Dan Kennedy, Herds & Balls

[David Babineau]

If you've got an old copy of Dan Kennedy's "free gift" (the old one with 8 physical CDs, not the newer online one), you might remember his story about a woman's ballsy email.

If not, here's the story in a nutshell (I forget the exact details, but this is close):

This woman asked her list to send her feedback on some of her materials, and offered a freebie in exchange.

When 2 of her readers replied, but didn't give good feedback (i.e. it was obvious they just wanted the freebie), she called them out.

She sent an email to her whole list telling them about these 2 readers and how she's fired them as clients.

hehe

Anyway, Kennedy then goes on to say what a brilliant strategy this is, how everyone in her "herd" will now be 10 times more responsive/compliant because they don't want the same thing to happen to them. etc. etc.

Well today I saw an email that executed this strategy to perfection (actually, it's my friend Matt's list.)


Anyway, here's the email he sent:

-------------------

*** In today's email: Funny hate mail I get***

So I've got this blog troll.

He posts under the name "Stu".

Most likely a fake name. Oh and he uses a fake email address too. I delete his comments because he hides behind a fake email address. If good old "Stu" would actually post with his real email address, then I'd approve his comments and we could all have a fun debate on the blog.

But Stu's too sc-sc-scared to use his real email address.

Anyway, what is Stu so mad about? Well, a while back a customer bought the 30 day beach body plan and sent me an email claiming he lost 6 pounds of fat and gained 3 pounds of muscle in the first week (can't remember exact numbers, but that's close.)

And this made little Stu furious!

Stu is enraged because Stu's doctor told him it's impossible to gain muscle that quickly.

And you know what? Stu's doctor might actually be right. It probably IS impossible to gain 3 pounds of NEW, lean, dry muscle tissue within a week.

But here's something little Stu never thought of.

What about re-gaining muscle you had before but previously lost?

What about your first week back in the gym after having the flu for two weeks?

What about muscular bodyweight -- which means an increase in bodyweight WITHOUT an increase in fat gain? (If the scale goes up, but your bodyfat percentage does not increase, it's usually attributed to a gain in muscular bodyweight. It's not lean, dry muscle, it's a combination of a gain in muscle, water and other non-fatty tissues.)

The only way to truly tell if you're gaining muscular bodyweight or lean, dry muscle tissue is to kill yourself and have an autopsy performed. This method is not recommended.

Greg (the customer who sent me the email) didn't mention any of those things. Maybe he was coming back after a long layoff.

We don't know. We DO know that Greg made SOME KIND of positive physique change in only a week. And that's all that really matters. Because let's face it -most people look exactly the same week after week, month after month.

So if you make any kind of change in a week, whether it's gaining muscle or losing fat, you're doing something right.

If you fixate too much on the numbers, you'll end up a lonely, desperate angry internet troll who hides behind his momma's skirt.

Matt Marshall
Tried & True Fitness

P.S. Oh and it gets better. Now "Stu" is posting on other internet forums claiming that he "has a friend" who bought my book and demanded a refund but I refused to give the money back.

So this message is for you "Stu": Please send me the name of your "friend."

I rarely get refund requests, but when I do they are honored immediately and without question. I realize my stuff isn't right for everybody, so if someone decides to follow a different path that's A-Ok in my book.

So when I get a refund request -- and it does happen about once every two months -- I don't sweat it. I refund the money and move on.

So I'm calling you out "Stu." Show me ONE person who asked me for a refund and didn't get it. I'll compare it with my files and we'll see who's telling the truth.

The ball is in your court Stu. This is your big moment. The world is watching. Try not to piss your pants.

-------------------



Pretty ballsy. Definitely polarizing. I was laughing reading this and I'm sure he'll win over some of his readers with this email.

Anyway, that's it.

If you have more good emails along that line to share, please share 'em, I'm all ears!

Cheers,
D

[Ross James]

This sort of sounds like how Dan talks about takeaway selling, which is ballsy. As for the email itself, It would peak my curiosity to find out more of "Stu" the anon blog posting troll, sounds fun and who knows maybe I'd end up buying something.

I'm a recovering meat-head myself and I can back up the part where he talks about gaining muscle faster from memory.

This woman asked her list to send her feedback on some of her materials, and offered a freebie in exchange.

When 2 of her readers replied, but didn't give good feedback (i.e. it was obvious they just wanted the freebie), she called them out.

She sent an email to her whole list telling them about these 2 readers and how she's fired them as clients.

Feedback is feedback and she asked for it, they could of easily just said, something like "5 star product would buy again", that sounds more fake and in it for the freebie to me.

There is always positive motivation behind everyone's behavior even if on the surface it comes out negative. What it was, I really can't tell, didn't read the negative feedback lashing she took.

They gave her negative feedback maybe because they honestly felt that way. I don't have the original story but from the sounds of it, she sounds like she has an ego problem. Fired her clients? I like the story about "Stu" a lot better.


Best,

Ross

[FuNwiThChRiS]

This is the dumbest thing I've ever read in my entire life. If Dan actually suggested this he is a moron. NEVER - NEVER piss off a customer ESPECIALLY in the age of social media. Hopefully I read that wrong or something ...if not, it's a joke that would be reputation suicide.

[Ross James]

Originally Posted by FuNwiThChRiS

If Dan actually suggested this he is a moron.

Yeah guy is a wicked moron. Can you ride a bull to work?



Didn't think so.

[wcmylife]

I know many internet marketers prefer to just ignore the negative stuff and just move on, as you have quite a few people who just want to thrash you on blog posts and forums but this is a great example of taking negative/trashy feedback and using it in a positive way.

