In the cannabis industry, analytics can play a role for everything from seed to sale. For growers, a business intelligence solution can provide actionable information regarding every variable of the cultivation process. Distributor data can help track inventory. There is data that can help an organization stay on top of regulatory requirements. Retailers have a number of areas where they can take advantage of the data.
One of the most important parts of the retail process is the role of the budtender. Budtenders can have a huge impact on sales data…and there is also data that can help an organization keep track of budtender performance. Here’s what makes a good budtender, and how data can play a part in the success of that job.
Budtender responsibilities
The role of a budtender involves more than just customer service. It could be treated as an entry-level job with minimal responsibility, depending on the place where the budtender is employed. Most places in the cannabis industry, though, view budtenders as employees they’d like to remain in the organization for a long time.
A big part of the budtender job is support and education. Budtenders are the ones customers are going to with questions about the product. Those questions could be about everything from proper dosage to the product’s delivery systems, or what the customer could expect from different strains.
Budtender education
In order to educate the customer, budtenders need to be educated about their products as well. Some organizations partner with cultivators who can teach budtenders about their products in detail. Other places require budtenders to complete some kind of cannabis training program, where they are taught about the medical uses of cannabis as well as the recreational side.
The more knowledgeable a budtender is about the product, the more comfortable a customer will feel. This is especially true of first-time customers who don’t know what to expect. For a business, those interactions are among the most important as they try to get those first-timers to become repeat customers.
Budtender analytics
Another education aspect to consider is the law. Different parts of the country have different regulations, and it is important for all employees to know what restrictions are in place for a business. A business intelligence solution can help an organization track all of that, and that’s one area where budtenders can use data. The more comfortable a budtender is with analytics and the more access they are given to the data could result in better performance both for them and the business.
If they’re using it right, analytics can help improve sales performance. Budtenders can see their personal sales performance, tracking everything from the types of products they are successful selling, as well as the ones they are not. For the individual, there are opportunities to recognize areas of success as well as areas for improvement, and for the organization, it is a way to help keep track of sales performance as a whole. Analytics can also help keep everyone aware of important data such as inventory and pricing.
The idea that some organizations treat the budtender job as entry-level can work for some people. It presents an opportunity to get one’s feet wet in the industry and then work their way up from there. In some cases, though, the low-paying entry-level approach has led to a high turnover of budtenders and trouble filling the positions for long periods of time.
By guiding a budtender through necessary training, though, rather than having them go out and find something on their own, an organization is showing that they are willing to work together. It shows both sides are invested in that individual’s success. It’s an idea that doesn’t just apply to the budtender position, and it is relevant to more than just the cannabis industry: organizations that show they value their employees will have an easier time retaining them. Analytics can certainly help a budtender do their job to the best of their ability, and they can help an organization keep track of how those budtenders are performing. It’s on the organization, though, to treat the employee in a way that makes them want to stay and make all of the success they help bring to the organization worth it for them.
- Analyzing the Challenges of Pharmaceutical Supply Shortages - April 26, 2024
- Summer is an Opportunity for Digital Transformation in Education - April 17, 2024
- Your Car is Tracking More than Miles per Hour - April 11, 2024
