Pictured above is Tim Galpin (aka T$, aka Mr. Money, aka T-shmoola) from The Pass.
He is the winner of Flowhub's Highest High Budtender award from our 1st-ever Budtender Love Week in 2024, which means he's sold more cannabis products than any other budtender in Flowhub history.
(That’s a HUGE deal!)
Throughout the week, budtenders shared their top tips with us across social channels and various conversations, so we've compiled the best 61 pieces of advice for you in this roundup post.
First up, Tim's tip:
“The cannabis industry is constantly growing and changing. It may seem intimidating, but always remember your team has your back! Never be afraid to enlist help from your fellow budtenders. Their opinions are one of your most valuable resources.”
Tim Galpin, Budtender at The Pass
As for the rest of the cannabis industry, here’s the advice they shared for budtenders.
Guide customer interactions by listening
“Listen to your patients. Ask them what their favorite products are and why. You can learn a lot from these conversations, and you'll notice trends that will help you recommend even those products that you don't use yourself.” __mandasaurus__
“Be kind, listen to the customer, and definitely try to give them some knowledge to give them a better and more elevated experience. Terps are friends✨” Amethyst Dixon
“Always be willing to listen and learn. Be patient with your customers! You will get some who know more than you and others who know nothing. Treat every customer as if they are your friend. Always try new things and ask the customers about what they like!” Psychedelicradical
“I think the main thing is to be more empathic when dealing with pt. I've found in my many years in retail that a good 'bedside manner' can be the right thing for building a relationship.” Terry Bradshaw
“As a consumer and educator, I think the best tip I can give is to ask questions and listen to their customers. They will give you firsthand experiences that will tell you more than any lab numbers.” Elizabeth Batchelor
Education and product knowledge are the goals
“Never stop learning (maybe growing is the better adjective in our industry). Product knowledge is one of the best ways to sell virtually any product. The more you know, the more you can sell, and the more you'll be able to find the right product for as many people as possible.” Eric Bucci
“My #1 tip to a new untrained budtender is to enroll in the Green Flower Cannabis training program online. I completed The Business of Cannabis course and was completely impressed with the information I learned. Never stop learning!” Jeff Jacobsen
“Know every single product, go home and study.” Danilladutch
“Many companies forget that if you invest in your employees, the returns will be huge. It shows that the company cares and has a career path for them, and the customer will have a much better experience. Then, the customer becomes a sales advocate for the company through the experience. Win-win all around! Don't forget about having to hire and training involved once an employee leaves.” Robert E. Jasper
Read Next:
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“Never stop LEARNING and GROWING! The weed isn’t the only thing that must be cultivated.” Lauren Brashear
“My biggest tip is to educate yourself on products as much as you can, and if you don’t know, it’s okay to tell the customer you don’t know and look it up real quick. They’ll appreciate you going the extra mile.” Foreignbabyh
“My biggest tip is to know what you’re selling, educate yourself on and off the clock, and know when to admit you don’t know! Our patients rely on us; when you’re honest with them, they can tell.” Kieraskye
“The best tip for budtenders is to learn to use the website SeedFinder.eu! There's no better resource for strain lineage and knowledge!” Jackthedablad
“Never stop learning. The only way you can excel in this field is to study every aspect of the dispensary from the rooter to the tooter.” LaMott Jackson
Education extends to educating the customer
“Stay patient, don’t be pushy with products, and educate yourself so you can educate your patients.” Mckennna.a
“Know what you know, and know what you don’t know. It is always okay to not be able to answer a specific question. It’s never okay to make something up to seem knowledgeable. Cannabis knowledge is vast but limited, and the answer may not even exist yet. The next time you’re faced with a difficult question, a great answer is, 'I don’t know, but let’s find out!' That challenges both of you to become more knowledgeable about cannabis. You may even be able to Quick Look up the answers if your POS has web browsing!” Derekoldhamcg
“Get to know your customers. Ask them what they are looking for when smoking or consuming as a result of their purchase. It’s not always about the THC percentage. Teach customers about terpenes, strain species and lineage, and most of all wellness and wellbeing.” Djbrockinbeats
Read Next:
Budtender training: the opportunity for dispensaries
“Absorb everything. Be willing to try everything (cannabis products, work tasks, events, opportunities, etc). Do your Seed Talents. If you don’t know something, be honest and tell them you’ll get the answer. Then actually get the answer. It’s okay not to know everything, and it’s okay to try to learn everything. Cannabis is a beautiful plant we will only continue to learn about and love.” Lauren Patino
“The nose knows! Tell the customer to trust their gut reaction to the smell of different strains of flower! A good olfactory reaction usually means a good body reaction!” Bemzedrine
