3 Reasons Why Budtenders Need More Than Just Cannabis Product Education

Sales training is an essential part of any business, and the cannabis industry is no exception to this. With the industry going through regulatory and policy fluctuations, it is essential that budtenders are able to weather these tides and still provide customers with the information, knowledge, and firsthand experience necessary to create a comfortable selling environment.

Cannabis sales are highly dependent on a budtender’s personal knowledge, and the way that is conveyed can really make a difference in overall sales. If budtenders are confident in their selling abilities as well as their product education, it creates a killer combination that can take sales to the next level.

Here are three reasons why it is absolutely essential that budtenders have more than just cannabis product education.

Budtenders are there to create an experience

The first and foremost thing to remember is that budtenders are creating an experience for the customers. Whether these are returning users, or someone trying for the first time, they are asking the budtender to guide them on their journey.

If budtenders are not able to confidently convey what makes products so unique from one another, or why customers are better off with certain selections, then the product education falls short. Sales are dependent on the ability to close, and that comes with both practice and training – not solely product education.

Selling is difficult if budtenders do not focus on the customers

Many budtenders are so focused on pushing products out the door, that they often forget to keep the customer experience front and center. Not all budtenders understand that product education is not enough to be an effective salesman. With the right training and knowledge, budtenders can focus on the customer to understand exactly what they need.

Rather than the focus being only on products, budtender must keep the customer journey front and center during the sales process. Products and ratios are a huge part of the selling experience, but without understanding the customer, that education will not be as powerful in sales.

This is partly mitigated by creating the right experience and atmosphere, but it is also accomplished by engaging with the customer more. This enables them to show off their product education, but also hone in on their selling abilities to improve their overall selling style.

Budtenders that trust their own abilities sell better

Confidence is key. This is alluded to in the earlier points, but it really does deserve individual attention. Product education is only half of the selling process, it is also about the budtender themselves and how they present themselves to customers. If budtenders are not confident in their own abilities to sell, or if they feel like they have not had adequate training, it can hamper their selling capabilities.

Product education can provide some level of confidence, but there needs to be training in place on how to leverage that education into making customers feel comfortable, creating the right experience, and matching products to the right customer. New products are constantly being introduced, and new customers and demographics are joining the fold in faster paces. Keeping up is hard, but the right training is crucial in helping budtenders gain more confidence overall, and trust their own selling abilities to really take sales to the next level.

At the end of the day, sales can be challenging for budtenders both experienced and new. Investing in their training is just as vital as providing cannabis product education because one cannot really thrive without the other. Budtenders that are able to blend their training and education together are able to create a customer experience that is truly unrivaled, and can really help set your products and inventory apart in an increasingly competitive market.

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