3 Ways To Be An Effective Dispensary Managers

Managing a dispensary is a challenging profession. Not only are you expected to manage incoming traffic, keep up with cannabis-related news, deal with employee issues and ensure that every customer has the perfect experience and finds the right cannabis product with your help. It is a long list, and it can prove to be difficult over time.

One of the reasons many dispensary managers face these challenges related to staff sales training. Without effective training, problems start to crop up. However, the reason behind the challenge might also lie in the way you are engaging with employees.

Your budtenders need to feel engaged and excited while striking a balance between accountability. Though this might take time to implement, you will see the difference in the overall customer experience and sales volume if you are able to create this atmosphere.

So how do you do this? Here are some tips to start with

Display empathy

One of the biggest differences in management style relates to empathy. Being a manager means that you must be able to listen to both customers and employees in a rational, calm manner without getting overly emotional.

However, you must also illustrate that you understand them. Employees do not want to feel like no one listens or no one cares. Look for ways to encourage employee feedback, whether during meetings or simply an informal conversation.

Show that you understand why they are raising the problem, and think of ways to implement solutions that employees might suggest. Even if not all of the issues are worth changing the existing processes for, employees are far more engaged if they know their manager understands them.

Establish processes for accountability

No business is immune to accountability measures, and the cannabis industry is no exception. While employees need to understand that you are on their side, they must also know that there are measures in place for accountability. During heavy traffic times, crazy sales, and other retail issues, it is easy to get lost in the work and let things slide. However, that ends up being more ineffective and can end up being costly.

Cannabis retail entails a deep knowledge about products, the customer experience, and matching up the right product for the right customer. Similarly, your accountability measures must be based on this same level of professionalism.

Your operations and sales process must have checks and balances in place to ensure that employees are following core customer promises and same with the accounting process. And for disputes and employment issues, always ensure that you have HR policies in place to protect your dispensary and give employees a third party that can mitigate issues.

Always strive to create a positive work culture

Cannabis sales require a great deal of patience and enthusiasm from budtenders, and in order to cultivate this, there must be a positive work culture in place. Think about ways to celebrate the great work your employees are doing, the great customer experiences they provide, and the vast knowledge they bring to the table. It might be something as simple as doing an occasional work lunch or celebrating achievements of the week.

You could also establish measures to demonstrate more transparency during meetings, or vocalizing employee feedback that has been implemented in the dispensary. Creating a culture where employees feel valued, important, and like they matter takes time, but it creates a better working environment overall.

Use your resources to build a dispensary experience that customers rave about, especially when it comes to customer service. Your employees are an essential part of the operation, so make sure that sentiment is conveyed. Whether it is through fun activities, professional development, or other measures, being an effective dispensary manager rests on creating an experience that both customers and your budtenders love.

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