After I mentioned Ben Settle yesterday, a question came in last night wondering if I’d breakdown the big differences between my email style and Ben’s email style…
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I’ve been on both yours and Ben’s list for the last few years. You guys certainly do a lot of things in your emails that are similar. But you also do a lot of things differently. I’m sure you’ve noticed the differences, so it’d be cool to hear what you think you guys do differently
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Great question.
You’re spot on that we do a lot of things similarly…
We both send emails every day…
We both use stories in our emails…
We both do launches for the products we’re selling.
Obviously we’re also in the same niche, selling things on email copy, increasing sales and getting clients etc…
So lots of similarities for sure.
But there’s also some BIG differences between us.
And I’d say the biggest difference between Ben and I is how we position ourselves.
Here’s what I mean by that…
When it comes to positioning, you can either be the hero or the heel.
Ben positions himself as a “heel”.
So as the heel, he’s always going against what everyone else is saying and doing.
For example…
– Ben doesn’t speak at events, and actively avoids going to events
– Ben isn’t on Facebook, Instagram or most social media (and is very proud of this)
– Ben pokes fun at marketers that live and die by open rates on their emails
– Ben doesn’t care about being politically correct and will say whatever he feels on topics like women, covid, trans people etc…
– Ben doesn’t have any “fancy” pictures of himself next to a Lambo, or in a suit. He’s always in a t-shirt and jeans
– Ben doesn’t live in a marketing “hotspot” like Austin or San Diego, he lives in a little town in the middle of nowhere in Oregon
– Ben’s opt-in page looks nothing like a typical opt-in page that you’d see in our industry
I could go on and on with this….
But you get the point.
Ben has done a great job of positioning himself as the contrarian (aka the heel).
He goes against what everyone else is saying and doing…
And guess what?
That works really well for him.
He plays the heel beautifully.
And it certainly makes him stand out.
So in my opinion, that’s probably the biggest fundamental difference between how Ben and I use email.
Cause in my case, I am not a heel.
I’m more of the “good guy”.
I try to position myself as the “successful guy who’s like you”.
So yeh I’ve made a bunch of money in this industry…
And I’ve written a lot of winning copy…
But I also still struggle with shit.
I put out offers that flop in front of everyone…
I text women and they don’t text me back…
I cry when I think about my dogs being gone…
My mom still thinks I need to get a “real job”…
So as good as my life is, I still have struggles.
And I try to share that in my emails.
Cause I know doing that that will help you feel understood when you see me going through the same stuff.
So my positioning is much more of the “successful guy who’s just like you”.
I think my emails are probably more relatable…
And have a more positive message than Ben.
That’s not to say my way is better.
Both ways work.
The positioning of our personas is really the big difference in our emails.
Anyways…
If you’re not on Ben’s list, you should 100% get on it and study how he writes his emails.
You’ll learn a ton…
Hell, his opt-in page alone is a great example of how he uses his contrarian, “heel” positioning that you won’t see anywhere else.
Well worth checking out.
– Justin
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