Dan Kennedy, Herds & Balls
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
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
Work hard, live a happy life, cherish your family and friends. Be thankful for every day.
e-Mail: hypnoticheadlines@gmail.com