Budtenders as Brand Advocates: 4 Key Product Details They Need to Boost Your Sales

Cannabis brands that enhance budtender education sell more products and create loyal customers.

Budtenders are the unsung heroes of the entire cannabis industry. They’re the ones who put products into the hands of consumers, answer endless questions, and tell your brand story to the shoppers who are most likely to become raving fans.

A knowledgeable budtender can tell customers why YOUR solutions are the best, why YOUR brand is unique, and how to get the most out of YOUR products… but only if you’ve given them access to that information. This is even more important considering that consumers often turn to budtenders for cannabis education. 

So, how are you pitching your products to them?

Mintel data has found that “84% of users like to learn about cannabis from dispensaries. Indeed, many find the category intimidating, confusing and even embarrassing.”¹ This creates an opportunity for brands to equip budtenders with information that can increase consumer confidence and grow brand loyalty through storytelling. 

Whether providing dispensary teams with sell sheets, in-person training, or online educational opportunities, brands will increase revenue and consumer satisfaction by providing comprehensive product information to budtenders. 

Read on and discover the four key product features budtenders need to understand about YOUR products to sell more and create loyal customers.

WHAT Are Your Cannabis Products?

This may seem overly simple, but it’s where many conversations between budtenders and customers start. While every transaction can be unique, budtenders need to know what product details are the most important to their customer (consumption method, ingredients, potency, etc.). This helps them narrow down their recommendations to find the right product to meet their unique needs.

So, how do you help budtenders recommend YOUR product? It starts by telling budtenders WHAT your product is:

• What is the product type (flower, vape, edible, etc.)?
• What ingredients does it include?
• What methods were used to manufacture your product?
• What makes your products unique?
• What type(s) of extracts are in your products?
• What are some complementary products (glass, papers, batteries, etc.)?

Factual product information is vital, particularly in an industry where consumer experiences vary. Budtenders sometimes have to rely on personal product experiences or feedback from other customers, which can be subjective. Giving budtenders specifics like this makes their job a lot easier and gives them more confidence recommending your products

WHO Should Use Your Cannabis Products?

From here, let’s talk about WHO is most likely to enjoy your products. Are your products geared towards new users, older consumers, on-the-go professionals, athletes, etc.? Ok, great! Now… why? What is it about that group of people that makes your products a good match for them? 

While answering these questions may be relatively simple for YOU, none of it matters if budtenders can’t match your products to your intended audience. When you tell budtenders WHO your product is for, it becomes much easier for them to recommend your products to the right customers.

Put more simply, TELL budtenders WHO to sell your products to. Tell them what kind of lifestyle your customer may lead, what activities they may engage in, and what effects they may want. 

While it can be tempting to say your products are for “everyone,” helping budtenders identify your ideal customer helps get your products in the right hands. This makes it easier to deliver on brand promises, which builds trust and credibility. That trust is the foundation for developing a loyal customer base to cement your brand’s corner of the market. The customer is everything, so make sure budtenders know WHO your products are intended for.

For example, imagine a customer is interested in a vape product to use before exercising at the gym. In this instance, a budtender knows which product type (vape) they want. Through context clues, they also know that this customer is interested in fitness and is likely looking for a product that promotes stimulating effects. 

Budtender: I’ve got a couple of regulars who like using these vapes before hitting the gym since they’re so stimulating. 

If a brand has communicated that their target customer likes engaging in high-energy activities, the budtender can easily make this connection and recommend that brand’s products. 

Customer-related buzzwords are a great way to help budtenders make those quick associations. For example, words like “energetic” or “outdoors” can help budtenders connect that brand with shoppers who express an interest in fitness or hiking, while another brand focusing on words like “peaceful” or “calming” would be a better fit for shoppers looking for ways to relax before bed.   

WHEN And WHERE Should Customers Use Your Cannabis Products?

The above scenario brings up another essential factor — occasion! There are so many different cannabis products with different potencies and effects, and some of them are going to be more effective and/or enjoyable in specific settings.

Conveying this information is straightforward. Simply explain WHEN and WHERE your products will be most effective and/or enjoyable. The last thing you want are negative reviews all because consumers used your products at an inopportune time.

Let’s take another look at the above scenario. The budtender was able to recommend a product that fit what the customer asked for, but they can also recommend additional products based on the occasion (i.e., the gym).

Budtender: I also have a topical for sore muscle relief. Are you interested in something like that for gym recovery?

In this scenario, they could recommend the topical because the brand explained that their customers often enjoy their products for post-gym recovery. If the budtender hadn’t received that information from the brand, they never would have known to recommend it since the customer never mentioned topicals in the first place.

It can be about the time of day, the physical setting, or types of events. This info is particularly important for products formulated for daytime versus evening use. Mixing these up means the consumer will have the exact opposite effect they wanted, so make sure budtenders understand which time of day and occasion your products are best suited for. Recommending the wrong product for the wrong occasion can decrease the likelihood of a repeat purchase.

Budtender: If you’re looking for pre-rolls for that party, I recommend this one. It’s designed for socializing, so it’s great for house parties or barbecues. 

HOW To Use Your Cannabis Products

It doesn’t matter how straightforward you think your product is; tell budtenders HOW your products are meant to be used or consumed. Your customers will likely ask budtenders this question, so it’s vital they understand all the necessary procedures involved in your product. When budtenders can clearly explain how to use your products, it helps consumers feel less intimidated and more confident. 

Depending on the specific product type, this could include information like:

• How to consume your products (combustion, ingestion)?
• How to use your products (are additional accessories required)?
• How to refill your products?
• How to change the settings on your products?
• How to safely discard your products?

This is particularly important for products intended for novice cannabis users, who could mistakenly think “budder” goes on toast. It’s also valuable for new product types that even long-time consumers won’t know how to use. 

For example, when Dablicator™ pens first entered the market, they were intended to make dispensing oil easier and more efficient, but confusion around HOW to use these products made consumers slow to adopt them. It wasn’t until brands began providing instructions and training materials that budtenders could educate customers on them. Only then did Dablicator™ pens find their corner of the market. 

Just as you wouldn’t want your products to receive a poor review because a consumer used them at the wrong time, you don’t want them misjudged because consumers didn’t know how to use them properly. Providing this information helps customers avoid wasting the product and their money. In some cases, it can even help avoid accidental injury.

While much of this information likely seemed straightforward to YOU, it’s all about communicating it to dispensary agents and budtenders so they can more easily recommend your products to the right customers. 

Seed Talent | Advance Your Cannabis Brand

The path to a brighter cannabis future involves welcoming, knowledgeable retail spaces where customers feel empowered to find the right product for their needs. That means giving budtenders the necessary information to recommend your brand to the right consumers while ensuring they have the best possible experience with your products. 

One of the leading platforms for providing education to dispensaries and budtenders is Seed Talent. Join the hundreds of cannabis brands already gaining budtender brand advocates by developing training and incentives through this platform.

As an added bonus, Seed Talent provides FREE access to Abstrax Academy to provide science-backed professional development courses for anyone wanting to further their cannabis careers. 

Click the link below, join the Abstrax Academy community, AND test out Seed Talent’s basic offerings to discover if it’s the right platform for YOU to reach America’s frontline dispensary workforce.

Join Abstrax Academy for FREE today!

1. DiGirolamo, Vince. (2024, December 31). Cannabis Retail: Positioning and Marketing – US – 2024. [Market Report]. Mintel. https://www.mintel.com/ 

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