You don’t have to be a sloppy second

An irony not lost on a lot of marketers I’ve talked to: It wasn’t all that long ago when Apple computer users were the minority. When I got my first Mac laptop in 1998 all the Windows users scoffed. “You can’t even do….? Followed by something software on all Windows did but not on Apple. Very frustrating. And they were correct at the time. But Apple computers were also better and more secure in a lot of ways in my opinion. And they gave a better experience for the things I needed to do vs a Windows machine and its constant virus updates and defragging, slowing everything down to a halt. Apple legit had a “think different” approach. And even a casual read of Steve Jobs’ bio will show you just how much different. Windows had zero culture and zero soul, according to Jobs. And while it did win in its battles with Apple, it didn’t beat Apple. Not unlike Apollo Creed winning against Rocky in the first movie, but not really beating Rocky. Now, flash forward to today: You can’t go to a mastermind and not see 99% of the room — maybe even 100% — with Macbook Pros. Everyone’s got an Apple. Hardly anyone has a Windows. And it’s now the Apple people mocking the Windows people. A very ironic change of events. Anyway, for some reason I was reminded of all this last year when “Email Players” subscriber David Lowenthal sent me the following: === … thanks a bunch man for all that you do. Your newsletter and products have completely transformed how I do business. I know how you sometimes say you “give permission for people to think differently” but I think it’s more you’re “mandated” to think differently if you want to be in this horde, and it’s really been a gift to be able to design my business totally according to my needs. === He is 100% correct. In fact, here’s another irony: But this one IS lost on a lot of marketers — especially NEPC’s (non-Email Players characters) who just look at what I do and imitate it without understanding how it all works at a deeper level. I’d say at least once per week some idiot swipes what I do. And when I say “swipes” I mean literally lifting my voice, personality, and ways of saying things. I hear-tell sections of copywriting Twitter are especially prone to this. Just mimicking everything I do. Thinking they can simply copy the surface elements and it’ll all work. They probably assume they are “tHiNkINg dIFfERenTLy!” But they’re not. They’re making asses of themselves. And I know this because for every one of my people who goes out of their way to tell me about one of these blue flame specials, there are probably 5-10 more who aren’t saying anything. And those people are simply starting to ignore the copycats. Oftentimes they are even outright mocking them. The thing these NEPC’s are missing: Soul. Heart. Whatever you want to call it. They are like the schlubs in the book “The Game” about the — at the time underground — pickup artist scene. Neil Strauss’ code name in the scene was Style. And he had a very unique look — shaved head, goatee, dressed a specific way, used his own pickup lines. And when he started teaching PUA to people, those people would blindly & idiotically go out and shave their heads, grow a goatee, dress exactly like Style, and even use the exact same lines, on the exact same women, on the exact same strip in L.A. that Style would frequent… only to get laughed at by these girls who looked at them as if they had leprosy. The point: Thinking different is a big key to what I teach. And the NEPCs will never get that. I’d like to think there is hope for them, but I doubt there is. Anyone who copies someone else at that level just ain’t that bright. This is important for those thinking they can “reverse engineer” what I do. They are literally being mocked and laughed at by those who notice — while those doing the mocking tend to find their way to the source: My list. Yes, I profit from the copycat crash test dummies. But ultimately, I’d rather not profit from them, and that they get their acts together. The business world needs more higher quality marketers, not more copycats & clones. I’m not sure where else I am going with this. But it’s been on my mind lately. And I can say right here, the copycat types who can’t think beyond “swipezzzz!” are simply not ready or qualified to use the info in the upcoming August Email Players issue. I don’t say this to insult anyone or even just because it’s amusing to write about it. I say it because it’s the truth. The info will not help them. I used to cater to that sort of thing — giving templates, and swipes, and tactics, and hacks, etc. Nowadays? It’s the exact opposite. The stuff I’ve been teaching about a term I invented last year I call “6G Marketing Warfare” is just one of many examples of what I am talking about. Same with business world-building. And erecting narratives, and the list goes on. These are clearly beyond the low marketing IQ goo-roo fanboys' ability to grasp. If it wasn’t, they wouldn’t be cloning & building my business, they’d be thinking & building their own. And this August issue? It contains a powerful persuasion method I don't see a whole lot using. But there is nothing really to swipe inside. And no tactics to brag about using on social media. Plus it’s not a “casual” read. It’s something intended to be read carefully, with forward intent. And then re-read again. And again… And then ruthlessly applied over and over and over in your business and in your life (it goes beyond business and marketing) until it becomes as second nature as driving a car or riding a bicycle. I’m being very frank about this for a reason. I don’t want those who are incapable of using it to waste their money. If that is you — and be honest with yourself — realize there are many other places you can learn marketing, emails, copywriting, etc. Including places where you’ll probably be handed all the swipes, templates, and hacks you can get your eager little fingers on. And you’ll be better off over at them places. Certainly you’ll be a lot happier than you will be in my world. I can all but guarantee you this. It’s about the only thing I can guarantee. My “sloppy seconds” (people who subscribe to “Email Players”, but can’t follow it or don’t like it, whatever it is…then wisely leave once realizing they don't belong here) often find this out after wasting money with me. Yes, even though I regularly tell them not to bother. You don’t have to be a sloppy second. After all, I’ve already warned you of what to expect. All right, that’s all for now. 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