing the wrong game, or would greatly benefit from adjusting their game, but refuse to for all the same reasons I did and/or from not realizing what finally dawned on me at the end of 2017 specifically. And it is absolutely holding them back. Thus the April Email Players issue. A very “experimental” issue. It contains almost no solutions. Other than making people who read it realize they are playing the wrong game with options for thinking differently, and ideas for what kind of game they should be playing, or ways to adjust their current game to their advantage. I liken it to what happened about 10 years ago when a blood test showed how a certain protein in many common foods was making me tired, fatigued, and screwing with my thyroid. It had been plaguing me since at least high school. And by simply eliminating that food group, energy returned in spades, mental clarity returned, along with the rest of my health. Very small adjustment in my "eating game" yielded big benefits. But the blood test did not give me a “solution.” It simply gave me awareness from which I could just (or not choose) to adjust from there. Such is the goal of the April Email Players issue. Shallow-thinking types only looking for hacks & tricks will get zero benefit from it. And people who hate change (I despise change) will fight it. But it is my goal for those who read, embrace, and make the adjustments to their marketing game (which they will have to ultimately figure out, I can’t do it for them) to open up a whole new world of possibilities, profits, and enjoyment they are not experiencing now. Yes, even if they are ‘successful’ on paper. Lots of successful people out there who make lots of money are miserable, hate their customers, and have to motivate themselves to work at their business each day. And it’s a pity. Because it doesn’t have to be that way. In my experience, it’s simply a matter of adjusting or changing their game. All right so that’s that. If you want this issue you’ll have to subscribe before today’s deadline. After that? Too late… Here’s the link: [https∶//www.EmailPlayers.com]( Ben Settle This email was sent by Ben Settle as owner of Settle, LLC. 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