A great budtender is the best thing to happen to your dispensary. Your budtender, sales associate, or customer service representative, whichever you call them, acts as the face of your business. When a customer or patient comes into your cannabis dispensary they might even request a specific person to help them. When customers or patients do this take note- that budtender is your revenue booster. The Redbud Advisors team has expert advice on why budtenders are a cannabis dispensary’s secret weapon to increase revenue.
Great Budtenders really display three basic skills that attract customers and patients and help increase revenue.
Knowledge
Personality
Sales
A Budtender’s Knowledge
When you go into a specialty store looking for something you understand very little about and that person assists you, explains everything in detail, and all of a sudden you have more of an understanding than before. Well, that is exactly what a budtender does for a dispensary. They educate customers and patients about cannabis products and laws the customer is to abide by.
A budtender being well versed in the inventory that your business offers is key. Let's face it, that's no easy task. When your business is selling edibles, live resin, cartridges, flower, and everything in between, there is a ton of information to process.
Aside from being knowledgeable about the actual cannabis products, a budtender is educated about compliance with the local laws in the area surrounding cannabis- recreational and/or medical.
Having a well-trained budtender is a must. You have to realize, most people who do not work in the cannabis industry aren’t as informed on the ins and outs of cannabis products and how they actually work.
Budtenders communicate information to patients and customers about the various forms of cannabis, the effects of different strains, how THC and CBD levels create different effects, and educate on legalities.
An informed budtender can help your customer find what's right for them, helping build trust, and for your dispensary, a loyal customer.
A Brilliant Personality
Budtenders being knowledgeable is an ideal trait. But having a brilliant personality combined with product knowledge, as well as legal knowledge will set them apart.
Patients and customers, especially new ones, could potentially feel intimidated, overwhelmed, and put on the spot. If the person who assists them is not welcoming, kind, or helpful it is very likely those patients/customers will no longer want to deal with that specific budtender or worse, take their business somewhere else.
A great budtender, your secret weapon, will have a brilliant personality. They will be personable and welcoming to all the customers, getting to know them, and their needs. This person will get feedback from the patients and customers to use for future recommendations and to potentially help advise other shoppers. If possible, they will give personal experience as well as facts about the product all while listening to the patient or customer.
In your dispensary, you want the customers and patients to feel welcomed, educated, and listened to. This will ensure you have a steady stream of regulars.
The Art Form of Upselling
Just about every business under the sun wants to upsell its customers. This contributes to higher revenue. Upselling isn’t for the weak. It truly is an art form.
The first step in upselling is knowing the business. A budtender will be well versed in the operations of the dispensary- this is how they will be able to successfully entice the buyer into more products. This could be by utilizing a promotion or sale happening. Or it could be the knowledge of a brand-new product that just hit the inventory floor.
The next step in upselling is knowing or getting to know the patient or customer. In most cases, a budtender is very aware of who the regulars are. Building this rapport will create trust and this will go a long way in upselling.
The final step is putting it all together- the knowledge, the brilliant personality, and the rapport with the patient/customer. Once a budtender has done this it will make upselling a breeze. Maybe even getting that regular to step outside their comfort zone and try something they have been hesitant about.
Conclusion
The people hired to represent your cannabis dispensary can dictate the outcome of how successful your business is. Having the right person at your point of sale can impact your sales, better or worse. The right budtender is your secret weapon and the wrong person is your downfall if left in the position for too long.
Budtenders build relationships with your customers/patients by providing the highest level of service. They educate about cannabis products, especially the specific inventory on hand. A budtender will be accommodating to the needs of patients and customers by guiding them to products that meet their needs and offering other products that will be a good fit too.
Redbud Advisors is a full-service cannabis accounting firm assisting businesses in all verticals from the inception of a business to the upkeep. If you need any assistance in any area we are here.
