The best budtenders do these things really well
We all know the traits and practices that make a good salesman, bartender, or banker, but what makes a good cannabis budtender? After all, the budtender position hasn’t been around very long, and pharmacies aren’t nearly as common as a bank or bar.
To build our perfect staff for weird science-style cannabis dispensaries, we reached out to a handful of Canada’s leading cannabis retailers to find out what they were looking for when staffing their stores.
Here are five things the best budtenders all do well.
1. You are not playing doctor
A business operating as a licensed “leisure” location will continue to receive medical and scientific questions from customers. If someone walks into a Dutch Love store and asks about products for their chronic back pain or headache, their staff won’t pass off their advice as medical advice, says Stuart Ryan, the company’s director of recruitment, training and development.
“When a customer comes to us for help with a specific medical condition, we advise our sales reps to start with a disclaimer: ‘I’m not a doctor, so I can’t offer medical advice,'” he says.
“This sets the tone for the conversation and removes any kind of expectation that the employee can cure these ailments with a referral.”
“By making consumers aware of the standard effects of terpenes and cannabinoids, we empower them to make their own informed choices and ultimately decide their own treatment plan.”
– Stuart Ryan, Director of Recruitment, Training and Development at Dutch Love
But while budtenders should never play doctor, they can play teacher. In other words, it’s about education, not prescription. Conveying important information about cannabis strains and products makes the buying process less daunting for the customer.
2. They know what they’re selling
You wouldn’t expect your bartender to be downing bottle after bottle of whiskey in his spare time, but it’s nice to know she’s tasted the drinks she mixes for you, isn’t it?
According to Adam Greenblatt, head of business development at Canopy Growth, executives at Tokyo Smoke and Tweed encourage salespeople to develop a personal understanding and appreciation for the cannabis products they sell.
“An educated palate is key to being a good budtender, and many budtenders call on it when it comes to properly describing the taste and aroma of cannabis,” he says.
The most direct way to develop the understanding and slang needed to effectively romanticize the nuances of cannabis for buyers is to try a wide variety, says Keenan Hall, store manager at Kiaro in Vancouver. But it’s not the only way.
“To be a good budtender, you need to be able to talk about the experiences that come from different strains, terpenes, and products. One of the best ways to do this is through personal experimentation (hard work, I know). It’s tremendously helpful when matching a customer’s needs to your products when you can base your recommendations on first-hand experience. Of course, there will be limitations on how much you can try in person, which is why sharing strain reviews with your sales team is crucial.”
– Adam Greenblatt, head of business development at Canopy Growth
3. They understand their customers
As sales godfather Dale Carnegie famously wrote, “A person’s name is the sweetest and most important sound in any language to that person.” All sales are about human connections, so developing positive and honest relationships with customers (and their name) is crucial.
“Great budtenders connect with a variety of people and build strong relationships through those connections,” says Nathan Noble, National Manager of Retail and Training at Spiritleaf. “It doesn’t end with a single transaction.”
Remembering key points about loyal customers transforms the customer experience by building trust and relationship. Whether it’s remembering strain preferences, favorite consumption methods, or just remembering their name, it sets the best budtenders apart from the rest.
4. They promote conscious consumption
Remind the client to “start low and go slow,” says Hall. Cannabis is still a relatively new experience for many consumers and should be treated with respect.
“Whether your customer is a new cannabis user or a canasseur, providing them with a positive, safe, and comfortable cannabis experience should be a top priority,” says Hall.
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“Everyone knows someone who has overdone it due to impatience or a misunderstanding of a product’s potency, so it’s important to remind customers to start with a smaller portion and wait until they feel the full effects before using take more.”
5. Stay up to date with evolving legislation
With a multitude of ever-changing regional and local regulations, it is important for cannabis retailers to understand both the products they sell and the regulatory and social ecosystem in which they sell them.
“Great budtenders are always up to date with new innovations, products and regulations in the industry,” says Noble. “This offers tremendous value to consumers looking for the most up-to-date information. It also gives them the opportunity to be leaders among their peers and expand the knowledge and understanding of everyone within the retail location.”
A firm understanding of the regulations is a good selling point for individual brands while also helping to advance the cannabis issue in general.
“The stigma behind cannabis is real, and lawfully purchasing from a retailer is still a gray area for new and regular consumers alike,” said Francesco Caruso, Branch Manager, Choom Cannabis Co.
“Knowing how the retail market works in terms of customer service, presentation and execution will surely make you an excellent budtender.”
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