Breakdown of Hank’s story-selling masterclass.

All right, something different for an email today. I’ll break down that one 5-minute segment of Hank pitching Gus Fring as this mastermind Meth Kingpin to his superiors.

(The TV show in question is Breaking Bad – if you’ve seen it, you’ll love this.)

Note: If you’re a TikTok braind’ flake who can’t handle an email above 100 words…

Well…

Just put this email on the shelf – it’s gonna be long. Very.

With that said, let’s roll:

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HANK: One night last month, Benecker opens his door and… BAM – takes a bullet to the face from a person/person unknown.

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Hank’s setting the scene here as every good story does – he sets a time, a place, and people involved

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HANK: Now this Gale Benecker is a bona fide chemistry genius, I mean… he’s got degrees up the wazoo. And – as you might expect – he’s a nerd’s nerd: vegan, sandals and socks kind of guy. As it turns out, he’s also an A1 meth cook.

*Hank pauses a second for dramatic effect – his superiors glance briefly at each other.*

HANK: Now what caught my eye… is his speciality product – blue.

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This is salesmanship 101 – appeal to people’s self-interest. The DEA’s most pressing case lately has been tracking down the special „blue“ meth and the chemist behind it (Heisenberg). Two of the things that are currently at the top of the priority list at the DEA – Hank very quickly gets them to lean in, and cull their ears with this; he’s gotten them hooked. Oh, and the fact he mentioned Benecker’s vegan is also of supreme importance – his argument later wouldn’t have made sense if he didn’t do it right here.

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AGENT GOMEZ: So what are you thinking? This is your Heisenberg?

HANK: No, but what i think we got here… *Hank clears his throat* is Heisenberg’s former cook. And maybe… a line on Heisenberg himself.

*His superiors once again share a brief look at each other.*

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The plot thickens. Hank already established that Benecker is a chemistry genius… that he’s nerdy… and that he produces the only „blue“ meth on the market. If this guy isn’t your Heisenberg… then who tf is? You’ve simply GOT to learn/know more.

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HANK: Anyway, lo and behold amidst all the hippy-dippy nonsense… I find this:

*Hank presents his first piece of evidence/facts*

HANK: Now this here, I do a little „Google-Fu“ and i realize it’s a parts number. Specifically, for this baby:

*Hank presents another piece of evidence/facts*

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Hank segues into Act II of the story – or, for his purposes, building his case.

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HANK: That there is a high-volume HEPA industrial air filtration system.

*One second pause*

HANK: It’s a $300.000 gadget perfect for a pharmaceutical plant, a microchip factory or maybe… the biggest meth lab north of the border.

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Hank not only connects all the dots for them very smoothly (as one always should – the less someone has to think during your sales message… the better), but he also plants a gargantuan seed that drives the story further and also remains in their heads until the very end. Not to mention that Hank demonstrates that he’s quite intimately involved with the case and has done his DD – adding to his credibility & authority on the subject.

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*Both agents furrow their brows*

AGENT MERKERT: Okaaay…

HANK: So this little dingus here is manufactured by a big international concern, „Madrigal Electromotive“. I call their Houston office and eventually get through the nicest little 20-year old temp, and I use a little of the ‘Schrader sweet talk’ on her, before you know she’s pulling files for me.

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Hank delves deeper down the rabbit hole and also adds a touch of humour while doing it (it even gets a cheek-to-cheek smile from one of the agents) – which is genius to break up the mostly „serious“ tone of the story so far and add some contrast to it.

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HANK: Turns out 6 months ago, one of these systems was shipped out to a depot right here in Albuquerque. Who signed for it?

*Hank takes a brief pause*

HANK: Gale Benecker.

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Notice how great Hank’s use of pauses is – it adds a layer of dramatic effect + it also helps the idea/seed sit and ferment for a minute in the agent’s heads.

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HANK: So I asked my new girlfriend, „Who paid for it?“ And she says… nobody. They have no record that anybody actually paid for this thing. So I go back and push more, and before you know it, the temp’s gone, there’s no forwarding address, and I’m talking to some snot-nosed corporate lawyer who’s asking me for my badge number. Brick wall.

*One of the agents leans back in the chair almost as if he’s disappointed.*

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Couple of things here: (1) Hank continues adding touches of humour here and there (2) He reels in the expectations somewhat – after about a good 2 minutes of non-stop case-building and a slow expectation of reaching a climax from the agents… he subverts their expectations. He makes them think he’s done – but he isn’t.

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HANK: So…

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Again, subverting expectations – they thought he was done, but he keeps going.

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HANK: I take a peek into Madrigal Electromotive. Now Madrigal is based in Hannover, Germany. BUT! They’re what’s called „highly-diversfied“: industrial equipment, global shipping, major construction AND… a tiny little foothold in American fast-food. Specifically, a local chain: „Pollos Hermanos“

*Hank pauses, the agents once again share a look but this one isn’t brief – it’s the longest (and almost a concerned) one so far.*

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Hank once again demonstrates that he knows his shit – further adding to his credibility & authority on the subject. However, and more imporantly, he FINALLY segues into what he wanted to talk about all along: Gus Fring’s fast-food chain (specifically, it being a front for a super meth lab.) And he does it smoother than butter.

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HANK: Okay, so what? Benecker’s dead, I got no line on who’s been bankrolling him or where his lab was, whole thing’s a snipe hunt, right?

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Terrific objection-handling. Hank knows that implying that Gus Fring is this meth kingpin is an absurd proposition, considering he not only has an outstandingly clean public image… but is also one of the most generous benefactors to the DEA. These are all objections the agents would’ve presented later had Hank NOT addressed them up front.

