e-ret@iler from Profits Plus and Tom Shay
ideas to sell more merchandise and service
January 2004 - Our 50th consecutive issue

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

1. The article of the month: When it is time
to make a change
2. e-ret@iler advisory of the month: 10 times
3. The contest for January 2004: A tap means?
4. Our Power Promoting idea of the month: Meet
the competition
5. Book of the month: Something to nibble on!
6. Your e-ret@iler subscription and contacting
Profits Plus and Tom Shay

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

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1. Article of the month: When it is time to
make a change

Your business likely carries multiple brands of
products for your customers. The choice of brands
has been made due to several factors - cost,
protection from competition, profitability,
customer request as well as several other reasons.

With most businesses there comes a time when a
decision must be made to add or delete a product
line. With the January article of the month, we
examine and discuss why and how that time for a
change can be addressed.

Click on this link to visit the Profits Plus
website to read the January article of the month.
When it is time to make a change

0 <= After printing the January 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: 10 times

While speaking in Canada last month we had the
opportunity to hear a consultant share a technique
shown in a book that he had read that could be used
in retailing. We think the idea is pretty sharp
and would like to give you our adaptation for
your consideration.

Think about your business for 2003. Think how
much volume you did for the entire year; write
that number down. Just above where you have written
that number, write 2003. Now, let's talk about where
your business is going in the next few years.
Most of us are thinking about modest increases
in revenue over each of the years.

Now let's think out of the norm (for most of us).
Take the number that you have just written down -
your 2003 revenue. Add a zero to the right side.
What you have just done is to create the number
it would take to have your business grow by a
factor of 10. You may think this is impossible,
but that is OK. We just want to see the number
in writing and think, "what it would be to
increase our business "10 times". Above this 10
time volume, place a question mark.

Think into the past yearsof your business. What year
was it that you did one tenth of the business that
you did in 2003? Write down the year and underneath
that year write down the volume.

We have two known years, one unknown year, and
three known levels of revenue. Remember just a
moment ago when I first suggested the concept
of increasing your revenue by a factor of 10?
You may have thought it impossible to happen, but
for many of you, you have just told me that you
have already increased your revenue by a factor
of 10 at least one time in the history of
your business.

What did you do differently in the two time frames
that you have already mentioned? What have you
learned about business in the time frame
we have just described? If your business were
to repeat that steller performance, what would
you have to do for that to occur? Make a list
and write it down.

Instead of a 10 fold increase in your business,
would you be happy with an increase of 25% for
2004? The answer for most of us is an unqualified
YES! But, how would you achieve it?

Remember that list that you just made? These are
your guidelines for a 10 fold increase. And in
looking for a 25% increase, this would appear
to be a much easier goal for you to achieve
in 2004. Now is the time to put that plan
into action.

0 <= After printing the January e-ret@iler, check
here if you plan to read the e-retailer advisory
of the month.

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3. The contest for January 2004: A tap means?

An analogy is used to teach a lesson about
changing product lines in the article of the
month for January. In the analogy, there is
a referral to a tap on the left arm. The question
for the January contest is, "What does the tap
on the left arm mean?"

Our prize for the January contest is a deck of
our Relationship Selling Skills playing cards.
The cards have a new design for 2004 and can
be used to take your staff and their sales
skills to new heights. This very unique
tool is worth a lot more than the $18 it
will cost you to purchase a deck on our website.

Winners of the January contest will receive a
deck free. Those entering the contest are
reminded to send their name and mailing address
so we can get their prize to them as quickly as
possible.

Here is a link to the article:
When it is time to make a change

0 <= After printing the January e-ret@iler, check here
if you plan to enter the contest.

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4. Our Power Promoting idea of the month: Meet the
competition

Most every business has competition in their area.
While some folks report they have none, we respond
by saying that if you are not getting all of the
business of all of your potential customers, then
you most definitely have competition.

Our Power Promoting idea for January 2004 is not one
for having a sales event. Instead, it is an idea
for getting the competition to do some of your
work for you.

The best place to start is with an mass merchant or
highly visible competitior that is in your trade area.
Find out who the manager or owner is of the business
and give them a call. Tell them you have heard a
lot about their business, and are most interested
in hearing more about them and that you want to
hear it directly from the source.

Meeting them for lunch or breakfast would be great,
but you definitely want them to give you a guided
tour of their store so that you can see all that
they offer to their customers. As you complete
your tour, if the competition does not ask for you
to give them a tour of your buisness, tell them
something like this, "I would love for you to have
a chance to see my business. What does your calendar
look like for (suggest a date) so that we could get
together again?"

When they visit your store, you will be ready and
armed with all kinds of information.

Where in the world do we get these Power Promoting
ideas month after month? We have been collecting them
for many years and now have them available in book
format. We have so many that we even have two books
out. Visit the Profits Plus resource center and
take a look at the Ideas series of books. The book
with the blue cover and the one with the red cover
each contain 100 of the tried and proven promotional
ideas.

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5. Book of the month: Something to nibble on!

Beginning with our 50th issue and 2004, we are
adding a new feature to the e-ret@iler - a brief
book review. We have a long list of books already
prepared to review, but would welcome suggestions.

Our book suggestion for January 2004 is a great
book to have as a first book if you are not one
that is in the habit of reading. "Who moved my
cheese?" by Spencer Johnson has a great message
and invites you to examine your personal style
of living and even management. The book is a hard
cover and sells for $19.95 (USD)

If you have already read this book, or are
wanting to find other interesting titles, here
is a link to our website page that contains a list
of good retail business books.

Book Referral List

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

Simply stated, the e-ret@iler is free. If you
received it as a result of someone passing it to
you, you can get your own subscription by visitng
the Profits Plus website and entering your
e-mail information to get a subscription.

Contacting us is just as easy. Our phone is
727-823-7205. The fax number is 727-898-3179.
Our mailing address is: PO Box 128, Dardanelle, AR 72834 USA. If you want to send an e-mail, you can click on this link.

Thanks for taking the time this month from
your business to visit with us by way of this
e-mail newsletter, the e-ret@iler. Our goal is
to have you find a bit of information in it that
will help you make your business more profitable.

We continue to ask you to make an effort to
locate and do business with other small businesses.
You will meet some really great people and
find others who really appreciate their customers,
just the way you do!

Get your Profits Plus, and may God bless you and
yours! See you in February 2004.