Is Anyone Familiar with the work of Benjamin D. Suarez?

11 replies
Hello fellow warriors,

I came came across a book not too long ago called "7 Steps to Freedom II" that was written by a Mr. Benjamin D. Suarez. The book itself was written in the 90's and is essentially a guide on direct response marketing. What really caught my eye and attention though is that he claims to have been a very close student with Gary Halbert. I find the copywriting he introduces and teaches in the book to be very well done and I'm wondering if anyone else here has heard of him or knows about any more of his work or history.
#benjamin #familiar #suarez #work
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  • Profile picture of the author PureFusion
    My fingers are crossed for a few more chime-ins.

    Thanks for your replies.
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  • Profile picture of the author DougHughes
    Yeah, you can find out more about him here:

    Direct Marketing Company - Suarez Corporation Industries
    Signature

    I write copy. Learn More.>>

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  • Profile picture of the author gjabiz
    Originally Posted by PureFusion View Post

    Hello fellow warriors,

    I came came across a book not too long ago called "7 Steps to Freedom II" that was written by a Mr. Benjamin D. Suarez. The book itself was written in the 90's and is essentially a guide on direct response marketing. What really caught my eye and attention though is that he claims to have been a very close student with Gary Halbert. I find the copywriting he introduces and teaches in the book to be very well done and I'm wondering if anyone else here has heard of him or knows about any more of his work or history.
    OK, his work. As a copywriter, he has written copy which has sold over a billion dollars of products. He (and his company) like full page ads and often with celebrity endorsements. The type of copy he uses today is not the old "West Coast" style (as named by Joe Karbo) nor the Mad Men of NY agency.

    He likes "official" looking direct mail. Does a lot of phone work in his companies, both, inbound and outbound. He does a lot of multi-channel marketing and incorporates many different types of copy, he makes almost all ads in house, including infomercials, radio and video.

    He and Gary were friends. He has updated 7 Steps, but, has not released it to the public and his legal concerns have been a recent hot topic but, hasn't at this point, effected his company.

    Through the guidance of Harvey Brody, he has turned to more high end specialty items, many selling for a few hundred dollars, a lot of money to get from one newspaper ad, but, he has mastered it.

    I can also tell you he tested many Halbert ads which didn't work, as did Gary himself. My opinion today is he is working on legacy, for his company which he built for family and friends, to be continued on after his work is done.

    Again, my opinion, 7 Steps is one of the top 5 books on the details of Remote Direct Marketing, much more detail about operations than most small Entrepreneus want to know.

    gjabiz

    PS. Lawrence Bernstein has some excellent work over at his place and as for my relationship, I once did a little interview with Ryan McGrath, http://theryanmcgrath.com/tag/infomarketing/page/2/

    and this is a good read at http://www.infomarketingblog.com/march24/

    The Professional Remote Direct Marketing Home Study Course was my project while working at SCI, and I took it from idea to market. It was my "final" exam at SCI.

    I believe I am the only person who has worked with both SCI and Arthur Middleton after Napier split from Suarez. I don't involve myself in personal issues, but respect both men and the companies and success they have had.
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  • Profile picture of the author subhajit100
    Banned
    [DELETED]
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    • Profile picture of the author gjabiz
      Originally Posted by subhajit100 View Post

      OP ... keep your fingers crossed and hope Gordon chimes in.
      Sometimes, we, who have been around forever get sort of "TIRED" seeing the same thing come up we've discussed before.

      BUT, it is important to keep the Parade of Life in mind. As the next 700,000 Warriors come on board, we will see the same old questions...and many, if not most of us will move on.

      One lesson you can learn from Suarez is found in the story of how he took a best seller in the 1950's, Vermont Folk Medicine by Dr. Jarvis, and retooled it in the 80's to sell several thousand copies by direct marketing.

      He used a publishing agreement, which didn't cost anything, the expense was in the testing, and once he got the promotion worked out, he rolled out the product to great results.

      So, just as some savvy marketers have found gold in Public Domain material, YOU might find some stored value in the Warrior Forum (or any older forum) which may be "old hat" to you, but, to the next wave, the next generation, the next part of the parade may find it very valuable.

      NOW, one word about Suarez and Napier. YOU can beat both these guys. HOW? Neither one has figured out how to sell a digital product, although Ben talked about it in 1994 in 7 Steps to Freedom, he hasn't done it.

      In 7 Steps II, Ben wrote about beating the big astrology companies of his day, because "speed kills the competition"...today, SCI and AMCH are big, sluggish, slow giant companies, and you can be quick and nimble, test quickly, get results and scale up as you want.

      So, keep in mind the Parade of Life, have a plan, adjust as needed and use tested and proven methods that have withstood the test of time.

      gjabiz

      PS. Now, off to the bargain basement of WF, the soon to be extinct OFF TOPIC sub-forum?
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  • Profile picture of the author elmo033057
    I got that 7 Steps book and over-loaded my brain on about the 9000th page or so...


    ELMO
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    • Profile picture of the author Alex Cohen
      Originally Posted by elmo033057 View Post

      I got that 7 Steps book and over-loaded my brain on about the 9000th page or so...
      ELMO
      Same here... BORE-ING.

      In my prior career as a software developer, I read a lot of complex and boring material. 7 Steps beat 'em all.

      Threw the thing in a dumpster.

      Alex
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      • Profile picture of the author elmo033057
        Originally Posted by Alex Cohen View Post

        Same here... BORE-ING.

        In my prior career as a software developer, I read a lot of complex and boring material. 7 Steps beat 'em all.

        Threw the thing in a dumpster.

        Alex
        Thank God I only paid a couple of dollars on Amazon for it. Got mine used. I bought it with the Boron letters. Now that was a fun book to read!

        ELMO
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        • Profile picture of the author gjabiz
          Perhaps Ben is penning his version of the Boron Letters while serving his time in Morgantown, WV club fed. It may not be as FUN as Gary's, Gary was certainly the better writer, for newsletters and such. Still, the student far surpassed the teacher, Ben's copy pulling in far more dollars and for a far longer time.

          SCI is going to be a leaner, lighter company when he comes home, some are betting it will be gone by then (Next April, 2016) and can't survive without his creative force.

          We'll see. He has options and choices, he could fold the tent and retire, doesn't need the money OR, he could have his best work ahead of him.

          Will Club Fed tire him out or fire him up?

          As for 7 Steps, it is a textbook on Direct Response Marketing and how to set a company up, doesn't do much with copywriting really, but it was never intended to.

          Sure it is boring, but not to those who started marketing companies.

          The North Canton direct marketing "syndicate" will never be as big as it once was.

          I do know several former employees have started their own smaller versions of SCI/Arthur Middleton/Fitness Quest and are doing very well because they not only learned copywriting but they learned the business of marketing as detailed in 7 Steps.

          Even so, billions of dollars flowed into North Canton due in large part by the Gary Halbert/Ben Suarez collaboration of eons ago.

          As for easier reading, one of Ben's original works, SuperBiz, set many a DM career in motion, not a FUN read, but a practical one.

          gjabiz







          Originally Posted by elmo033057 View Post

          Thank God I only paid a couple of dollars on Amazon for it. Got mine used. I bought it with the Boron letters. Now that was a fun book to read!

          ELMO
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  • Profile picture of the author articlearbiter
    Banned
    The 7 Steps II book does have some solid business principles and formulas in it. It's quite worthwhile reading for marketers.
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