The cannabis industry continues to gain legitimacy across the country and with that, comes the challenges of integrating a formerly black market business into the legitimate economy. Obviously the traditional methods of selling cannabis products are far removed from the days of old. We now have dispensaries connecting consumers with an array of cannabis products. How does one get their products into those dispensaries? Here are a few tricks to selling weed like a pro:
Identify With Your Prospective Dispensary
This is critical. You must easily and quickly be able to get to the heart of what the dispensary needs and values. Asking high value, sometimes tough questions will help identify the problems a dispensary is currently trying to solve. Perhaps they are lacking in a particular variety of cannabis product. While you may have a host of offerings, getting to the root of what they actually need is crucial to sales success. By identifying crucial needs, you are no longer a salesperson – you are a problem solver.
Practice Good Listening Skills
Take note of the following quote: We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak. While this quote is originally attributed to the Greek philosopher Epictetus, it’s been repeated with gusto through generations and for good reason: as soon as you begin talking you cease listening. Dial down the ‘sales pitch’ and listen to what people are actually trying to tell you. You could be speaking to the wrong person or spending way too long talking about a product that has no relevance to their consumers. Pay attention to how much talking you’re doing. If you catch yourself over-talking, stop explaining and start asking. A probing question followed by solid listening will get you further than the best elevator pitch.
Appreciate Your Product
Really get to know your product and what makes it stand out. Sometimes you will only have mere moments of a dispensary’s time and you need to be able to concisely share why consumers will want your product and what sets it apart from the rest. You should be well prepared to answer any product questions you are asked quickly and concisely. Much like the listening skills mentioned above, a long winded showcase of your product isn’t likely to win over a prospective dispensary, a concise explanation will. In kind, you also need to be aware of your product’s competition and how your product compares. This is not an invitation to knock another product, but to appreciate what makes yours so special and how it can fill a need the dispensary has.
Keep Detailed Records
During your exploration of a potential dispensary, it may become apparent that you do not have the solutions to their immediate needs and that’s OK, it happens. When faced with objections or a sales impasse, it’s crucial that you do not check out. Continue to learn about this prospect, what motivates them, what drives them, and what solutions they need both now and in the future. Solutions may unfold in the future that you can now capitalize upon. Alternatively, many brands appreciate learning about the needs of their customers. Notate all the decision makers and people you spoke with. Information fills your arsenal for sales tomorrow, even if you don’t get the sale today.
Always Keep In Touch
Relationships need nurturing and that’s essentially what sales is: building relationships with potential customers. All customers, either established or potential ones, should receive contact from you regularly. Focus on your past experiences with them to check in on how they are doing, provide new solutions as you uncover them, or share with them a relevant piece of information. Contact should be brief and useful, but the most relevant component is consistency. By fostering your relationships on a regular basis you are establishing trust and community, something that is critically important, especially in a community minded business such as cannabis. Keep in touch and they will respond in kind.
Gone are the days of black market sales and we are in a new age of regulated sales. While this is a welcome change, it definitely takes the aspect for the sales relationship to another level. If your brand needs help with sales and service, contact Social Media Unicorn and let us help.
“Without warning, Twitter recently instituted a ‘sensitive content’ filter that is automatically turned on for all users, and the settings to disable it are hidden”, states a Change.org petition, started by Marijuana Majority. “As a result, queries for topics that Twitter has designated “sensitive” yield zero results on the search tab for latest tweets.”
“I appreciate that you do not allow pharmaceutical sales or the sales of illegal substances, but we are a licensed cannabis extraction product sending our weekly menu to inventory control managers at licensed cannabis dispensaries in the state of Nevada. Since medical marijuana is currently legal in 32 states and the District of Columbia, we’d be pretty surprised if you consider medical marijuana products to be illegal.”