Need help building customer loyalty at your dispensary? Most brands – no matter the industry – are always offering new welcome deals. Their adverts and social media posts are always about tempting new customers into the business. It’s about educating people about their brand. There’s just one simple fact they’re all missing:
It costs 6 to 7 times more money to acquire a new customer than to keep your current customers.
Building customer loyalty is by far the most important thing you can do for your brand. To make the point clearer – consider that the probability of a sale from a brand-new customer is just 5 to 20% compared to 60 to 70% with an existing customer. Even more impressive, 80% of your future profits come from 20% of your current customers.
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It’s why the top thing all dispensaries need to know is how to build customer loyalty. However, building customer loyalty is easier said than done. Developing a lifelong relationship with customers is vital, and with evermore dispensaries opening – competition is fierce.
Below we’ll discuss how to build customer loyalty. We’ll cover the top tips for building customer loyalty, covering promotions, pricing, and the general vibe of your dispensary.
Let’s get started.
Simple question: how do you cater to your customers if you don’t know them? To create a unique and personalized experience, you need to build a relationship. Ask open questions about their experience. And keep notes about your repeat customers. Find out what they like and emphasize their importance to you. For example, sending customers an email when their favorite strain comes in – or a new strain they might want to try.
Even just remembering their name can have a massive impact on building customer loyalty.
If it costs so much less to keep your old customer, why not spend the money? It’s saving you money long-term. Loyalty cards. Points systems. Coupons. All these systems are building customer loyalty. They’re enticing your customers to keep coming back.
You can also send emails to customers to make them feel appreciated. Birthday gifts, for example, go a long way.
Customers won’t criticize your dispensary to your face… but they will criticize it. People say ‘ignorance is bliss’ – in business, it’s not. You need to know what your customers are saying, and you need to respond. When customers leave a dissatisfied review, find out how you can rectify the problem going forwards. You can turn a bad experience into a positive one.
Kaizen is the Japanese concept of continual improvement. It’s how Toyota dominates the global car market. You can enact this in your business – every week, try to improve one thing about your dispensary. It could be more staff training, a new strain, a new offer. Whatever it is, that’s another bonus for customers. It’s how you start building customer loyalty.
Do you have a store customers want to come back to? Is it warm and inviting? Is it a place to chat about your favorite strains? To get down into the details of marijuana? If not, you need to rethink your store environment radically. The store should feel clean, tidy, and bright at the basic level.
Think about what you could improve.
It only takes one rude experience to lose a valued customer. When people ask how to build customer loyalty – the key is the relationship. You might have had a bad day, but you’ve still got to be nice and friendly to customers. Asking how someone’s day was, what they thought of their last strain, and more will earn you a loyal following.
We mentioned loyalty schemes – but which one will you enact? Here’s are a few potential ideas:
Not a fan? Consider that 83% of loyalty programs members report that loyalty programs make them more likely to shop with a particular business. In short – don’t neglect your loyalty program.
Not everyone is a cannabis connoisseur. We all start somewhere. Take the time to educate your customers about your products. Ask about your customer’s desired effects, and then explain what the different strains will do.
Remember – you’re the pro; they’ll listen to your advice. Never be afraid to show off your knowledge; just pitch it at a level they can understand. (So, no talking about obscure cannabinoids!)
Think about the businesses you frequent. Why do you go to one bar and not another? It has something the others don’t, right? Whatever that something is, find out what that is for your business. You need a differentiator to stand out. There’s no shame in standing out from the crowd – as long as it’s for the right reasons.
We’re not just talking about cheap cannabis; we’re talking about the overall retail experience. Everything you do should add value to your business and to your customer’s experience. Whether it be your loyalty scheme, strain selection, décor, or staff’s knowledge.
Value is what people pay for, and it’s what they keep coming back for. Never forget to add value. Otherwise, you’re throwing resources and money away on parts of your business that don’t matter.
Learning how to build customer loyalty is all about putting yourself in their shoes. You’re not just a dispensary owner; you’re also a customer too. What makes you want to keep using a particular business? You can always adapt techniques from other businesses for your own.
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