Marijuana Business Magazine - April 2018

Train for Success Ongoing, in-depth training is essen- tial to equip your staff with the product knowledge and customer-service savvy needed to engage customers and discuss products. To do this, Harborside has developed an online learning management system with video training. Harborside incor- porates written and in-person training, too. Its sales team meets every morning to talk about new products or inventory changes, and vendors offer presentations at staff meetings to share product-specific information, DeAngelo said. Sales associates are taught to greet customers, make eye contact, use friendly body language and – when asked – share extensive product knowledge, including how products are cultivated or processed, and the lab testing that products undergo, DeAngelo said. “They’re training on product knowl- edge every single day,”DeAngelo said. “We’ve found that’s the only way to keep up.The market is innovating so many products so quickly – if you don’t have a daily check-in, you’re going to fall behind pretty quickly.” The+Source’s medical director, Dr. WilliamTrout, provides training for the company’s patient and customer advisers. In addition to the history, risks and benefits of medical marijuana, the training covers common uses for MMJ that include treating health conditions and symptoms.Trout also coaches patient and customer advisers on how to assist customers without giving medical advice and how to answer customers’ questions in compassionate, understanding ways, Jolley said. “It’s an important part of our busi- ness,” Jolley said. “It’s so beneficial to have him on the team to help our staff and customers.” Cross-training employees is an important part of Hashtag’s strategy for accommodating customers. Staff who manage inventory are also trained as sales associates, and sales associates are trained in other parts of operations, Bowers said. Cross-training means “we can have more folks on staff ready to help custom- ers (and) they can stay busy when we’re slow,”Bowers said. “That decreases wait times, especially during rushes. And also, our staff is better informed about (prod- ucts) – what’s new and what’s just arrived.” Do Deeper Dives In-store education builds trust with customers and promotes healthy consumption. Customer education and access to free consultations for MMJ patients is an important part ofThe+Source’s business, said Jolley. In addition to employee training, Trout,The+Source’s medical director, provides free phone and in-person patient consultations for MMJ patients, and a free, monthly two-hour introduction- to-cannabis seminar for customers and community residents. “There are also many more people who are open to using medical cannabis who feel intimidated about using a product that has been demonized for so long,” Jol- ley said. “They are looking for nonbiased, medical-based information to help them make informed decisions about their health and well-being.” For Hashtag, vendor demo days are valuable ways for customers to learn about new products, state testing requirements and cultivation practices. Hashtag invites vendors – such as infused product manufacturers and growers – to interact with and educate customers and offers discounts or specials on suppliers’ products each week. “It’s a way for customers to learn more,” Bowers said. “The vendor is the best source for information on products – agri- culture practices, sustainability, strain type. For customers who want to dig deeper, they get the information from the source.” Harborside’s sales associates provide all customers who purchase edibles and other infused products with information on how to consume responsibly and how to store such products. Sales associates also encourage custom- ers to have product lockboxes and to keep infused products safe from children and pets, said Harborside’s DeAngelo. “We’re trying our best to educate customers on safety,”DeAngelo said. “The message all of us have to get out there is to keep their households safe.” Getting in and Out Staff your retail floor with an adequate number of sales associates, so customers can navigate the dispensary with ease. AtThe+Source, on average, three to five patient or customer advisers are on the retail floor answering questions about Andrew DeAngelo is the director of operations at California’s Harborside dispensaries. Photo by Jamie Soja California’s Harborside designed its flagship dispensary in Oakland to feel comfortable for customers and unintimidating, without bars on windows or bulletproof glass. Photo courtesy of Harborside 44 • Marijuana Business Magazine • April 2018