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Marketing expert profile
Dan Kennedy: Who He Is, How His Marketing Works and Where to Start
Next free Magnetic Marketing Challenge: October 26, 2026 · FAST Action Boot Camp capped at 150 seats · Checked on October 18, 2026
Quick answer
Dan Kennedy is the marketer behind the No B.S. book series and the founder of Magnetic Marketing, a direct response system for attracting customers who pay, stay and refer. Today the brand belongs to Russell Brunson's ClickFunnels group, and the easiest way in is a free live challenge or one of his books for a $9.95 shipping fee.
This guide covers who Dan Kennedy is, how Magnetic Marketing works, the No B.S. series and the order to start in, with prices and dates checked on the official pages on October 18, 2026. For the man who owns the company today, see our profile of Russell Brunson.
Highlights
- Author of the No B.S. series, with books published by Simon & Schuster and Forbes Books
- The Ultimate Sales Letter, first published in 1981, has stayed in print ever since
- Magnetic Marketing has taught its system to more than 6 million people
- The Magnetic Marketing method has been applied in more than 136 niches
- Three free live challenges on the 2026 calendar, so you can learn the method before you spend anything
- Money-back guarantees on the book offers and a 30-day guarantee on the NO B.S. Letter trial, as stated on each page
| Dan Kennedy at a glance | Details |
|---|---|
| Who he is | Direct response marketer and copywriter, author of the No B.S. series, founder of Magnetic Marketing |
| Name on his books | Dan S. Kennedy |
| Known for | Direct response marketing, sales letters, attracting customers instead of chasing them |
| Key books | The Ultimate Sales Letter (1981), Magnetic Marketing (Forbes Books, 2018), No B.S. Direct Marketing, No B.S. Direct Marketing for Non-Direct Marketing Businesses |
| Company today | Magnetic Marketing, owned by ClickFunnels co-founders Russell Brunson and Todd Dickerson |
| Formats | Books, a monthly printed newsletter, free live challenges, a virtual boot camp, a membership |
| Entry prices (checked October 18, 2026) | Challenges: free · Books: free plus $9.95 shipping in the US · NO B.S. Letter: 30-day trial for $29.95 shipping and printing · FAST Action Boot Camp: $100 |
| Guarantee | Money-back guarantees, as stated on each offer page |
Who is Dan Kennedy, the marketer?
Dan S. Kennedy, the name printed on his books, is a direct response marketer, copywriter and the founder of Magnetic Marketing. He is not the comedian or the journalist who share his name.
His reputation rests on one book in particular. He published The Ultimate Sales Letter in 1981, and in his own words for Forbes Books, it has been in print ever since. Simon & Schuster presents him as a provocative author known for telling business owners hard truths, and that blunt voice runs through every title in the No B.S. series.
Beyond the books, Dan built a long speaking career. He spent nine consecutive years on the SUCCESS seminar tour, sharing the bill with names such as Ronald Reagan, Colin Powell and Johnny Cash, and he has given more than 3,000 paid speeches. The system he teaches, Magnetic Marketing, has reached more than 6 million people.
What is Magnetic Marketing and how does it work?
Magnetic Marketing is Dan Kennedy's system for attracting customers instead of chasing them. The name comes from his 2018 Forbes Books title, Magnetic Marketing: How to Attract a Flood of New Customers That Pay, Stay, and Refer.
The method fits in five ideas:
- Market. Decide exactly who you want to attract before you write a word. A clear group is easier to reach and easier to persuade.
- Message. Give that group a specific reason to respond, written for them and nobody else.
- Media. Put the message where that group already pays attention, whether that is the mailbox, the inbox, social media or search.
- Math. Measure what every ad brings back, so the numbers tell you what to keep and what to change. The official site sums up the core as market, message, media and math.
- Pay, stay, refer. The goal is not a one-time sale but customers who buy, keep buying and send you others.
