How Gary Halbert sold me content I couldn’t afford with me loving every minute of it

A true story for the archives: Back in 2003 I was a raw, “wriggling” newbie without a proverbial pot to piss in or the proverbial window to throw it out. Dirt broke and flat on my azz in every way. And around that time I saw a newsletter Gary Halbert wrote selling his Boron Letters book for almost $100.00. Back then, that was almost $200 (for a mere book) in today’s money, if that tells you something. I was in such dire straights finding that money was not easy. And I probably would have put off buying the book except… Gary did something when selling that particular bit of content to make it so not only could I not ignore his offer… but would have done whatever was necessary (and I did…) to buy it… and was even happy to have dropped that cash I had to scrimp and scrape for. What was this “something” he did? Well, it wasn’t the sales copy. I mean, yes, his copy was, like all his sales letters, world-class. Especially the bullets. But not so good to get me to drop that money at that time in my life. And, obviously, it was not the price because even though not a lot by today’s standards, the financial situation I was in made it quite expensive indeed, and otherwise far easier to put off until later. This thing Gary did to sell me was not a "copywriting" thing. But it was so effective at selling my broke arse — and many other people too, from what I remember — that I distinctly remember writing down what he did in that newsletter, and cataloging it both on paper and in my mind for future use, and then, many years later, using it in my own business when I wanted to sell some $15,000 consulting offers. I’m not a consultant-guy, and I absolutely hate doing consulting. But, I was in a situation in 2015 where my place got burgled, and I wanted to move back to the coast, and buy a town house with cash since I despise debt so much. Debt makes me very psychologically uncomfortable. But so did living in a shyt town like Roseburg, OR (where I was living - and I consider the bunghole of the universe), full of meth heads and burglars. And so, I whipped up an offer to do consulting for $15,000 a pop, and sold it by applying what I saw Gary did with his book, and… Boom. Mission accomplished. (And with just 2 emails promoting it) Anyway, this thing Gary did to sell his content was quite brilliant. And I have not seen a whole lot of businesses do it. But, like I did with my business, I truly believe most any business can use it (with some creativity and thinking, of course) to come up with your own high ticket content-related offers you can sell — including when (and especially when…) you need to make some scratch, and a lot of it, on a dime or when you’re in a pinch like I did. I talk at length about this inside the October Email Players issue. Specifically, on pages 6-8. I show you exactly what Gary did to sell me. And, I also explain what I did to apply it to my situation when I had to. The irony is it’s not even that sexy a concept. But it is something even I don’t do nearly enough, and am thinking hard on it myself since reminding myself of it while writing about it. Anyway, details inside the October issue. Today’s the deadline to get in if you want it in time. Here’s the link: [https∶//www.EmailPlayers.com]( Ben Settle P.S. I’m also including an extremely valuable bonus with the October issue: “How To Use World-Building & Sociological Marketing To Become A Niche Unto Yourself” Here’s the scoop: Since I have been getting a lot of questions about the last two issues (about World-Building and Sociological Marketing) from Email Players subscribers & BizWorld readers… I wanted to keep the discussion going in this 12-page bonus, which was recorded as an interview for Email Players subscriber Ray Brehm’s private customers. These ideas are not directly related to the content creation approach inside the October issue. And yet, if you take that kind of content and rapidly implement it within a World you create around your business your audience loves being in and doesn’t want to leave, it’s almost like 2 + 2 doesn’t equal 4 but more like equals 4,000. Here are some highlights inside this bonus I’m sending with the October issue: * The “racist” policy I strictly adhere to in my World-Building that makes liberals squirm while drinking their pumpkin spice lattes safely behind their homogeneous gated communities. * How to sell offers to your list that 99% of the people on it couldn’t care less about buying much less using. * The powerful World-Building secret of a small retail shop owner I know who has everyone from street prostitutes to Hollywood A-list actors and actresses (and their stylists) clamoring to buy from her, wanting to hang out at her store, and telling her all their problems. * The #1 biography I suggest to business people that I use for getting the best ideas for my own business World-Building endeavors. * Why chasing money, metrics, and algorithms like a chicken with its head cut off is probably the single worst way of doing business ever invented by all of goo-roo-dom. * A “litmus test” for knowing if you’re doing World-building correctly just by the kind of questions your leads and customers ask you. * A cunning way for helping to make sure your business’s audience has lots of fun buying your offers, consuming your information, and dealing with you day in, and day out. (People tend to love to buy from businesses that make buying fun… and this is one surefire trick for doing just that, which probably anyone can do.) * Advice (none of them ever wants to hear, but too bad) to marketers who want to have an email or other kind of writing-centric business but have trouble motivating themselves to write. * A government-sponsored TV show that is probably the single best “template” for having a successful Sociologically-driven business within a World people love to enter and hate to leave. * How I choose who to JV with and who I won’t JV with. (I’ve turned down JVs with good friends as well as have done JVs with business people in my niche that are despised… and the reason has absolutely nothing to do with money, brand, reputation, or even the offer. It’s all centered around servicing my Sociologically-build World in my business.) * Why I turn down appearing on probably 9 out of 10 “online summits” I am invited to speak on — even those run by people I know, like, trust, and would otherwise like to do business with. To get this you’ll have to subscribe before the October issue deadline. Here’s the link: [https∶//www.EmailPlayers.com]( This email was sent by Ben Settle as owner of Settle, LLC. Copyright © 2023 Settle, LLC. All Rights Reserved. No part of this email may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from Settle, LLC. Click here to [unsubscribe]( Settle, LLC PO Box 1056 Gold Beach Oregon 97444 USA