A Cheaper Price, A Priceless Lesson

By: Jonathan Briscoe

It’s not every day you get pulled over by a steak salesman. I was sitting at a stoplight one afternoon when a van wrapped in steak decor rolled up beside me. The driver leaned out his window, gave me a friendly wave, and hollered, “Hey, you eat steak?” I laughed, thinking it was a joke. Before I knew it, we pulled into a parking lot, he hopped out of his truck, with a laminated menu in one hand and a grin that said he’d done this before. He started his pitch confidently, telling me about the quality of his cuts, how he supplied restaurants, and how he was “just trying to move the last few boxes before heading home.” I listened for a minute as he flipped open the freezer in the back of his truck to reveal neatly packed boxes of meat like a mobile butcher shop. Then came the price: $3,995 for the “premium package.” I must’ve had the kind of face that says, there’s no way, because before I could respond, he quickly added, “But if we get you taken care of today, I can do it for two grand.” Then a minute later, it was $1,000. Then $600. By the time the light was green again, we were down to $400. Now, that’s a pretty steep discount on a box of steaks, but something about it didn’t sit right. The steak didn’t change.

The truck didn’t change. The only thing that changed was trust. What started out sounding like a premium offer quickly turned into a desperation deal. Once that happens, it doesn’t matter how low the price goes, you’ve already lost me. When a price can fall that far, that fast, it makes you wonder what it was built on in the first place. I don’t fault the guy for hustling. In fact, I respect his persistence. It was a reminder that there’s a right way and a wrong way to earn someone’s business. The right way builds confidence. The wrong way builds doubt. In banking, in business, or in life, we all have something we’re selling, our services, our ideas, or simply our word. Every time we show up, our consistency and character are on display. When we hold firm on our values and pricing because they’re rooted in honesty, people notice. When we cave just to make a sale, they notice that too. The steak salesman was selling meat, but what I was really buying or not buying was credibility. Once that’s gone, no discount can bring it back. So, this week’s reminder is simple: be consistent, be confident, and never cheapen your integrity to close a deal. You can lower your price, but don’t lower your principles. Because the moment trust leaves the conversation, the sale doesn’t matter anymore. Every deal, without a doubt, will sell two things: the product, and the person behind it. Make sure both are worth buying!