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With over 25 years of frontline experience Tom Shay is America's leading small business management expert. He's a "Must Have" for your next event.

e-ret@iler
March 2001
Sent at your request by Profits Plus Seminars & Tom Shay

What you will read in this month's issue of the e-ret@iler:
1. A new article on the Profits Plus Seminars website: Creating Customer Service Instructions
2. e-ret@iler advisory of the month
3. The resource library available to you - with some new additions!
4. Your free subscription to the e-ret@iler
5. Contacting Profits Plus Seminars and Tom Shay

1. Creating Customer Service Instructions
The March 2001 article on the Profits Plus website is entitled,
"Making the Pass".
You have probably heard that Nordstrom's Department Stores have their instructions for their employees written on a three inch by five inch card. Most of us would look at that and think we could never duplicate that. In the March article on the website, there are some suggestions of how you can create a short list of instructions for waiting on customers. And of course the article of the month for the last four months is still on the Profits Plus site.

Don't forget, we have even added a new feature. If you know of someone that should read the article, you can simply add your name, e-mail address along with the name and e-mail address of the person you want to see the article, then just one more click and the article is on the way to your friend.

2. In this issue, Tom provides you with a brief overview of another new feature on the website - the book review page. I know you do not have the time available to read lots of books. If you are like me, when I would get out of the store I was usually exhausted and the idea of spending an hour or two reading just did not warm me up. Here are four of my favorite books, each of which do relate well to the management of our businesses:

The Experience Economy - by B. Joseph Pine II and James H. Gilmore - A fascinating book, although it does get a bit dry in the middle chapters. If you get only one thing from this book, look for the differences in: Selling commodities, goods, services, an experience, and creating a transformation.

The E-Myth - by Michael Gerber - This book was released years ago. It does a great job explaining why people who are very good at the sales aspect of business have a difficult time becoming owners and managers.

Who Moved My Cheese - by Spenser Johnson, M.D. - This author says his book applies to many aspects of a person's life. If you read this and think of yourself as the owner or manager and begin to examine which of the four characters in the book that you are, you will gain a tremendous insight.

Predatory Marketing - C. Britt Beemer - From the times you have heard Tom Shay speak, you know I always like to use statistics to backup the points I make. This book is full of information, and it is specifically aimed to retailers.

3. Your free subscription to the e-ret@iler
If you have received this edition of the e-ret@iler by way of someone passing it onto you, you can add your name to the free subscription list by clicking on this link and putting the word "subscribe" in the body or reference line of the e-mail.

4. Contacting Profits Plus Seminars and Tom Shay
Thank you for inviting us onto your desktop, and taking the time to read our newsletter. We trust you have received some business building ideas from it as we look forward to seeing you again in April.
and you can click on this link to send an e-mail:

Get your Profits Plus,


Tom Shay

 

PROFITS PLUS, FOUNDER OF...

 

©1998-2026 Profits Plus Solutions, Inc.
Tom Shay
PO Box 128
Dardanelle, AR 72834

(727)823-7205

MARCH 2026
Have the Small Business Advisories and News sent to your inbox. Subscribe HERE

Small Business

AdvisoriES


Every time I see the logo for Target stores, I think about small businesses and the need to know which people to target as their customers. Of course, of most importance is the person who has spent any money with your business.

 

I ask businesses if they know how much the average person spends with their business. Most offer a quick response with a dollar amount. That answer is incorrect as they are telling me what the average existing customer is spending. The average person in any community spends no money with that small business.

 

Looking for new customers without any plan of how to do so is just spending money. That is why every small business needs to know how to find and use information. Find ideas in the March Small Business Advisory.

Small Business

NewS

Top Story

Employee retention; is it important? Or is it easier to lose an employee and wait for the next applicant to walk in the door? The Small Business News for March shares some statistics of the expense you incur when you make the change instead of working to retain a current employee.

Article of the Month

It is baseball season and we use the sport as an explanation of the cost of growing your business. In Boston's Fenway Park, left field has a wall that is know as the green monster.

 

And that is what growing your business is - a monster! You can't successfully grow your business without a plan and knowing you will have the cash on hand to pay for the growth.


Book of the Month

Are you selling something or persuading the customer? With your employees are you repeatedly telling that employee or are you persuading them to excel?

 

Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Ciaidini is our suggested book for March 2026. Most definitely an appropriate read.

All this plus the Internet Tool for Your Business and a staff incentive idea for your business.

BOOK US

With over 25 years of frontline experience Tom Shay is America's leading Small Business Management Expert. He's a "Must Have" for your next event.

Small Business

Advisories

Every time I see the logo for Target stores, I think about small businesses and the need to know which people to target as their customers. Of course, of most importance is the person who has spent any money with your business.

 

I ask businesses if they know how much the average person spends with their business. Most offer a quick response with a dollar amount. That answer is incorrect as they are telling me what the average existing customer is spending. The average person in any community spends no money with that small business.

 

Looking for new customers without any plan of how to do so is just spending money. That is why every small business needs to know how to find and use information. Find ideas in the March Small Business Advisory.

Small Business

News

 

Top Story

Employee retention; is it important? Or is it easier to lose an employee and wait for the next applicant to walk in the door? The Small Business News for March shares some statistics of the expense you incur when you make the change instead of working to retain a current employee.


Article of the Month

It is baseball season and we use the sport as an explanation of the cost of growing your business. In Boston's Fenway Park, left field has a wall that is know as the green monster.

 

And that is what growing your business is - a monster! You can't successfully grow your business without a plan and knowing you will have the cash on hand to pay for the growth.


Book of the Month

Are you selling something or persuading the customer? With your employees are you repeatedly telling that employee or are you persuading them to excel?

 

Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Ciaidini is our suggested book for March 2026. Most definitely an appropriate read.

 

All this plus the Internet Tool for Your Business and a staff incentive idea for your business.