There is a fine balance to be struck when creating a selling environment in the waiting room. After all, most people would rather not wait in a shop, or shop in a waiting room. In other words, you don't want to put your clients off coming to the practice for medical care, because they're being made to wait in a room that has more in common with a supermarket aisle.

So you need to think of your clients needs from different perspectives: the person waiting for medical care for their pet (the waiter), and the potential shopper.

People's needs as shoppers are different to their needs as 'waiters'. So ideally, you should create clear 'zones' within the practice which cater for these separate needs: the reception zone, a waiting zone and a retail zone. You might also add a children's zone.

Zones can be created on a large or small scale. A retail zone might just be one corner of the waiting room. The point is that clients are clear what it is, and it looks professional.

In each zone, create an environment that is going to meet all of your client's needs while they're in it, and maximise opportunities for the practice.