Despite how careful I’ve been to prepare people for the sheer greatness of the Idea, when I get to this point and finally actually introduce them to the Great Idea, most people are a little dumbfounded. Which is fine; great ideas often take a little while to be truly understood. People usually have some questions:
Where does it work?
It works everywhere. You see, the mug entitles the bearer to free refills.
But why does a business honor the mug?
Because the mug entitles the bearer to free refills.
Well then who gets the money?
I do. It was my idea.
And if a business doesn’t want to honor the mug?
You’ll just have to explain to them, as you would to a recalcitrant child, that the mug entitles the bearer to free refills.
Does it work in coffee shops?
Yes. The mug entitles the bearer to free refills.
Does it work in restaurants?
Yes. The mug entitles the bearer to free refills.
Does it work in pubs? Bars? Breweries?
Yes, yes and yes. Please be responsible.
After asking several or all of these questions, this tends to happen: My interlocutor will fall silent as she considers everything she just heard. I’ll wait patiently because I know what’s coming next. And then she’ll say, “That’s a pretty great idea.”
And I’ll say, “I know.”