Marijuana Entrepreneur Needs Salespeople, 'Who Have Smoked Weed And Can Talk About Our Products'

Marijuana Entrepreneur Needs Salespeople, 'Who Have Smoked Weed And Can Talk About Our Products' - Forbes:
"Starting with an outdoor marijuana grow then a retail store, Gonzalez expanded to cannabis oil production to infuse products like truffles and brittle candies, as well as cannabis oil for vape pens. However, there are major challenges to the expansion, especially when it comes to banking.
“No matter how good my numbers are, I can’t get a loan,” she said due to banking restrictions on the industry.
“If we need another delivery truck or oil production machine, we have to pay for it directly.”
That means all profits are invested right back into the business.
Advertising restrictions are another barrier to business growth.
Unable to advertise in traditional ways, Gonzales has hired three “brand ambassadors,” who hold events at dispensaries in California where customers can sample products and enter drawings for vape pen giveaways.
More recently they have launched GFarma.TV and GFarma.NEWS, short videos they post on YouTube and other sites to develop their brands.
Gonzalez says she looks beyond the typical résumé when hiring her brand ambassadors and salespeople.
“Yale and Harvard aren’t going to teach you the marijuana culture,” she said, “I need salespeople who have smoked weed and can talk about our products.”