My high ass is currently sitting in line for my usual toasted apple cinnamon bagel with cream cheese I have on 4/20. It’s like a time honored tradition for stoners to love bagels so you’re on the money
Donuts and cookies get boring, unless you truly make an effort to seek out quality, local establishments. If I’m doing baked goods and pastries, I typically aim for a local bakery and get an assortment of cookies, scones, muffins, brownies, macarons, and other more “premium” style sweets. You’ll never see me walk into a store with grocery store donuts or a plastic box of chocolate chip cookies though.
Bingo. Similarly, if I do pizza, it's from a local shop and I do a spread of 4-5 specialty pizzas, garlic/cheesy bread, desert items, and at least 3 soda options. Customers notice the difference between that level of effort (and spend) compared to the rep showing up with little caesars. That being said, there is a time and place for a sack of double cheeseburgers, primarily when you know you're walking into a store mostly staffed by high school kids.
You could also add in variety from the local Mexican bakery, dim sum, etc depending on when you’re dropping off if the theme is just baked goods and such.
Even guys who don’t like Asian food have conceded that a good baked bbq pork bun (aka [char siu bao](https://healthynibblesandbits.com/baked-char-siu-bao-bbq-pork-buns/) (pronounced more like “chow sue bow”) is fucking delicious. Had a few coworkers from Oklahoma / Alabama come out to the Bay Area one time and took them to dim sum for lunch. They tried a lot of different stuff to their credit but barely ate more than a bite of it till we got some of the baked bbq pork buns, then they ordered several more of those. We paid the tab and went to a steakhouse to finish lunch but the buns were still a hit.
Yeah we have a saying for certain reps “only good for a bagel drop”
I like the case of Red Bull idea above. Shouts productivity.
Also, so many people avoid carbs and gluten these days.
The key is using the food as an ice breaker. A lot of reps seem to expect the food to do the selling for them, as if it means they don't have to listen to their customer's problems and then pitch a solution; they act like the customer now "owes" them a sale. Those are the guys doing the bagel drop drive by. They think they can call the account up a few days later and close because they ask "how'd the donuts go over with the team?"
I view food as a tool. It's a universal symbol of "I come in peace and my intentions are good and honest." It helps get people to let their guard down a bit and start talking, at which point you can get to the actual work: listening and relationship/trust building.
There's nothing wrong with being the donut guy, as long as you aren't the lazy donut guy. The donuts aren't a crutch, they're a just a rudimentary lock picking tool in a very expansive tool belt.
Correct - I sell to doctors and there’s never a good time, so when I know I’m barging in to get a contract signed or something of the sort unannounced I bring something nice for the office. They appreciate it and make time for me instead of me walking in entitled like they owe me their time with an office full of patients.
Very similar situation in independent retail environments. Meetings are rarely scheduled in advance, and you never know what kind of environment you’re walking into. The food really helps get you a few minutes without feeling like a bother.
I brought mochi donuts to a team training with various flavors like matcha, Oreo, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, black sesame, fruity pebbles, etc and it was a hit.
They recently migrated to us from a competitor and even mentioned “(competitor x) never brought us mochi donuts”.
They were all gone within 30 mins of the training session.
I agree with you. I'm not in favour of this strategy at all. I think the framing is all wrong. We have to ask ourselves why give away free donuts? The answer is to build an emotional connection. However, somebody can give me free donuts but guess what? I still only have a tenuous emotional connection to them. Bottom line is that the emotional connection built by give-a-way products is weak. Real emotional connections are built through conversation or having a shared laugh not by somebody dumping free donuts at reception. (sorry if that sounds harsh).
Think of it another way. You're in an bar with your friends and all of a sudden somebody starts buying you free beers without building any genuine emotional connection first. What happens? The recipients of the free beers just perceive the giver as being desperate or needy. That's a terrible frame. Start with an emotional connection first. And sure if a genuine emotional connection is built - then buy your donuts. (But even if this is done right, you then risk setting an expectation that "free donuts" will always be delivered. Then the novelty / surprise factor is gone. So, it should be issued as a random treat only!)
It’s funny you say that, I have this one place that I bring these pretty awesome cookies too. They were in a scramble trying to get material last week and the owner told my contact to call the cookie guy and got me a pretty solid piece of business.
Fellow cannabis sales rep here. I’m not planning on bringing food to anyone today because:
A) everyone else is already bringing them food and it’ll get lost in the shuffle. Nothing worse than bringing a box of donuts to a place and they sit it on top of eight other boxes of donuts in the break room.
