SHORT STORY
“The Money I Make Is Earned From The Product I Create”
“I’m giving you advice and you aren’t listening!”, Bell tells Junior at his BBQ smoker in front of the corner store. “Money is power, but your product is gold. You can’t raise the price on money, but you can control the cost of your product if the demand exceeds your supply.”
Junior responds, “I know that, but it’s hard to build clientele without cheapen my design fees to beat competitor rates. I already spend less than I earn and I have no budget to promote. My product is the best, but this industry isn’t paying off and bills are due.” Juniors luck has been down and briefly thinks about hustling his income tax with a trip to North Carolina.
“I can smell your food a mile away!”, a customer yells bringing Juniors attention back to Bell’s BBQ grill after remembering his risk of getting caught with all that work. The customer noticed Bells’s BBQ sign while leaving the corner store and says, “I heard you have the best food in town, what are you cooking?”. Bell reads the menu and gives a detail description of his food, homemade recipes and great reviews that keep locals coming back.
The customer cuts Bell’s sales pitch short after hearing that his meat falls off the bone to make his order. The customer tries to short Bell by only offering to pay $5. Bell a veteran to the customers game responds, “My menu list the price at $10 a plate. If you want to pay $5 then go to the knockoff wing joint uptown and you’ll get what you paid for.”
After smelling the greens, bake beans and seeing the mouth-watery ribs the customer replies, “I’ll pay $10. You slow cook your food. I heard your sides are addictive and I’m tired of french fries.” Bell replies, “Thank you sir.” He hands him a flyer that Junior designed and informs the customer that his restaurant’s grand opening will be in a week.
Junior takes note and is impressed at how his father handled the situation. As the customer walks away Bell focuses on Junior and says, “You see son, everything’s negotiable. You have the opportunity to determine your price. Just remember with price comes value. Your product has to leave a long-term impression that will make customers loyal to your brand. The cost of your service or product doesn’t matter. If it’s good the people will always support. Because the Money I Make, Is Earned From The Product I Create!”
Short story by – Reggie Basheem Coleman