The official About page explains the difference between this approach and traditional advertising. A traditional ad tries to be remembered. A direct response ad asks for a specific action, such as a call, a reply or a request for information, so you can see which ads earn their cost. That focus on measurable response is why the method travels well: the Forbes Books listing says it has been used in more than 136 niches.
What is the No B.S. series and the NO B.S. Letter?
The No B.S. series is Dan Kennedy's line of business books, each written in the same direct, no-filler style. The titles Google shows first for his name include Magnetic Marketing, The Ultimate Sales Letter, No B.S. Direct Marketing and a No B.S. book on ruthless management. One title is written for owners who do not think of themselves as direct marketers at all: No B.S. Direct Marketing for Non-Direct Marketing Businesses.
The NO B.S. Letter is the monthly printed newsletter that carries the series forward. The current offer is a 30-day trial for a one-time $29.95 shipping and printing fee. On day 14 of the trial you get Behind the Scenes walkthroughs recorded by Russell Brunson, and the gifts include a copy of the Magnetic Marketing book and the 74 Funnel Swipe File. You choose your membership plan on the next step of the order.
The page backs the trial with a 30-day guarantee and a 365-day guarantee on your initial investment, and the public terms promise a notice 7 days before a trial is charged, with cancellation open until 24 hours before it ends.
Where should you start with Dan Kennedy?
Start free, then move up one step at a time. The ladder below runs from no cost to a full membership, in the order most newcomers will find useful. Prices and dates were checked on the official pages on October 18, 2026.
| Step | What you get | Cost | Best for | Button |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Free live challenge | Magnetic Marketing Challenge: 5 days, 90 minutes a day, hosted by Marty Fort with guests such as Russell Brunson, David Phelps and Ben Glass | Free · next start October 26, 2026 | Seeing the whole system before you buy | Save my free seat |
| 2. A book for shipping | The Ultimate Sales Letter plus The Ultimate Marketing Plan, presented by Russell Brunson | Free, one-time $9.95 shipping for both books | Writing ads, emails and sales letters | Get both books |
| 3. NO B.S. Letter | 30-day trial of the monthly newsletter, Russell Brunson's walkthroughs and the welcome gifts | One-time $29.95 shipping and printing for the trial | A steady monthly dose of strategy | Start the 30-day trial |
| 4. FAST Action Boot Camp | 2-day virtual workshop with Darcy Juarez; next edition January 14 and 15, 2027, capped at 150 people | $100 · free for members | Turning the ideas into your own plan | Reserve my Boot Camp seat |
| 5. Diamond Membership | The top membership level, offered as an upgrade for Gold members in a letter from Russell Brunson | $297 a month, 30-day guarantee | Members ready to go deeper | Upgrade offer for Gold members |
Step 1 costs nothing and shows how the pieces fit, and registration stays open for 7 days after the start. Step 2 gives you the book that made Dan's name for one shipping fee; if your business does not sell by mail or ads, the Direct Marketing Book below is the better pick at the same $9.95. Step 3 turns a one-off read into a monthly habit. Step 4 puts the method to work with a coach, and with 150 seats it pays to reserve early. Step 5 is for people who are already Gold members.
Which Dan Kennedy book or event fits your goal?
If you write copy or sell with words. Start with The Ultimate Sales Letter, which comes paired with The Ultimate Marketing Plan for one $9.95 shipping fee. Then add the free Write Like Dan Challenge: three days, one hour a day, on story selling, hosted by Dan Henry. The next start date is on the registration page.
If you run a local, professional or offline business. Get No B.S. Direct Marketing for Non-Direct Marketing Businesses. The offer bundles the book with a toolkit, a four-hour training with 21 experts and a 568-page swipe file. The book is free; you pay a one-time $9.95 shipping fee in the US or $19.95 internationally, with a money-back guarantee, as stated on the page.
If you already run an established business. The free 7 Figure Secrets Challenge is built for six-figure business owners. Russell Brunson, Josh Latimer and Darcy Juarez teach the first four days, and Dan Kennedy teaches the fifth day live. The next edition runs November 2 to 6, 2026 (checked October 18, 2026).