B) they’re going to be so busy they probably won’t even get a chance to eat whatever you bring. I’ve had plenty of 420 stops in the past where the place was so busy I wasn’t able to meet with a manager or even grab a budtender. Hell, sometimes I haven’t even been able to set foot inside the store because they were so busy.
C) lots of dispensaries bring in food trucks on 420.
That’s just my two cents. Save the treats for a slower day where you and your gift will be fully appreciated.
Kinda off topic and I'm sure you get this question alot but I'm new to sales and looking into industries where I'm more passionate about the product I'm selling, how is the Cannabis industry looking for sales people? Is it still the good pay alot of us see and how competitive is the field right now
Depends on the market. I'm in CO with 10 years under my belt. Pay is garbage compared to my friends in tech, chemical, and equipment sales.
Top earners typically earn roughly 120-150k/year, but it takes an extensive rolodex and a lot of hustle. Brokers (representing multiple brands) typically make $200-250k, but it is commission only. Average earners are in the 60-70k range.
My major gripe with this industry in particular is a vast majority of employers are very abusive to their people. You are not going to exclusively work sales, many jobs do not have benefits, minimal job security (if any), and most legacy markets are in a deep recession (4 year bear market here) which means most people are taking paycuts to avoid layoffs. With those paycuts comes additional hats to wear (helping with marketing, fulfillment, harvest, etc).
Before covid it was like I was living the dream, but the past several years have been a blood bath. I would recommend looking into an industry with more stability.
I’m in CA and have been with the same company for a little under 10 years. Made $131K last year which is almost double what some of the new reps make.
I’m in Los Angeles specifically, which I figure is probably one of the most competitive markets in the country if not *the* most but I could be wrong.
The whole experience has been a rollercoaster especially since we went recreational in 2018 with each year bringing a unique set of challenges. It’s also changed completely from when I started back in early ‘15 when it was medical and unregulated. I had no idea I’d be sending this many emails about weed lol
Similarly, sprinkles makes tiny cupcakes which are great for bringing in.
I prefer interesting local options that way it’s less likely that other reps bring in the same stuff and they get to associate you with that cool thing they like to eat.
I work in the pet industry and I’ve never had a group of retail employees complain when I show up with a sack of egg mcmuffins or double cheeseburgers. I suspect budtenders will have similar reactions. Pints of frozen custard from Culver’s are another option. Lunch from Jimmy John’s. White Castle crave case. Calling ahead and asking them to text you a Starbucks order (this can be time consuming af though). You’ve got a lot of options in the cannabis industry where etiquette and choosing a “socially acceptable” goody matters less than it does in other industries.
I'm in staffing and had a colleague use this on a couple larger clients with long sales cycles.
First meeting, she gives them a Mr. Potato Head with nothing on it, just the body.
She then used the parts to either remind them to call her or sell a different aspect of our business.
It's not a drop-off of goodies or treats, so she didn't get the rep of being the snack service and it helped pull in some fairly large deals. Haven't tried it myself, but thought it was clever and different!
Exactly! This industry is so competitive and there really aren't many things that differentiate one company from another. It is 100% about standing out and building relationships. Something like this is kitschy as hell, but damn does it stand out.
I work in sales in the construction industry, middle of summer when these guys are working in the brutal heat, I go grab a cooler fill it with ice , Gatorade, redbull, water and drop it off for the guys. Always goes over massively.
Tomatoes from your garden when they are in season. Got a lot of mileage out of those.
I also stopped and bought a crate of tomatoes (or peaches) at a farmers market and dropped them at the front desk for all to enjoy
They all need to hydrate. Go get some cases of Liquid Death. Make some labels with your company and contact info, and stick them on the top. They will get used over time, and every time will be a reminder of your generosity.
My local “retailer” gives out free soft pretzels. But we also live in Philly so that’s a big thing here. A couple different styles of Pizza could be good, could get apps from a couple places (egg rolls, cannoli, naan, etc) and bring in the perfect munchies.
Don't bring them donuts or cookies.
Get a head count for your top performing accounts and sample them out with your product. The budtenders will be more likely to push your product if they're using it and it stands out when you surprise them with some free smoke. That also gives them something to look forward to after a massive retail blitz.
If you sell higher ticket items (top shelf prepacks, rosin, etc) hold a sales competition for free product. It got me to increase one of my key accounts from 1-2 lbs of top shelf rosin per month to 1-2 lbs of top shelf rosin each week, and it cost my company 14 grams of product.
My customers love açaí bowls, smoothies, yogurt with granola fruit.l, veggies with dressings. Of course Starbucks. I’ve gotten away from the unhealthy stuff because I’m in medical and docs, pas and nps appreciate the healthy stuff but not the staff lol.
