Aside from our own designs, I’ve toured countless dispensaries both in new markets and established ones throughout the US. Although many of them are beautiful to the eye (and some not so much), in the end, it’s not a fashion show. The goal is to be effective and profitable. Which is why I’m shocked at how seldom I see an effectively designed waiting room; one that recognizes that each area of the dispensary as an opportunity. No matter how much is invested in this space, it should always remain dedicated to three objectives: education, sales and marketing.
In Recognition of Design
Before I describe the opportunities to be developed in an effective waiting area, I have to state the obvious, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” From the moment any client walks through the door, they should feel welcome and validated. They are not visiting a prisoner in jail and they are not taking out a “payday loan,” so don’t allow them to feel as if they are entering into anything shady. Comfortable lighting (natural, if it’s available) and furnishings, along with casual music and light aromas (just “clean” would do nicely), set a tone of “Hello, glad you’ve stopped in.” Whether the chosen style is “Hipster,” “Comfy” or “Clinical,” choose furnishings that are inviting and comfortable. And be sure to provide beverages and reading material choices. Although you don’t intend for them to camp out, you want them comfortable enough to focus on your marketing, sales and educational efforts instead of the clock, how long they’ve been on their feet, or whether they will catch something from what they touch. Now, about those opportunities I mentioned…
The Power of Waiting (And Why You Want Them to Wait)
MO regulation 19c-30-95 states that all clients must enter through one access point and that there will be no cannabis in this area. When they enter this access point, however, the education process begins and choices about their purchases are already beginning to form. In the first year of legalization, it’s likely that 90% or more of clients will not have experience with the myriad of choices they are about to be exposed to. The waiting area can 1) introduce them to the potentials at a scale that will not overwhelm them, 2) begin to build a vernacular for understanding the complexity of marijuana options and 3) empower them to take charge of the process. This better prepares them to make successful choices once they are introduced to their budtender and enter the dispensary.
Education (This is Your Brain on Marijuana)
Create a library space and stock it with topical books that are (you guessed it) for sale. It’s best not to overwhelm clients so choose 3 or 4 well-written books on a few subjects, display them on a nice shelf unit to create a vibe more like a comfortable living room or their own homes. Video displays are critical to catching the eye with educational content such as explaining the seed-to-sale process, giving the history of cannabis, explaining the consultation process and revealing the effects of various strains. Or, make it fun with myth-busting trivia. Although cannabis is prohibited in the waiting area, empty product packaging is not. Create a sealed display wall with product packaging to introduce the potentials to your clients. Combine product displays with museum-style exhibit pieces that reinforce the industry’s long-standing history. And, if you will be providing seminars/talks/educational events at your location, make sure that information is available in flyers and pamphlets, in a nice stand near the door, not laying on the table, for the client to take with them.
Sales (More than THC)
In the end, this is what it’s all about, right? The two main items that can be sold in the waiting area (i.e., without a medical-ID card) are accessories and merchandise. But the promotion of products in the waiting area doesn’t end there. As mentioned before, product packaging and menu boards can be used to highlight deals, promotions and high-margin inventory as well as introduce brand names, whether in-house or sourced. Video boards, rich with photos and video content, are versatile enough to reflect the latest inventory changes or the “daily special.” The variety of offerings will immerse the client in the possibilities but the true depth of SKUs should be reserved for the showroom where the budtender will narrow appropriate choices. Displaying accessories in the waiting room area reduces visual clutter in the showroom and introduces new clients to potential ways to consume. From vaporizers to electric dab rings, sophisticated accessories now go well beyond the headshop days of plastic bongs and glass. I was once in a tiny dispensary that was fighting for space in the showroom to display what was actually just a fraction of their 90+ pages of SKUs. It was almost impossible to focus and, yet, behind the counter and right at eye level were t-shirts and hats. Although it’s a vital offering, merch should not clutter the visual horizon in the showroom and is ideal for the waiting room. Books, videos, art, and other lifestyle accessories appeal not just to clients, but to friends and family waiting patiently in, yup, the waiting room. Yes, of course, this is all house (and vendors’) branded merch. Best of all, these sales occur without compliance issues or tying up your valued budtenders while endorsing your brand.
Marketing (Almost Free)
Building brand recognition is a strategic actualization of message, market, imagery and sociology. Once formulated, effective campaigns may utilize a gumbo of tools and methods but, saturation (frequency and reach) is the primary goal. Clients will want to take photos inside and out. Great! But there are a number of restrictions regarding the content of those photos. Give them a safe space to take a selfie by creating a destination-worthy statement piece in your waiting area. This can be a decorative fixture/sculpture, lighting element, floor mosaic or feature wall; something iconic and worth sharing. Word can spread quickly with social media and it is one of the best tools for brand awareness. When there is something photo worthy where people are waiting, it begs to be posted to Instagram. “Instagrammable” moments, Facebook Live, fresh Tweets, Snapchats or the latest, like TikTok, will happen and are likely to become the centerpiece of your social media efforts.
Nothing is more effective in marketing a dispensary than its people. In the end, they will make or break the client experience. Place your best person in the waiting area as a “receptionist.” Make sure that they acknowledge each new client, call them by their name, offer them a seat/beverage/reading material and point out the deal of the day. They can answer general questions about products, offer to place the client on the mailing list and in the “preferred customer program,” walk them through the exhibit, volunteer to take their picture with your feature wall and, on the way out, verify their satisfaction, order accuracy and invite them back. While professional and courteous client interactions are paramount throughout their experience, the first and last impressions will be the ones they hold on to.
Perceptions and attitudes are set within the first 5 steps inside the front door. For first-time patrons, those first 5 steps are often accompanied by some degree of anxiety. Getting frisked at the front door before walking over to an unattended bulletproof window, ringing a bell for service only to be asked to take a seat on a folding chair in an empty room is no way to relieve those anxieties. (it sounds exaggerated, I know, but I’ve been in waiting areas like this.) The waiting room is a microcosm of the larger dispensary and should not be relegated to the status of “required area for processing clients.” Take steps to maximize the educational, sales and marketing opportunities it presents and put your best foot forward.
Read more about the Customer Waiting Room Experience from Leafly here.
Written by: Steve Eddy, Principal
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