So you decided to open up your very own cannabis shop… that’s great! Kudos to you and welcome to one of the most dynamic markets out there! But now that you have to take the first step, maybe you’re at a loss… Who knew there are so many different choices out there – from strains to products and the plethora of accessories that accompany them.Â
How can you efficiently curate your selection? And more importantly, who will buy it?
In this article, we will share with you some tips on why and how to create the ideal customer for your cannabis shop, so that you know how to best prepare your shop to serve both your customers and your business.Â
Find Your Niche
With so many products out there it’s hugely important to figure out who you will sell to. Because the market is past the point where you can be a one-stop shop for all cannabis products and desires. You’d probably have to be a supermarket (in expansion), but even so there is a high chance that your customers will get spoiled with choice and confused, and leave without ever buying anything.
So in the interest of both your business and your customers, niche down. Find a particular angle, and rock it! This way you will become unforgettable to your customers, and become a reference in the particular area you are selling your products in whether it’s for smoking cannabis, cannabis extracts or recreational cannabis.
Think about your customers, put yourself in their shoes – what would they be looking for? You can start small, and look at the competitors in your area. What’s their game? What makes them unique?Â
As we were mentioning before, people look to solve their problems with their purchases. In this case you can form a better impression of what is needed in a particular market segment that is closer to you. Because you know these people, and what are their desires, their fears, what is generally considered valuable and so on. Talk to those around you. While it may seem daunting at first, people actually love to talk about themselves, and will surely share with you their preferences.
Solving A Problem
This brings us to the next point, something which you can already anticipate – what would your customers need that the market doesn’t provide?
It’s not enough to be different, you also have to bring something valuable to the table. And something that is not (overly exploited) already out there. For example, ordering online is becoming the new norm for cannabis shops.Â
But very importantly, think about bringing utility – something to serve the market’s needs and wants. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel, just to answer a demand that nobody did before. You have to think logically, using your reasoning of why would someone want one product over another, and offer that selection. Get creative about dried cannabis flowers or cannabis consumption.
The broad answer is generally simple. They want their problems solved. And you have to be their answer. You could, at any rate and then you are on the highway of becoming a staple in your niche. It could be focused on vape pens, pre rolls, cannabis experience, or anything else in the medical or no medical cannabis space.
Creating Your Customer Persona
After you have an idea about tackling all the questions above you can start building your Customer Persona. This is significant because it helps your business on multiple levels – how to curate your product selection, but also how to go about your marketing approach, how to address your ideal customers. Who is there to purchase cannabis?
And worry not, you don’t need an army of personas, because you don’t need to cater to everybody out there – because that is how you end up selling to nobody. Rather, really go into depth about creating your persona’s identity.
Here are a few things you need to include in this portrait: demographic information, their goals and values, sources of information, pain points and needs, possible objections. Let us dig in a little. The more information you have the better.
Demographic information
These are the most basic details about your buyer’s profile, including age, gender, relationship status, income level, education, location, family status and job. Keep in mind that this does not have to be a person you actually know, but your ideal customer that could walk through the doors of your shop.Â
Goals and Values
It’s significant to know what your customers stand for, or rather what are their non-negotiable conditions. These are significant, as you would not want to spend resources, just to become unappealing because of a wording or positioning issue.
On the front of the goal, it’s significant to know how you can contribute to your clients’ journeys and really make an impact for them for responsible consumption.
Sources of information
Tackling this point will support your communication strategy. While there are laws in place regulating advertising approaches, you need to know where you can meet your ideal customer halfway. Make it on purpose, and don’t let these encounters happen accidentally.
Pain points and needs
Here you really need to go to the core of what bothers your clientele, or what keeps them from becoming their best selves. So you know how to intervene. Marketing your products is a lot about answering some questions that are not necessarily in the open, or that weren’t even yet articulated.
Possible Objections
There could be many reasons why a person might not want to buy your product. In fact, more people will be looking for reasons not to buy your product, than why it should make a good purchase. And you can prevent these objections with a little brainstorming, based on what you already know about your persona.
Creating your ideal customer for your cannabis shop, your buyer persona, is not the easiest task out there. But it is one that will get you far in business, undoubtedly. Luckily, you can contact Clout Brands today to get you started on your journey!