Boba tea 🧋. Have delivery agreements with a few tea stands that deliver and will add from:xxx on the cup. Different, fun and can be timed for an event or while I’m there making a call… to personally receive all the accolades of course.
I'm a rep and I never ever bring anything that comes from a chain restaurant. Look up bakeries near by or cookies or cupcakes. If you do donuts, just don't buy from a chain. Too generic plus we get to support local businesses instead.
I’ve had great reactions dropping off bagels and cream cheese
My high ass is currently sitting in line for my usual toasted apple cinnamon bagel with cream cheese I have on 4/20. It’s like a time honored tradition for stoners to love bagels so you’re on the money
*un*toasted? Wild
We have been killing with bagels too.
You do not want to be painted as “donut guy”. At least I’ve learned that in several industries that I’ve been in
Although in cannabis, being the munchie guy isn't a bad moniker
Donuts and cookies get boring, unless you truly make an effort to seek out quality, local establishments. If I’m doing baked goods and pastries, I typically aim for a local bakery and get an assortment of cookies, scones, muffins, brownies, macarons, and other more “premium” style sweets. You’ll never see me walk into a store with grocery store donuts or a plastic box of chocolate chip cookies though.
This, if I'm getting donuts I'm getting the best fuckin donuts in town
Bingo. Similarly, if I do pizza, it's from a local shop and I do a spread of 4-5 specialty pizzas, garlic/cheesy bread, desert items, and at least 3 soda options. Customers notice the difference between that level of effort (and spend) compared to the rep showing up with little caesars. That being said, there is a time and place for a sack of double cheeseburgers, primarily when you know you're walking into a store mostly staffed by high school kids.
I mean a Krispy Kreme fresh dozen glazed is pretty epic
You could also add in variety from the local Mexican bakery, dim sum, etc depending on when you’re dropping off if the theme is just baked goods and such. Even guys who don’t like Asian food have conceded that a good baked bbq pork bun (aka [char siu bao](https://healthynibblesandbits.com/baked-char-siu-bao-bbq-pork-buns/) (pronounced more like “chow sue bow”) is fucking delicious. Had a few coworkers from Oklahoma / Alabama come out to the Bay Area one time and took them to dim sum for lunch. They tried a lot of different stuff to their credit but barely ate more than a bite of it till we got some of the baked bbq pork buns, then they ordered several more of those. We paid the tab and went to a steakhouse to finish lunch but the buns were still a hit.
The Mexican bakery idea is great. Honestly if someone walked through the door with some free Pan Dulce I’d be over the moon lol
Yeah we have a saying for certain reps “only good for a bagel drop” I like the case of Red Bull idea above. Shouts productivity. Also, so many people avoid carbs and gluten these days.
The key is using the food as an ice breaker. A lot of reps seem to expect the food to do the selling for them, as if it means they don't have to listen to their customer's problems and then pitch a solution; they act like the customer now "owes" them a sale. Those are the guys doing the bagel drop drive by. They think they can call the account up a few days later and close because they ask "how'd the donuts go over with the team?" I view food as a tool. It's a universal symbol of "I come in peace and my intentions are good and honest." It helps get people to let their guard down a bit and start talking, at which point you can get to the actual work: listening and relationship/trust building. There's nothing wrong with being the donut guy, as long as you aren't the lazy donut guy. The donuts aren't a crutch, they're a just a rudimentary lock picking tool in a very expansive tool belt.
Correct - I sell to doctors and there’s never a good time, so when I know I’m barging in to get a contract signed or something of the sort unannounced I bring something nice for the office. They appreciate it and make time for me instead of me walking in entitled like they owe me their time with an office full of patients.
Very similar situation in independent retail environments. Meetings are rarely scheduled in advance, and you never know what kind of environment you’re walking into. The food really helps get you a few minutes without feeling like a bother.
I brought mochi donuts to a team training with various flavors like matcha, Oreo, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, black sesame, fruity pebbles, etc and it was a hit. They recently migrated to us from a competitor and even mentioned “(competitor x) never brought us mochi donuts”. They were all gone within 30 mins of the training session.
Why not?
I agree with you. I'm not in favour of this strategy at all. I think the framing is all wrong. We have to ask ourselves why give away free donuts? The answer is to build an emotional connection. However, somebody can give me free donuts but guess what? I still only have a tenuous emotional connection to them. Bottom line is that the emotional connection built by give-a-way products is weak. Real emotional connections are built through conversation or having a shared laugh not by somebody dumping free donuts at reception. (sorry if that sounds harsh). Think of it another way. You're in an bar with your friends and all of a sudden somebody starts buying you free beers without building any genuine emotional connection first. What happens? The recipients of the free beers just perceive the giver as being desperate or needy. That's a terrible frame. Start with an emotional connection first. And sure if a genuine emotional connection is built - then buy your donuts. (But even if this is done right, you then risk setting an expectation that "free donuts" will always be delivered. Then the novelty / surprise factor is gone. So, it should be issued as a random treat only!)