How did Russell Brunson and ClickFunnels get involved?
Magnetic Marketing changed hands when the ClickFunnels co-founders, Russell Brunson and Todd Dickerson, bought the company, a story the official About page tells in full. For Russell it was a natural fit: he teaches direct response as the base of every sales funnel, and his YouTube channel carries videos such as "Why I Bought Dan Kennedy's Life Work And Magnetic Marketing" and a talk on Dan Kennedy's 10 commandments of marketing success.
Today Russell is closely involved in the offers you will see. He presents The Ultimate Sales Letter book offer, records the Behind the Scenes walkthroughs inside the NO B.S. Letter trial, writes the letter that invites Gold members to Diamond and teaches four days of the 7 Figure Secrets Challenge alongside Josh Latimer and Darcy Juarez. For you, this means a familiar path: a free event, a low-cost book, then a clear next step. More on Russell in our Russell Brunson profile.
Is Dan Kennedy still relevant for online business and AI?
Yes, because the principles he teaches are not tied to any one channel. A sales funnel is direct response marketing on a screen: a specific offer, made to a specific group, with a clear action and numbers that show what worked. That is the market, message, media and math of Magnetic Marketing.
The 2026 calendar shows the method applied to online work. The Write Like Dan Challenge teaches story selling for copy, the NO B.S. Letter trial includes a swipe file of 74 funnels, and Dan teaches on the 7 Figure Secrets program with Russell Brunson.
AI tools can draft an ad or an email in seconds. They still need someone to choose the right market, shape a message that gives people a reason to act and measure the response. Those are the decisions Dan Kennedy's books and events train you to make. Results depend on your business and on how consistently you apply the method.
Is Magnetic Marketing legit?
Yes. Magnetic Marketing is an established company with a long public record, and the signals are easy to check:
- Major publishers. Simon & Schuster and Forbes Books publish Dan Kennedy's books, and The Ultimate Sales Letter has been in print since 1981.
- Known owners. The company belongs to ClickFunnels co-founders Russell Brunson and Todd Dickerson.
- Respected names. The NO B.S. Letter page shows recommendations from marketers such as Ryan Deiss, Frank Kern, Perry Belcher, Lee Milteer and Brian Tracy, and the Direct Marketing Book page adds Russell Brunson, Rich Schefren and Dan Bradbury.
- Real members. The official site features named business owners from several industries describing how they apply the method.
- Clear terms. The public terms of use explain trials, cancellations and subscriptions.
- Try before you pay. Three free live challenges and the money-back guarantees on the book offers let you test the method with little or no money at stake.
Pros and cons of starting with Dan Kennedy
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Free live challenges let you learn the method before you spend anything | It asks for action: the method pays off when you apply it to your own marketing |
| His best-known books cost only a shipping fee | The style is direct and blunt, made for readers who like straight talk |
| A track record that reaches back to 1981, with major publishers behind the books | Boot Camp seats are capped at 150, so reserve early |
| Principles that work online and offline, in more than 136 niches | The book offers are one-time orders, so check the official page for the current terms |
| A clear ladder from free to membership, with money-back guarantees on the book offers and a 30-day guarantee on the Letter trial | Challenge dates change often, so check the next start before you plan your week |
Ideal for you if
- You own a small or local business and want marketing that brings in customers you can count.
- You write copy, emails or sales pages and want the classic playbook behind them.
- You build funnels and want to understand the direct response principles underneath them.
- You prefer to learn free first and spend only when you are sure.
- You like straight answers more than theory.
Already a Gold member? Step 5 in the ladder above is the next level up.
What is the best first step with Dan Kennedy today?
Take the free Magnetic Marketing Challenge. Five live sessions of 90 minutes show how market, message, media and math fit together, with Russell Brunson among the guests. If you prefer to read first, The Ultimate Sales Letter and The Ultimate Marketing Plan cost one $9.95 shipping fee. Either way, you start for little or nothing.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Dan Kennedy?
