Using Digital Signage to Train Your Staff: Best Practices
Overcome the challenge of updating your team’s product knowledge amid a busy dispensary schedule.
As the cannabis industry continues to grow and evolve, dispensary owners and managers need innovative ways to train staff and keep them informed about the latest products, regulations, and best practices. Digital signage offers a dynamic and engaging solution to enhance employee training and improve your overall operational efficiency. By leveraging the power of visuals, interactive content, and real-time updates, you can create a more effective and engaging learning environment for your employees. Let’s learn how.
Understand the Fundamentals of Digital Signage for Staff Training
When a customer walks into your store, your budtender needs to have full product knowledge to help these customers make informed purchases. This leads directly to excellent customer service which 93% of customers say causes them to make repeat purchases with a brand. Digital signage provides a platform in your stores that is always on and capturing not only your customers' attention, but also your employees, which makes it the perfect product for staff training since the human mind learns through repetition.
Benefits of Digital Signage for Dispensary Staff Training
Using digital signage helps you hit two birds with one stone. This method helps you achieve the following benefits in staff training:
Increased Engagement: Dynamic displays and interactive content capture people’s attention and retain it longer than static signage. This means your interactive prompts such as, polls and surveys, see a higher rate of participation, giving you better results.
Improved Knowledge Retention: Visual learning enhances information recall and comprehension in the human brain. Studies show that pairing information with relevant images increases retention rates to 65% which leads to informed purchases and happy customers.
Consistent Messaging: Digital signage provides the ability to easily update content and send it to multiple screens across various locations. This give you the ability to deliver consistent messaging to all staff regardless of location or work hours.
Reduced Training Costs: Having information up on screens eliminates the need to print material out for your staff to remember and learn from. This eliminates the costs for printed materials and reduces reliance on traditional training methods.
Flexibility and Accessibility: Having product information up on screens gives your staff the ability to quickly reference information as needed. This also helps in committing consent to memory as staff members will see information multiple times a day during their shift which streamlines the onboarding process for new hires and facilitates continuous learning for existing staff.
Real-Time Updates: Facilitates the dissemination of timely information on new products, policy changes, and industry updates. This means your staff doesn’t have to wait until they open email to learn new information in real-time.
Employee Recognition and Appreciation: Promo TVs can provide a platform to celebrate employee achievements, share thank-you messages, and recognize exceptional performance. This fosters a positive and motivating work environment within your stores and gives customers trust signals as they see staff members being recognized for their achievements.
Increased Productivity: Studies show that businesses with engaged employees are 21% more productive. This shows the potential for digital signage to improve overall dispensary efficiency essentially leading to improved sales.
When you’re using products the right way, you save time and build efficiency which leads to increased sales.
Identify Key Features of Effective Digital Signage Solutions
Before choosing the right digital signage company for your dispensary, ensure you’ve done your homework of which company gives you the most value for your money. Effective digital signage solutions that also offer you the ability to train your staff should include the following key features:
Dynamic Content Management:
Cloud-based system for real-time content updates
Automated scheduling for promotions, menus, and compliance messaging
Multi-location control for consistent branding across stores
High-Resolution Displays & Customization
4K or HD screens for sharp visuals and product imagery
Customizable templates for branding and promotions
Interactive & Customer-Focused Features
Touchscreen capabilities for product exploration and education
QR code integration for mobile engagement and online ordering
Compliance & Regulatory Messaging
Displays age restrictions and state-mandated notices
Automated updates for legal changes and safety warnings
Secure content management to prevent unauthorized changes
Point-of-Sale & Inventory Integration
Real-time menu boards synced with inventory systems
Automated out-of-stock notifications
Pricing and promotion updates without manual intervention
Advertising and Revenue Generation
Third-party ad integration for brand partnerships
Promotional zones for featured products and special offers
Remote Management and Analytics
Cloud-based control for content updates from any location
Performance tracking and engagement metrics
Seamless Hardware and Software Compatibility
Works with various screen sizes and kiosk setups
Compatible with existing POS and other existing software
Easy-to-use dashboard for non-technical staff
This checklist helps you choose a company that can give you the ability to train your staff with customized content that you can display for employees to learn from throughout their shift.