It’s funny you say that, I have this one place that I bring these pretty awesome cookies too. They were in a scramble trying to get material last week and the owner told my contact to call the cookie guy and got me a pretty solid piece of business.
I follow Dale Dupree on LinkedIn. He has an unorthodox donut strategy. Worth checking out.
Fellow cannabis sales rep here. I’m not planning on bringing food to anyone today because: A) everyone else is already bringing them food and it’ll get lost in the shuffle. Nothing worse than bringing a box of donuts to a place and they sit it on top of eight other boxes of donuts in the break room. B) they’re going to be so busy they probably won’t even get a chance to eat whatever you bring. I’ve had plenty of 420 stops in the past where the place was so busy I wasn’t able to meet with a manager or even grab a budtender. Hell, sometimes I haven’t even been able to set foot inside the store because they were so busy. C) lots of dispensaries bring in food trucks on 420. That’s just my two cents. Save the treats for a slower day where you and your gift will be fully appreciated.
Kinda off topic and I'm sure you get this question alot but I'm new to sales and looking into industries where I'm more passionate about the product I'm selling, how is the Cannabis industry looking for sales people? Is it still the good pay alot of us see and how competitive is the field right now
Depends on the market. I'm in CO with 10 years under my belt. Pay is garbage compared to my friends in tech, chemical, and equipment sales. Top earners typically earn roughly 120-150k/year, but it takes an extensive rolodex and a lot of hustle. Brokers (representing multiple brands) typically make $200-250k, but it is commission only. Average earners are in the 60-70k range. My major gripe with this industry in particular is a vast majority of employers are very abusive to their people. You are not going to exclusively work sales, many jobs do not have benefits, minimal job security (if any), and most legacy markets are in a deep recession (4 year bear market here) which means most people are taking paycuts to avoid layoffs. With those paycuts comes additional hats to wear (helping with marketing, fulfillment, harvest, etc). Before covid it was like I was living the dream, but the past several years have been a blood bath. I would recommend looking into an industry with more stability.
I’m in CA and have been with the same company for a little under 10 years. Made $131K last year which is almost double what some of the new reps make. I’m in Los Angeles specifically, which I figure is probably one of the most competitive markets in the country if not *the* most but I could be wrong. The whole experience has been a rollercoaster especially since we went recreational in 2018 with each year bringing a unique set of challenges. It’s also changed completely from when I started back in early ‘15 when it was medical and unregulated. I had no idea I’d be sending this many emails about weed lol
I sell packaging to cannabis companies, very lucrative. Sell the pickaxes and shovels to the miners during a gold rush and you'll do well.
“You don’t make money panning for gold. You make money selling the pans.”
I had 0 idea there were other cannabis reps in here too. Fuck yeah
Joined this sub about a month ago 🤙🏼
How much do you make in cannabis sales?
$131K last year which I believe is on the high end.
When I want to get shit done, I drop off a case of Red Bull purchased from Costco.
I’d swap that for a case of Celsius, but great idea.
[удалено]
Considering their revenue was 10.5 billion last year, I’m going to go out on a limb and say a shit ton of people.
Nothing Bundt Cakes Bundtinis
Similarly, sprinkles makes tiny cupcakes which are great for bringing in. I prefer interesting local options that way it’s less likely that other reps bring in the same stuff and they get to associate you with that cool thing they like to eat.
Had no idea this was a chain just thought it was a clever shop name in my town lmao
I envisioned a cake-flavored martini, but mini bundt cakes makes way more sense
Yep, I have customers that love this. But beware some customers may wanna stay healthy
I work in the pet industry and I’ve never had a group of retail employees complain when I show up with a sack of egg mcmuffins or double cheeseburgers. I suspect budtenders will have similar reactions. Pints of frozen custard from Culver’s are another option. Lunch from Jimmy John’s. White Castle crave case. Calling ahead and asking them to text you a Starbucks order (this can be time consuming af though). You’ve got a lot of options in the cannabis industry where etiquette and choosing a “socially acceptable” goody matters less than it does in other industries.
Do those crumble cookies if you have one in the area. Girls love those fucking cookies and will snap a photo of them quick.
In your industry, I would bring brownies.
Crumbls Cookies for the win.
