Tips Budtenders Can Use to Bolster Revenue

BY Tatiana Melendez

Budtender, cannabarista, or weed sommelier. Whatever you call the person behind the counter, you need their help when shopping at a medical marijuana dispensary or cannabis store. Good budtenders do more than serve and package your goods.

They are the face of your domain (dispensary). Customers willing to pay the higher prices and business providers wanting to make legalization work both want to step back from the stoner stigma by providing education and experience; Who better else to do that then than your local budtender?

Budtenders are the face of a dispensary marketing effort. They could potentially make OR break the dispensary.

Let's investigate this role in the industry. In most cases, a budtender's work begins before the business opens. They labor at removing products from vaults and setting them up in display cases.

They handle repeated customer relations, some of them difficult, might I add, and they manage point-of-sale systems and process the revenue.

Most importantly, they build relationships. Medical or recreational marijuana use regularly brings the consumer back to the business even though it is not addictive. In most situations, they deal with a budtender one-on-one, which presents an opportunity to build a solid relationship.

Consumers who are open to relationship building will come to trust their budtender on advice on product and usage. Research proves that as competition in the cannabis and marijuana markets increases, the keys to success for any canna-business point to operational efficiency, quality assurance, regulatory compliance, market penetration, and customer service.

We can all agree that in any business, customer service sets the tone for the store, and every business owner wishes to have a great person at upselling, so how can we mesh them together?

By educating ALL parties (owner, budtenders, and patients) more about the ins and outs of cannabis. In other words, reaching the right people with the right message at the right time. Here are some helpful tips budtenders can be used to bolster revenue:

Image.

Budtenders set the standard of professionalism and customer service. That image requires good grooming, personality, and warmth. As a patient, you have the right to expect them to be good listeners and congenial conversationalists.

Expertise.

Patients need expert information on products and informed advice on use. While some of that knowledge comes from experience with the products, the best budtenders can demonstrate proof of formal training and individual studies.

Responsible.

Regulations require formal lessons and certifications on compliance issues like checking for identification, maintaining location safety and security, and protecting consumer interests.

Inventory.

Customers have various interests, and it is helpful if budtenders grasp inventory, including vaping, edibles, concentrates, topicals, and more. They must know the brands and how they differ. They must understand the weight standards, potency, and preferred usage. And, of course, they must have extensive knowledge of cannabis strains, seeds, and flowers.

Cannabis dispensary customers are as diverse as they come: young, old, experienced, brand new to the plant, and everything in between. A budtender must go above and beyond; they provide quality service,

What any run-of-the-mill customer service employee is expected to do. Studies show that cannabis has become more "mainstream" and available to one in three Americans in the last few years. Yet, most cannabis consumers are not educated enough to buy the right products for their needs.

Apart from poor experiences, this can lead to an unhealthy consumption. And no one wants that. As a result, the patient might think twice about going back to your shop.

What can canna-business owners do to support their budtenders? Besides educating them on the product and medical benefits, here are some tips to consider:

* Create an environment for its clients that feels at home, inviting, and welcoming. *Provide convenience, with online orders available for pickup and a simple, easy peruse website. *Have a rewards system available for loyal customers. *Focus on finding a tailored plan to help loyal patients find the best remedy for their individual needs. *Strategic marketing. *Take care of your employee's needs.

Few things are as ubiquitous in the modern-day as social media. The dominance of social media to reach people and shape culture in every sphere, including entertainment, sports, and politics, is undeniable. This also holds for businesses and marketing.

Get this, A consumer survey done in 2019 showed 76% of consumers have purchased a product they have seen in a social media post, and 44% have purchased items they have seen on a brand's social media post. A year later, in 2020, the average daily social media use by people around the world was upward of three to four hours per day. Think about that number in terms of ad time.

Think about how many moments you must get your messages, products, services, solutions, and brand identity in front of specific audiences! However, since cannabis is still illegal at the federal level, platforms such as Facebook have decisively said that they do not support the cannabis or hemp industries. At the other end of the spectrum is LinkedIn, which has fully embraced the cannabis sector as not just an industry, but they've recognized it to be culturally relevant.

Then there is Instagram. Instagram marketing has worked well for many of us in the cannabis industry, but the seemingly random shutting down of accounts has been a real issue for many brands – and influencers. You also have to be careful with what influencers you choose because what they do whether good or bad reflects of your brand.

How can canna-business owners bypass these strict media rules? Your budtenders.

All audiences have grown savvier, and they have access to a multitude of content coming at them at warp speed. They have their style of displaying content based on their beautiful personalities.

They attract various groups and different communities. Talk to your budtenders and ask them who their audience is.

It will help you engage with the target audience, which is a big key in this industry. More engaging - less promoting. Budtenders can also provide examples of educational, entertaining, and engaging content including tutorials, research, and behind-the-scenes glimpses of your company that increase trust in your brand.

How, you ask? Word-of-mouth recommendations from a trusted source, whether a friend or an incredible influencer with a lifestyle that consumers desire, is among the best marketing forms. This same approach applies to reaching people via traditional media or even in person.

While things are changing more than ever now, there is no telling when social media will be a little relaxed about cannabis. However, if you are persistent and imaginative, there are still some ways to use social media to your brand's advantage and growth.

As the cannabis industry continues to expand across the country and worldwide, more people are interested in getting involved and innovating from behind the scenes. We must patiently wait while enjoying the clouds.