Understanding your customers is a fundamental underpinning of building any business. The more you know about your customers, the more you can provide them with what they need.

The world of tea is no exception — tea drinkers are a unique bunch who enjoy and experience their beverage in many ways. At two leaves and a bud, we've taken the time to build our understanding of your average leaf tea consumer and make sense of their wants and needs in the marketplace. Here's three important insights we've learned about tea drinkers that can help you build business:

Tea drinkers love variety

In a recent survey of two leaves and a bud customers, we found the number one reason tea drinkers drink tea (next to the obvious answer of taste) is for tea's diversity — the endless variety of tastes, colors, aromas and textures. It makes sense when you think about it: tea is an incredibly interesting, unique beverage from all over the world. Customers love to explore and discover tea's variety — it's fun, interesting and exciting.

How to use this: Cross-sell! Ask your customers what types of tea they like, show them something relevant and new, and you'll see their eyes light up. Create sampler packs. Feature different teas monthly in your store and use point-of-sale displays that showcase the full line you carry. Before you know it, customers will be walking out the door with two boxes of tea instead of just one.

A lack of tea education

If tea drinkers are so interested in something new, then why aren't they buying a new tea every time they walk into your store? From our research, we find that the lack of tea education out there is a critical reason why people won't spend money for a brand new type of tea. In today's economic climate more than ever, people will financially shy away from what they don't know — Earl Grey is the safe choice they've had before, so it's the tea they're willing to pay for.

How to use this: Educate yourself and your staff about tea, and educate your customers in turn. Take time to become more knowledgeable about tea, and train yourself and your staff to educate customers every chance you get. if you really want to get serious, start holding monthly seminars for customers — you'll be surprised what a positive response you get, and you'll be building customer relationships and selling more tea all the while.

(Side note: Two leaves and a bud now offers live virtual educational sessions for you and your staff. If you're interested in learning more about tea and training your staff, e-mail phil@twoleavesandabud.net and we'll schedule a time for you!)

Functional is good

Helping one's body while eating or drinking is just one of the many ways a more convenience-focused America is driving today's market. There are many "functional" food and drinks like Vitamin Water or Activia popping up in the marketplace. As for tea, not only is it a well known healthy beverage that's still growing in today's challenging economic climate, but medicinal wellness teas are now ubiquitous in any storefront and are growing at double the rate of the rest of the tea market (6 percent versus 3 percent). Two leaves and a bud just released a new line of functional "Better Being Teas" and saw near-instantaneous consumer demand for the products.

How to use this: First thing's first — carry teas with functional benefits. Teas like Better Belly Blend and Better Rest Blend instantly communicate their functional benefit to consumers, and tap into your customers' need to help their bodies while satiating their thirst. And don't forget that while a good wellness tea is sure to sell, green teas are well known for their health benefits and meet the demand for functional benefits. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, arm yourself and your staff with knowledge of tea's health benefits, and be prepared to lace your descriptions of each tea with its functional benefits when consumers ask.

There's three consumer insights that will help build your business. What have you seen that's unique about tea drinkers? How do you treat them differently from other customers?