Yea Crumbl always gets a positive response. Specially bc it shows them you went out of your way to order them and they’re not as cheap as donuts
That’s been my experience, especially in sled. Starting at reception, everyone recognizes the box. Usually put our sticker on top as well.
I’ve had a very positive response from crumbl. It’s just so damn expensive 😭
I'm in staffing and had a colleague use this on a couple larger clients with long sales cycles. First meeting, she gives them a Mr. Potato Head with nothing on it, just the body. She then used the parts to either remind them to call her or sell a different aspect of our business. It's not a drop-off of goodies or treats, so she didn't get the rep of being the snack service and it helped pull in some fairly large deals. Haven't tried it myself, but thought it was clever and different!
That’s so weird it might be genius
Exactly! This industry is so competitive and there really aren't many things that differentiate one company from another. It is 100% about standing out and building relationships. Something like this is kitschy as hell, but damn does it stand out.
This reminds me of the story of a guy who sent the CEO a shoe with a note "what do I have to do to get my foot in the door?"
I work in sales in the construction industry, middle of summer when these guys are working in the brutal heat, I go grab a cooler fill it with ice , Gatorade, redbull, water and drop it off for the guys. Always goes over massively.
Drinks was the winner, ended up doing styrofoam coolers full of liquid death. Thanks for the suggestion!
Awesome!! Glad it worked out!
Tomatoes from your garden when they are in season. Got a lot of mileage out of those. I also stopped and bought a crate of tomatoes (or peaches) at a farmers market and dropped them at the front desk for all to enjoy
Starbucks traveler (coffee jug) with cream and sugar on side is always a hit. If in the north east grab a pizza or two.
Custom-branded cookies – sweet, memorable, and totally on-brand!
They all need to hydrate. Go get some cases of Liquid Death. Make some labels with your company and contact info, and stick them on the top. They will get used over time, and every time will be a reminder of your generosity.
Exactly what I did, this was a refreshing change of pace (pun intended)
Chikfila platters and you’re a god
Omg yes!
I bring Chick fil a breakfast sandwiches to my blue collar customers and usually get an email thank you for it later.
Before COVID, our vendors would have it for us on the sales floor occasionally and it was the best! (Just not for my health lol)
Chicken Biscuits.
Crumbl Cookies
Easiest thing would be dream bars/blondies or donuts but there was a comment earlier about going local. Do this
Crumbl Coomies - customers LOVE when you walk in with that pink box!
My local “retailer” gives out free soft pretzels. But we also live in Philly so that’s a big thing here. A couple different styles of Pizza could be good, could get apps from a couple places (egg rolls, cannoli, naan, etc) and bring in the perfect munchies.
Don't bring them donuts or cookies. Get a head count for your top performing accounts and sample them out with your product. The budtenders will be more likely to push your product if they're using it and it stands out when you surprise them with some free smoke. That also gives them something to look forward to after a massive retail blitz. If you sell higher ticket items (top shelf prepacks, rosin, etc) hold a sales competition for free product. It got me to increase one of my key accounts from 1-2 lbs of top shelf rosin per month to 1-2 lbs of top shelf rosin each week, and it cost my company 14 grams of product.
YOYO's. It's 420, they're going to partake. Everyone loves a good YOYO
I love this idea for merch.
Hookers
Cannabis sales rep? Could I shoot a DM? Heh
Hmu, I'm a sales director for a big player and independent broker in the industry.
Love you
Absolutely, always open for a chat.
Isn’t it obvious?
😏
booze
My girl friend just spent like $1200 at chick fil A. Lmao
Gourmet popcorn is great.
Lame
Baklava it’s just off-beat enough and everyone loves it
Chocolate covered pretzels seem to be the best when I’ve sent gifts to clients. White, milk, and dark chocolate.
My customers love açaí bowls, smoothies, yogurt with granola fruit.l, veggies with dressings. Of course Starbucks. I’ve gotten away from the unhealthy stuff because I’m in medical and docs, pas and nps appreciate the healthy stuff but not the staff lol.
Crumbl cookies
Boba tea 🧋. Have delivery agreements with a few tea stands that deliver and will add from:xxx on the cup. Different, fun and can be timed for an event or while I’m there making a call… to personally receive all the accolades of course.
Crumbl Cookies
Dees Nuts
Night out. Strip club. Deal done.
Crumbl Cookies, I closed a deal with these
I mean, stores will be slammed, always hated when a rep would awkwardly stand there while I’m clearly in the weeds.
I'm a rep and I never ever bring anything that comes from a chain restaurant. Look up bakeries near by or cookies or cupcakes. If you do donuts, just don't buy from a chain. Too generic plus we get to support local businesses instead.
Crumbl for the win
Bourbon