e-ret@iler from Profits Plus and Tom Shay
ideas to sell more merchandise and service
May 2004 - Our 54rd consecutive issue

The May issue of the e-ret@iler contains:

1. The article of the month: With a smile
on your face
2. e-ret@iler advisory of the month: Technology
3. Sales tip of the month: Here's looking at you
4. Web tip of the month: Internet help for your
business
5. Our Power Promoting idea of the month: Support
fund raising breakfasts and dinners
6. Book of the month: Retail Success by George
Whalin
7. Your e-ret@iler subscription and contacting
Profits Plus and Tom Shay

=> Print the May issue of the e-ret@iler so
you can read it at your leisure.

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1. Article of the month: With a smile
on your face

The article for May gets the title from what
we will expect to see on your face when you
utilize the pricing strategies that you will
find in this month's article. While the examples
we give come from a store front retail operation,
we know that every type of business can use
these ideas to develop a strategy for competing
in your market place.

Does this sound like some valuable information to
you? If so, read this month's article. Click on this
link to visit the Profits Plus website to read the
May article of the month.

With a smile on your face

O <= After printing the May e-ret@iler, check
here if you plan to read the article of the month.

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2. e-ret@iler advisory of the month: Technology

This is the third month in our series on the
characteristics of a successful business.In the
first two months we covered having a clear image
in the mind of your customer, and identifying the
best customers. If you missed these two issues, we
have archived them on our website. Here is a link
to that page on our website.

Archieve of e-retailer columns

Characteristic number two is utilizing technology.
We have had the opportunity to utilize computers
in our businesses for approximately 25 years. They
have greatly progressed over this time to where we
can learn many things about our business. You can
keep track of your customers and their purchases.
You can determine the average sale, sales per square
foot, as well as where you make the majority of your
profits.

You can "go with your feelings" or you can use a
computer to provide you with data to make sound
decisions. Being educated by your computer is a
lot better than an "educated guess".

This does not mean that we are encouraging you to
get as many reports as possible from your computer.
You should get a report only if you are using
that information to make a decision. Simply said,
"knowledge is power".

Are you using your computer to the fullest? Or,
are there many aspects of your computer that you
have never tried out? A small investment in your
time today to investigate how much additional
information you can gain, will likely pay you
tremendous dividends tomorrow and into the
days that follow.

Next month's topic is financial understanding.

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3. Sales tip of the month: Here's looking at you

With the May issue we are adding two new tips.
The first is a sales tip that you can share with
your co-workers and staff.

We know that only 8% of our message that a customer
receives comes through the words that we speak.
Another 37% comes from the tone of our voice. The
majority of our message, 55% comes from our body
language.

The way that you stand tells your customer what you
are feeling. On the Profits Plus website, we have
created a series of photos and explanations of
what your body language tells your customer. Click
on this link to see the entire series (28 in all)
that you can print and share with your staff.

Body Language Photos

O <= After printing the May e-ret@iler, check here
if you plan to use this tip

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4. Web tip of the month: Internet help for your
business

Isn't it amazing how often we are the last person
to listen to our own advice? Thanks to Dr. Harry
Perdew for repeatedly reminding us that the
Profits Plus website is one tremendous library of
information for small businesses. With that thought
in mind, our second new feature is pointing out
another page on our site. And with over 400 pages
on the Profits Plus website, it is going to take
us a long time to point out all of the neat material
we have created.

Let's start with the "Retail News Page". In
conjunction with About.com, we have a daily update
of news from the retail world. Clicking on the link
below and marking this as one of your favorite pages,
you can save yourself a lot of time going through
the daily newspaper and a lot of periodical magazines.

This free service from About.com is no longer available

O <= After printing the May e-ret@iler, check here
if you plan to visit the Retail News Page.

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5. Our Power Promoting idea of the month: Support
fund raising breakfasts and dinners

How many times has someone called on your business
and asked you to purchase some tickets to a
breakfast, lunch, or dinner that benefits a
charitable group? It could be a high school,
Rotary club, or church group.

Many people see this as a complete waste of
their advertising dollars. Consider using them
in this manner. Create a sales contest for your
staff, giving the tickets as a prize. If an
employee has 3 other members of their family,
give them enough tickets for all of them to
enjoy the meal.

If the event is held during your business hours,
give that person the time away from work to enjoy
the meal with their family. The praises they
receive from their family will be more than
you could possibly give. And your employee with
then be challenged to again exceed your goals
and expectations for them.

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6. Book of the month: Retail Success by George Whalin

George Whalin is my kind of guy - retail wise.
He has been there and done that. He has been a
part of retail for many years. This is a great
book that you will enjoy reading. I will also
let you know that George is working on another
book that I believe is coming out later this
year.

You have probably heard George. If not at a
trade show or conference, then you have heard
him on the news as the media often interviews
George to garner his take on what is happening in
the world of retail.

If you have already read this book, or are wanting
to find other interesting titles, follow this link
to the Profits Plus website where you will see
a list of suggested reading.

Book Referral List

O <= After printing the May e-ret@iler, check here
if you plan to read the book of the month.

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7. Your e-ret@iler subscription and contacting
Profits Plus and Tom Shay

The subscription is free. Just remember if you
are changing your Internet service provider, you
will need to enter your new e-mail address
to keep the e-ret@iler coming.

If you received the e-ret@iler by way of someone
that passed it to you, then you can easily get your
own subscription.

Contacting us is just as easy:
The phone is 727-823-7205
The fax is 727-898-3179
The mailing address is:
PO Box 128
Dardanelle, AR 72834 USA

Thanks for visiting with us this month. We
appreciate your taking time from your
busy schedule. Our goal is to help you and
your business to become more profitable. We hope
we have done that.

We encourage you to seek out and do business
with other independently owned businesses. If
you are wanting people to do business with you
because you are a locally owned business, then
it stands to reason that we should be doing
what we are asking others to do.

Get your Profits Plus. May God bless you and yours.
We will see you in June.

Tom Shay