Develop Engaging Content Tailored for Dispensary Staff
With the ability to create your own content that mixes into the digital screens in your stores, you can develop engaging material that your staff can benefit from. This doesn;t need to take time away from your main responsibilities of managing your business. Build the right strategy and you will witness your staff knowledge increase which builds a better customer experience in your dispensary.
Effective Content Strategies for Staff Training
Creating engaging and informative content is crucial for successful digital signage training programs in dispensaries that don’t take away from the customer experience. Here are some key considerations:
Types of Content:
Emergency Communication: Digital signage can be used to communicate safety rules and regulations, ensuring that all employees are aware of and comply with important safety procedures when needed. This slide can be something you display maybe twice a day during a specific hour when you know only staff is around such as opening and closing.
Company News and Events: Keep customers and employees informed about company updates, industry news, and upcoming events. This gives you an effective communication channel to let the right people know about what’s going on.
Quick Notices: Use digital signage to display quick notices, such as any info needed about products or store closures.
Your content should include a good mix of relevant information for your staff such as safe use methods, and upcoming developments from cannabis research. This mix of content repetition turns your average employee into an expert within a few months.
Content Best Practices for Digital Signage
There are a few things to consider when developing content for your digital signage displays. Here’s are a few things to keep in mind:
Visuals: Incorporate images, videos, and animations to make content more engaging and memorable for your audience. You can use content created by others as well such as youtube videos.
Welcome Messages: Use digital signage to create welcoming and informative messages for employees and visitors that lets them know you care about them.
Regularly update content: Update your digital signage content often to reflect new products and information. This method also keeps your employees from zoning out the displays.
By incorporating these best practices, you can create a dynamic and informative digital signage network that effectively engages employees and enhances their learning experience.
Types of Training Content to Use
Digital signage can be used to deliver a wide range of training content for your dispensary staff that not only helps them deliver a better service but builds confidence in their knowledge. Build content for the following areas:
Product Knowledge: Provide detailed information in a concise way on cannabis strains, products (e.g., edibles, concentrates, topicals), and their effects. This can include information on cannabinoid profiles, terpene profiles, potential benefits, and recommended usage.
Compliance Training: Communicate and reinforce state regulations, dispensary policies, and responsible sales practices. This can include training on age verification, purchase limits, and identifying signs of impairment. Digital signage can also be used to display safety rules and regulations, ensuring a safe work environment.
Security Procedures: Communicate security protocols, emergency procedures, and best practices for maintaining a safe work environment. This can include information on access control, surveillance systems, and responding to security incidents.
Company News and Updates: Keep employees informed about company announcements, policy changes, and industry news. This can include updates on new products, promotions, and changes in regulations.
This mix of content gives you the opportunity to train your staff in the areas that matter the most for them when it comes to communicating with customers.
Questions
How do you start training staff using digital signage?
Integrate concise product videos or informative slides via Promo TVs, ensuring your team understands cannabis and its safety. Monitor feedback to refine content and improve training for your cannabis retail environment as needed.
What benefits does digital signage offer for training staff?
Digital signage streamlines staff training by displaying real-time updates and clear guidelines that boost knowledge retention, reduce confusion, and support effective operations in your cannabis retail shop.
How can you tailor content for dispensary staff training?
Tailor training content by covering cannabis product knowledge, store operational procedures, and compliance guidelines relevant to your location. Incorporate videos and other online resources that provide content to ensure staff at retail cannabis shops meet customer expectations and regulatory standards.
Conclusion
Digital signage streamlines staff training by presenting clear and impactful visual content tailored to your dispensary’s needs. It simplifies complex processes and provides interactive elements that enhance immediate learning while also building long-term memory through content repetition. Regular content updates keep your team informed about operational changes and regulatory standards in an efficient and consistent manner. Applying these practices in your dispensaries creates knowledgeable staff that drive improved performance and operational consistency leading to increased sales.
Want to learn how to create a digital display strategy that beats your competition? Book a demo today.