Dealing with Dispensaries

[BrainSellz]

One thing I like to do is think of. A minimum price and a maximum price that is reasonable for my product. Then I pick the middle number. For sample if 1600 is minimal, and 2000 is max then I chose 1800. That is my set price. It is fair. I don't haggle. If you let them think you will haggle, then they will take you as low as they think they can, and you will lose. The best thing thing I do is state your price and walk away. Even if you don't make a deal then, if you do that enough times to the individual buyer th n they will take it for your price. You just let them know that you already have another buyer at that price, but thy are a farther drive. It's a straw man, but is works if your price is reasonable.

This is spot on. I know the thread was about outdoor but it's also about dealing with dispensaries so I thought I would share an experience. My first and second club vending experience showed me how this game was played. First club asked me to clean it up some and he'd give me what it was worth, and he did, however he only bought 1 to see how fast it would move. 2nd club was the lowballer BUT I already knew what I was working with and this is how it played out:

Club buyer : "how many do you have?"

Me: "I have 4, and will have more in a week"

Club buyer: "I'll give you 24 a piece"

My exact words as I grabbed my pound, put it in my bag and got up politely with a smirk on my face: "No way, that's not even worth my time". Immediately as I threw my bag over my shoulder he says:


"I'll give you 10k for the 4"

Me: " 10,400"

Club buyer: "what's the difference of 400 dollars"

Me: "my electric bill"

Club buyer: hesitantly "okay I'll do the 10,4"

I ended up vended to that same club for a couple years. I learned if you know what your working with, the ball is in your court, also depending on which beautiful people (sarcasm) your dealing with.

 

[Hash Zeppelin]

(Just an outsider looking in) So these dispensary buyers are they just going by visual, and smell factors, along with what you tell them, or do they sample the product by smoking it?

Would it be alright to offer them a joint or is that being too forward?

Most of the time, they won't sample it here. If they are a really place busy, they'd be to high from samples to function at work. Bpg meets with a vender every 15 minutes or so. Their buyer is a nice guy, fair prices, and works his ass off.

 

[Cadfael]

Nowadays they are looking for reasons not to buy. So flip over your bag and check for any seed, shake or brown buds.

Also, try not to go 5 days from/after the first of the month. They know it is rent week and will try to grind you lower.

 

[Hash Zeppelin]

Nowadays they are looking for reasons not to buy. So flip over your bag and check for any seed, shake or brown buds.

Also, try not to go 5 days from/after the first of the month. They know it is rent week and will try to grind you lower.

Great point. Ty for posting!

 

[VonBudí]

Have you come across some one using instagram as a bargaining chip, drive followers to the store for a few more dollars on the pound?

 

[Hash Zeppelin]

Have you come across some one using instagram as a bargaining chip, drive followers to the store for a few more dollars on the pound?

I'll do that for any place that has my product. The better it sells the better it is for both of us.

 

[PDX Dopesmoker]

I'll do that for any place that has my product. The better it sells the better it is for both of us.

Getting samples of product into the hands of dispensary workers is great for driving the retail sales of your product after the dispensary bought it from you. One of the local CO2 vape cart suppliers seems to have "giving free carts to dispensary workers" as a large fraction of their marketing strategy & they're very successful. Its effective for selling bud as well, especially if its one of those shops with 50+ different strains for sale. The people selling won't have smoked or know much about any of them, but if they've had yours then they have something to talk to people about.

 

[Hash Zeppelin]

Getting samples of product into the hands of dispensary workers is great for driving the retail sales of your product after the dispensary bought it from you. One of the local CO2 vape cart suppliers seems to have "giving free carts to dispensary workers" as a large fraction of their marketing strategy & they're very successful. Its effective for selling bud as well, especially if its one of those shops with 50+ different strains for sale. The people selling won't have smoked or know much about any of them, but if they've had yours then they have something to talk to people about.