Dan S. Kennedy is a direct response marketer and copywriter, the author of the No B.S. book series and the founder of Magnetic Marketing. He published The Ultimate Sales Letter in 1981, and it has stayed in print since. The company now belongs to ClickFunnels co-founders Russell Brunson and Todd Dickerson.
What is Magnetic Marketing?
Magnetic Marketing is Dan Kennedy's system for attracting customers instead of chasing them. It rests on market, message, media and math: choose who you want, give them a specific reason to respond, reach them where they pay attention and measure the results. The goal is customers who pay, stay and refer.
What is the No B.S. Letter?
The NO B.S. Letter is Dan Kennedy's monthly printed newsletter. The current offer is a 30-day trial for a one-time $29.95 shipping and printing fee, with Behind the Scenes walkthroughs by Russell Brunson on day 14. You choose your plan on the next step of the order.
Which Dan Kennedy book should I read first?
Start with The Ultimate Sales Letter if you write copy or sell with words; it comes with The Ultimate Marketing Plan for one $9.95 shipping fee. If your business does not use direct marketing yet, start with No B.S. Direct Marketing for Non-Direct Marketing Businesses, also free with $9.95 shipping in the US.
Do the Dan Kennedy challenges cost anything?
No. The Magnetic Marketing Challenge, the Write Like Dan Challenge and the 7 Figure Secrets Challenge are free to join; you register with your email. The 7 Figure Secrets page says a paid program is offered afterward, and joining it is your choice.
What is the Magnetic Marketing Diamond Membership?
Diamond is the top level of the Magnetic Marketing membership, offered as an upgrade for Gold members in a letter from Russell Brunson. It costs $297 a month and carries a 30-day guarantee that refunds the first month.
Who owns Magnetic Marketing?
Magnetic Marketing is owned by Russell Brunson and Todd Dickerson, the co-founders of ClickFunnels, as the official About page explains. Dan Kennedy founded the company and teaches in its events, including the live fifth day of the 7 Figure Secrets Challenge.
Where do I start if I have a small local business?
Start with No B.S. Direct Marketing for Non-Direct Marketing Businesses. It is written for owners who do not sell by mail or ads, and the offer adds a toolkit, a four-hour training with 21 experts and a 568-page swipe file for a $9.95 shipping fee.
Start with the book that made Dan Kennedy's name
The Ultimate Sales Letter and The Ultimate Marketing Plan, together for one $9.95 shipping fee in the US, with a money-back guarantee, as stated on the page.
Sources
Prices, dates and offer details were read on the official pages on October 18, 2026, and they can change, so confirm them on the page before you buy or register.
- Magnetic Marketing, "About" (magneticmarketing.com): magneticmarketing.com/aboutmm
- Magnetic Marketing, Terms of Use (magneticmarketing.com): magneticmarketing.com/terms
- Forbes Books, author page for Dan Kennedy: books.forbes.com/authors/dan-kennedy
- Dan S. Kennedy, Magnetic Marketing: How to Attract a Flood of New Customers That Pay, Stay, and Refer, Forbes Books, November 28, 2018
- Dan Kennedy, "The Expert Status Halo," Forbes Books, May 25, 2018
- Simon & Schuster, author page for Dan S. Kennedy: simonandschuster.com/authors/Dan-S-Kennedy/264550355
- Official offer pages read on October 18, 2026: Magnetic Marketing Challenge, Write Like Dan Challenge, 7 Figure Secrets Challenge, The Ultimate Sales Letter, The Direct Marketing Book, NO B.S. Letter, FAST Action Boot Camp and Diamond Membership
This is an independent profile. It is not the official Magnetic Marketing website and it is not operated by, affiliated with or endorsed by Dan Kennedy, Magnetic Marketing, ClickFunnels or Russell Brunson. Magnetic Marketing™, No B.S.™ and the other product names mentioned are trademarks of their respective owners. We may earn a commission from registrations and purchases made through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. Prices, dates and offer details were checked on the official pages on October 18, 2026 and can change at any time: confirm them on the page before you buy or register.
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