We often associate the single call-to-action with email marketing, but we should also consider this in the store at check-out. When you are ringing out a customer do you mention the current sale? Upcoming events? Saturday’s storytime? Do you try to mention them all?

Instead of trying to promote many broad items through a narrow time window, try to reverse the direction. The “in” with the customer might be narrow, but the “action” should be broad. Here are some examples:

• Narrow “in”: Suzy is 3? She might enjoy our storytime on Saturday.
• Broad “action”: We have the schedule and planned activities posted on our website. Here’s a bookmark with our web address.

• Narrow “in”: Your book club is reading Four Seasons in Rome? We have Anthony Doerr coming to the store next month for All the Light We Cannot See.
• Broad “action”: We have the event schedule and more information on his books posted on our website. Here’s a bookmark with our web address.

• Narrow “in”: You’re new to town? You might be interested in one of our book clubs.
• Broad “action”: All of our clubs, the meeting times, and what they’re reading are listed on our website. Here’s a bookmark with our web address.

I’m sure you catch where I’m going with this. Focus customer attention on whatever form of communication works best for you. Is your store’s website your strength? Send customers to it by making the web address your center of attention. Do you post events and links to Facebook? Encourage your customers to like your page and engage. Is everything covered in the bookstore newsletter? Ask customers to subscribe.

Take 300 seconds to do a self-audit. What do you do really well? Now tell people about it.