“Education. Both for the budtender and for the customer. When you teach someone something, that person becomes a client for life.” Robb Rothfarb
“From one budtender to another, don’t be afraid of telling a customer you don’t know the answer to their question. Use your resources to find the answer! We aren’t going to know everything!” Kennedy Berry
“As a lifelong legacy budtender and a current supervisor who transitioned from budtender, my best advice to budtenders is to self-educate as much as possible. If you don’t have the support of your dispensary, remain true to the consumer, listen to their needs, and constantly tailor your advice based on knowledge. Budtenders are the backbone of the industry, and consumers understand that.” Sharnay Tokley
Be empathetic, confident, and focused on service
“It's all about confidence. It comes first from leadership, but needs to be evident in any budtender to be successful.” Michael Peterson
“Kill the rudest customers with kindness; not only is it funny at the end when they apologize or when their voice starts to lower, you actually become one of their favorites!” shlumpdaze
“My tip for Budtenders is to really focus on connection. For so many people, you are the connection between them and their medicine. So your energy and knowledge really matter! Thankful for all that budtenders do for the cannabis community!” Kenya Alexander-Davis
“Always have a smiling face and an attitude to help! Also, educate yourself on what you are recommending because the more you know, the better experience you can give someone.” Brooklyn_b97
“Meet your customers where they are with compassionate inquiry and less ego. Is this their first time? What type of experience are they looking for? Always lean into advocating and educating the community about how products are made, i.e., with solvents or not, to spike their curiosity about how products are made and how it may affect their experience. This is a great place to begin product education for what is in your store.” Michael Borza
"Don't take things so personally! Sometimes customers come in needing their products, and their energy ain't about you! Just be true to yourself and your product knowledge. Stay happy, stay sane, and keep level-headed.” Roygviv_
“My tip for budtenders is to treat everyone the same no matter how much they spend or smell or look and to show everyone what you like to personally smoke on!” Gmanlopez_22
“Always take pride in your job. Do more than the bare minimum!!!” Lilfirecracker89
“Treat every customer/ patient with honesty, kindness, understanding, and how you would like to be treated. No matter their issue or concern, once they get their product/medicine, 9.5 times out of 10, they leave with a smile and sometimes even apologize.” Whothefuckisshe
Read Next:
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“Be friendly and act like you want to be there helping them because they came to you for their weed.” Mr_stayhigh_stayfly
“Don't push products you get commission on or products you don't really know. Be honest and share your real experience and help people find exactly what they really want.” Joshua.pierman
“A tip from me🤷♂️….We encounter a wide variety of people, especially in Colorado Springs. Take the time to just simply be in the present with your client/patient; that small amount of time with your full and undivided attention can change the world for that person.” Chrisamountjoyjr
“I love budtenders because budtenders love their job. Everyone’s enthusiastic. There’s true passion in this industry.” Jordan Stiverson
“Be friendly, compassionate, educated, and ready to help! Know your products like the back of your hand and talk to your customers. Sometimes, they don't know what they want; they just know how they want to feel.” Karliella
“Don't be nervous; your customer is probably a pothead too!” Thetahlilama
"Always look at the long-term relationship instead of the short-term sale. Be open and willing to be a resource for the customer. If you don't know something, offer to research it for them. If you can look it up on the spot and learn something together, all the better. Don't be shy about offering to order something or directing them somewhere else if they have a specific product they want and you don't carry it. Above all, be compassionate and patient; you don't know what someone is going through.... just as they don't know what you're going through!" Korbenandreikosdad
“My tip: turn on the customer service voice and greet everyone with a smile.” Nina12190
“Always kill hate with kindness, and don’t slump to the level of someone being rude. It’s always worth walking away knowing you did your best to be nice and didn’t feed into someone having a power trip.” mlkymke
Stay on top of industry trends and new research
“Terps > THC” Ttirb
“Learn more about terpenes and cannabinoids so you can help people find exactly what the guest needs.” Nick_g710
“Printing out visual learning material (e.g., cannabinoid & terpene charts) can help explain complicated concepts to unfamiliar customers interested, especially the visual learner majority, and educates yourself and your team! Especially for those using medicinally, educate them on the health and therapeutic benefits of FSEs and solventless extracts. If you don't know the answer to something, be honest! Look it up and take it as an opportunity to learn yourself and teach the customer, too.” Sillyforestthing