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HANK: But now I get this… crazy idea. And I can’t shake it… I mean i stay up nights staring at the ceiling trying to make sense of it. That napkin… remember I told you Benecker is a vegan right?

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Hank really impresses upon them how much time he actually spent thinking all this through – how many angles he’s covered, adding to his credibility on the topic. But more importantly, he gets the agents to start nodding their head in agreement with that „remember I told you Benecker is a vegan right?“ This is also why he mentioned that fact at the very beginning of the story.

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HANK: I mean this guy makes his own fermented lentil bread… whatever the hell that is.

*He pauses for a split-second*

HANK: What’s a vegan… doing in a fried chicken joint?

*Hank pauses for a good 2 seconds now*

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That’s a very logical argument right there. Sure something like that wouldn’t hold up in court (and the agents actually call him out on it later) but Hank isn’t stupid he knows that already – he’s just making it to throw as many things as he can at the agents. It’s a light jab while he’s loading up his big right hand for later.

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HANK: Maybe he’s meeting somebody? But who? Well… like maybe:

*Hank picks up a stick and points to the picture of Gus Fring*

HANK: This guy.

*The agents trade an incredulous look*

HANK: I mean what do we know about… Gustavo Fring? Huh? This whole friend-of-the-law-enforcement? Could be a case of keep your friends close but your enemies closer.

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Hank really goes into it now, he’s not holding back. This was his entire angle, he’s going into the sales pitch, he’s laying out all his cards on the table now (he isn’t, but the agents think he is – it was just a decoy.)

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HANK: I mean he’s got the money to finance this operation maybe he’s got the connections too. Maybe just MAYBE… he’s our guy.

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Hank adds proof elements/strength to his argument/sales pitch.

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AGENT MERKERT: Hank no offense, but i think you’re really reaching.

AGENT GOMEZ: If your guy had his meeting at KFC, you wouldn’t immediately assume that he’s sitting down with Colonel Sanders?

HANK: You know i ugh… *clears his throat* I couldn’t agree more guys. Gustavo Fring… „blue“ meth… the whole thing is off-the-map nuts. I had to be wearing a tin-foil hat, you know.

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Hank expected this – he knows the agents so deeply believe Gus Fring is just a generous entrepreneur who does good for society that even ENTERTAINING the idea of him being this meth kingpin… is downright preposterous. So instead of trying to butt heads with them – which wouldn’t yield anything… he AGREES with them. He not only agrees but amplifies it (I wrote an email about this titled: „The pick-up artist secret to dealing with trolls, haters, critics and 1-star reviewers“ and put it on my Email Echoes page, you can check it out). He lets them get it all out so they have no more firepower/defence once he hits them with the „ace up his sleeve“ – which he’s been saving up this entire time….

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HANK: Except… I can’t seem to wrap my mind around this one little thing…

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Just when the agents thought it was over, once their attention started waning… Hank hooks them back in with specificity and intrigue („He spent all this time on the case, so what’s this one little thing he can’t wrap his head around? What can it be?“)

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HANK: That is… what are Gustavo Fring’s fingerprints, doing in Gale Benecker’s apartment?

*He lays down the evidence on the table and stops talking*

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And that’s it – the scene ends.

Hank was saving up his only real evidence/fact/poof element for last, the whole point of going through the ENTIRE story prior… was for the agents to get their objections & rebuffs out of the way.

If he was in a hurry to immediately come to them with that last part?

It 100% would not have worked due to the sheer magnitude of a charge he’s making against someone who is a stretch to think of as a meth kingpin.

(At least in the agents’ minds.)

Hank sold, before he pitched.

This is also how I built my „Email Storyselling“ methodology:

If you took a look at any of the 11 „Email Storyselling“ marketing email examples in the Appendix section of my book…

…you would have noticed how I almost NEVER begin my emails with a:

• „20% OFF selected proteins – save now!“
• „Unbeatable deals: 15% off until Friday!“
• „FLASH SALE: 48-hour weekend sale on selected pre-workouts!!!“

(I’m too lazy to add the obnoxious amount of fire and rocket emojis.)

In other words:

I almost never pitch.

And I say almost because there is actually a time when I go straight for the jugular and pitch.

But there’s a time to pitch (e.g. the bullet points above), and there’s a time to sell (e.g. like Hank did)

99% of the marketing emails in this industry either don’t know or don’t care about that difference…

…because they all just pitch pitch pitch.

Which is fine, you’ll still end up selling some people just by sheer brute force and laws of large numbers…

But those sales mostly come from…

The “Hyper-buyers”

They’re the 1-5% of people in every market/industry/niche.

They’re the people who have such a strong – borderline irrational – demand for your products…

… that pretty much all you have to do is put it in front of them, and they’ll say:

“Take my credit card!!!”

(It’s like having fish who are so hungry they will bite even if the hook is empty.)

They’re terrific people to have as customers.

You can even make a lot of money off of them – if there’s enough of them…

But what about the other 95% who are NOT hyper-buyers?

• Who are more skeptical…
• Who need to be convinced more…
• Who need to be sold more on you and buying from you specifically…

In other words:

What if most people are like Hank’s superiors?

(And they are.)

Well…

Straight pitching doesn’t work on them – they require a more delicate touch…

Something like „Email Storyselling“ – because it caters to those people.

(And funnily enough? You’ll STILL scoop up the hyper-buyers simply because… well… they’re hyper-buyers – they don’t care, they’ll just buy whatever you have with whatever you do lol.)