This is excellent advice. You have also tapped into another subject that should be discussed here. The subject of product education. One of our jobs as growers is to educate buyers about our product and what makes it special; and one of the dispensaries jobs is to educate its patients. I find many dispensaries and their patients lack product knowledge.

One thing we can do as growers is hand out a small print out with the sample about our productss. The strain's genetic linage, the grow process, the care taken, the thc percentage. Etc. The better we educate the dispensary and its employees, the better our product will be received.

 

[Aota1]

I do my best to get samples of at least flower to the budtenders but that's can be difficult. We have strain journals that we record individual experiences with different flower, extract, edible, topical etc and then share journals to get more insight. We recently started but it seems to be helping. The vendors that do leave plenty of samples for them definitely get more airplay than one that hasn't been tried yet. AS long as it's good. With so many products it's impossible for them to try it all. Myself included.

 

[Aota1]

You're absolutely right about strain knowledge HashZeppelin! At times, we carry dozens of strains from many growers and I educate my folks when it all comes in. But--- often times I get the strain name and that's it. We've gotten a number that were someone's own creation and no lineage was given. Or effect. I like to avoid that.

 

[Aota1]

I've learned about the growing methods of a number of our producers through their Instagram feeds, web pages, etc. But through my own research which is crazy. I've been talking to a few growers recently that have offered to bring our whole crew to their spots and do full educational type tours, samplings, etc. This is rad and a way to really connect

 

[Oakhills]

A few months ago I brought a unit to the biggest dispensary in Oakland thinking they were the best to deal with in terms of professionalism. What I brought in tested 8% higher than anything they had on the menu (Skylotus), was all good sized buds, and very well trimmed and cured to a very aromatic perfection.

The guy started rough handling the flowers looking for mold (I told him it was outdoor), and when he couldn't find any, he pointed out that there was mold on the calyxes. I told him that's not mold, those are Trichomes, mold stands on the inside of the bud, scope it!

Sheepishly, he agreed there wasn't mold but said he couldn't purchase any OD because they had a huge supply that was left over from 4/20 they couldn't move....

Really? I felt sorry for them that they had such low quality OD that they couldn't even move it! I guess they didn't want anything good!

 

[Hash Zeppelin]

I have been hearing the early rain and snow have hurt this years outdoor yield for some folks. If you have good quality, hold on to it a few months if you can, and pricing might be rising again. I'm really glad I pulled mine even though a few plants could have used another week or so.

 

[paper thorn]

I wish we in AZ could sell to dispensries. you can only donate to them. they all started with giant illegal caregiver grows, but 'donated' the weed to themselves.

if i go into a dispensary and try to donate my weed, they'll call the cops and say i wanted a 'donation' for payment. They hate even small competition.

 

[Hash Zeppelin]

We have had some success with some of the dispensaries where we have employed these sales tactics. We have also now done some amazing work with one of their other respected shatter venders, and I think he put in a good word for us or something, because he is a super cool guy, he treated us like family, and after we worked with him, the dispensary buyers's attitude changed.

This leads me to another point, that some people may forget, that I have not mentioned earlier. This may sound cheesy, but the cannabis community should be just that. Being generous, respectful and friendly is always proper. Sugar works better than vinegar. Hook up your pounds fat. Weigh your ounces at 30g. Network with the dispensaries, and their venders. See what you can do to help them and their venders. Help introduce them to other new people. This is my standard practice, and it works. Become part of a community, and help build that community. Just be careful for people that only take and don't give.

 

[PDX Dopesmoker]

Not sure if this is the exact right place to mention it, but I noticed something that might make someone who sells to dispensaries a few extra bucks. Reeferman's Love Potion sells like mad. I haven't seen them put in a head to head competition, but it might even outsell GG4, GSC, OGK, Jack Herer or some of the other strains/cuts which have major name brand appeal and/or cult followings.

 

[junior_grower]

I always leave a couple nice top colas in each LB helps to show the full plant. seems t help with the looks crowd.