“Don't be afraid to look at the numbers! So often, budtenders look to their close circle of friends and family for product suggestions when in reality, there is so much data available to help drive recommendations!” Annelise (Orthey) Lee
“My biggest tip is to know your product! Educate yourself as much as possible, and keep up to date on all the new advances in the industry!!” Bitesizekaia
“Budtenders should always look to refine their craft in the knowledge of cannabis, cannabis science, and consumption science. They are often people’s only bridge to the cannabis world. They should remember that their recommendation represents their own knowledge, the dispensary they work for, and the legal cannabis industry. Budtenders should be able to digest the consumer's needs, educate their consumers as needed, and most importantly, make a quality recommendation for each consumer that won’t send them into paranoia or leave them with a lacking feeling very far from the feeling they desire.” Anthony Domangue
“My #1 tip would be to stop recommending products based on whether it's considered a "sativa" or "indica," as those are outdated terminology, especially considering 90%+ of what's on the market are polyhybrids. Recommend products based on the actual effects, flavors/smells, and overall experience, not its morphology and flowering time.” Matthew Jaster
Read Next:
How much to tip your budtender and why you should
“Connect and relate to the needs of the consumer: understand their buying intentions, preferred consumption methods/effects/aromas/flavor profiles/type of grow/genetics and their overall experience with cannabis - this should include a brief and easy-to-digest understanding of the science behind cannabis when the conversation presents itself. There will be consumers who care and some who do not. - Still, come in with a professional recommendation backed scientifically to offer them the best experience when shopping around.” Bubba Henry
Drive the consumer experience
“Budtenders drive so much of the experience for consumers. I’ve met some incredible people behind the counter. Appreciate all of them!” Kyle Sherman
“My biggest tip is always to ask people how they want to feel when they first come in. Then, find the products that will best get them to those feelings and curate them properly! Education, education, education!” Projectdave21
“You wouldn’t throw a bartender behind a bar just to pour beer. Investment in a craft brings knowledge and experience to the consumer. Bring the consumer through an experience instead of throwing kitschy words and popular trends at them. Be knowledgeable about what you're selling, and be confident you know what you're doing. Are you a Bartender (Budtender) or a Beertender? Are you being proactive or reactive?” John West
“Always check with the guest/client to see what their needs are and then go from there. Ask if they want the overall education or just product recommendations! Try not to bore your customers with stuff they won't remember or don't want to hear.” Fagyubeef_
“My tip: don’t rush through the process with your customer. Give them some options based on what they’re looking for outside of what they may have already picked out. Some brands go unnoticed for their potential that way.” Vannag1010
“Never stop learning. This industry moves fast. It wasn't that long ago that dark amber BHO shatter was the newest and most popular type of cannabis extract. Product categories move quickly. Don't forget that you are often the ONLY touchpoint for customers of both the dispensary and the products they choose to buy. Many people are counting on budtenders to know what separates one product from the other.” Kenneth Churchill
“If you’re having trouble explaining to someone the difference between sátiva and indica, just tell em “indica in-da-couch” which usually sticks with em… I also say cerebral sátiva, but like I say, most people remember the first one.” Billy_d_goat49
“Be knowledgeable about the different products, but more importantly, make the customer smile. There are so many dispensaries they can go to, so make their experience in yours enjoyable! Know your products and learn how to communicate that in an easy-to-understand way.” Matt.fu
“Always ask open-ended questions. Keep the convo moving!” Jeff Graveline
“My best tip for budtenders is always to ask people how they want to feel when they step in. Then find the products that will get them to how they wanna feel.” David Loos
“Fellow budtenders prioritize customer service and education. Greet customers with a smile, listen to their needs, provide helpful information about products, and be knowledgeable about strains and consumption methods. Be professional, friendly, patient, and attentive to customer questions and concerns to ensure a positive experience.” Spacedout_podcast
“Get to know your customers and your products! Be willing to say I don't know the answer, but I'll do my best to find it. Have patience, but most of all, have fun.” Atobias18
Got a budtender tip?
Want to share your top tips for budtenders? Email us at marketingteam@flowhub.com with the subject line “Budtender Blog Tip,” and we might just add it to this blog!
Support your budtenders and help them sell more cannabis with Flowhub’s intuitive, stonerproof technology and dispensary growth tools. Book your live demo today.
Disclaimer: Advice provided is not meant to serve as dispensary consulting or training. Dispensary operators and budtenders should conduct their own research and consider their needs before implementing the above tips.