[Pusateri]

Originally Posted by FuNwiThChRiS

This is the dumbest thing I've ever read in my entire life. If Dan actually suggested this he is a moron. NEVER - NEVER piss off a customer ESPECIALLY in the age of social media. Hopefully I read that wrong or something ...if not, it's a joke that would be reputation suicide.

Chris, there are some customers who aren't worth having.

I think what it comes down to is you're just from a different world. The things you have been saying may be applicable to giant corporations working on narrow margins, but those folks ain't here.

This is the world of the one man/woman show. It's a world where you gotta chose who to lose, because if you try to accommodate everyone you end up too boring to break through the noise and clutter. This is Planet Niche and pissing off the right people can be good for the environment.

[OnlineMasterMind]

Originally Posted by FuNwiThChRiS

This is the dumbest thing I've ever read in my entire life. If Dan actually suggested this he is a moron. NEVER - NEVER piss off a customer ESPECIALLY in the age of social media. Hopefully I read that wrong or something ...if not, it's a joke that would be reputation suicide.

oh how mistaken you are...

People, especially in the "social media age", are desperate for that kind of authenticity.

[OnlineMasterMind]

Originally Posted by David Babineau

If you've got an old copy of Dan Kennedy's "free gift" (the old one with 8 physical CDs, not the newer online one), you might remember his story about a woman's ballsy email.

If not, here's the story in a nutshell (I forget the exact details, but this is close):

This woman asked her list to send her feedback on some of her materials, and offered a freebie in exchange.

When 2 of her readers replied, but didn't give good feedback (i.e. it was obvious they just wanted the freebie), she called them out.

She sent an email to her whole list telling them about these 2 readers and how she's fired them as clients.

hehe

Anyway, Kennedy then goes on to say what a brilliant strategy this is, how everyone in her "herd" will now be 10 times more responsive/compliant because they don't want the same thing to happen to them. etc. etc.

Well today I saw an email that executed this strategy to perfection (actually, it's my friend Matt's list.)


Anyway, here's the email he sent:

-------------------

*** In today's email: Funny hate mail I get***

So I've got this blog troll.

He posts under the name "Stu".

Most likely a fake name. Oh and he uses a fake email address too. I delete his comments because he hides behind a fake email address. If good old "Stu" would actually post with his real email address, then I'd approve his comments and we could all have a fun debate on the blog.

But Stu's too sc-sc-scared to use his real email address.

Anyway, what is Stu so mad about? Well, a while back a customer bought the 30 day beach body plan and sent me an email claiming he lost 6 pounds of fat and gained 3 pounds of muscle in the first week (can't remember exact numbers, but that's close.)

And this made little Stu furious!

Stu is enraged because Stu's doctor told him it's impossible to gain muscle that quickly.

And you know what? Stu's doctor might actually be right. It probably IS impossible to gain 3 pounds of NEW, lean, dry muscle tissue within a week.

But here's something little Stu never thought of.

What about re-gaining muscle you had before but previously lost?

What about your first week back in the gym after having the flu for two weeks?

What about muscular bodyweight -- which means an increase in bodyweight WITHOUT an increase in fat gain? (If the scale goes up, but your bodyfat percentage does not increase, it's usually attributed to a gain in muscular bodyweight. It's not lean, dry muscle, it's a combination of a gain in muscle, water and other non-fatty tissues.)

The only way to truly tell if you're gaining muscular bodyweight or lean, dry muscle tissue is to kill yourself and have an autopsy performed. This method is not recommended.

Greg (the customer who sent me the email) didn't mention any of those things. Maybe he was coming back after a long layoff.

We don't know. We DO know that Greg made SOME KIND of positive physique change in only a week. And that's all that really matters. Because let's face it -most people look exactly the same week after week, month after month.

So if you make any kind of change in a week, whether it's gaining muscle or losing fat, you're doing something right.

If you fixate too much on the numbers, you'll end up a lonely, desperate angry internet troll who hides behind his momma's skirt.

Matt Marshall
Tried & True Fitness

P.S. Oh and it gets better. Now "Stu" is posting on other internet forums claiming that he "has a friend" who bought my book and demanded a refund but I refused to give the money back.

So this message is for you "Stu": Please send me the name of your "friend."

I rarely get refund requests, but when I do they are honored immediately and without question. I realize my stuff isn't right for everybody, so if someone decides to follow a different path that's A-Ok in my book.

So when I get a refund request -- and it does happen about once every two months -- I don't sweat it. I refund the money and move on.

So I'm calling you out "Stu." Show me ONE person who asked me for a refund and didn't get it. I'll compare it with my files and we'll see who's telling the truth.

The ball is in your court Stu. This is your big moment. The world is watching. Try not to piss your pants.

-------------------



Pretty ballsy. Definitely polarizing. I was laughing reading this and I'm sure he'll win over some of his readers with this email.

Anyway, that's it.

If you have more good emails along that line to share, please share 'em, I'm all ears!

Cheers,
D

Dan Kennedy's customer appreciation seminar is one of my favorite products ever... I especially love Jeff Paul's talk...

Anyways, nice email... pretty funny - especially the ending

[David Babineau]

Originally Posted by Ross James

I don't have the original story but from the sounds of it, she sounds like she has an ego problem. Fired her clients? I like the story about "Stu" a lot better.


Best,

Ross

Hey Ross,

I was going by memory there (I'm sure I didn't tell the story exactly as Kennedy did ) The way he said it didn't make it sound like it was an ego thing, but you may be right.

Cheers,
Dave

[Ross James]

Either way anything that Kennedy talks about always trumps anyone's opinion.

He is the Chuck Norris of salesmanship.