The mixer salesman who built a fast-food empire

Published: Wed, 04/16/25

Updated: Wed, 04/23/25

April 16, 2025

TOGETHER WITH

Welcome back to The Quota, the newsletter that won’t judge you if you haven’t filed your taxes yet. Today, we have another fun issue, where we’ll take a look at the story of Ray Kroc, the traveling salesman who built the McDonald’s empire. Then, we'll share a Sales Fail about notes, and give some advice to a rep who regrets leaving their cushy job. So put on those noise-cancelling headphones, tune out your family (or sales manager), and let’s dive in!

NUMBER OF THE WEEK

28% of sales professionals say the sales process takes too long and suspect it's the biggest reason why prospects back out.

Source: HubSpot

SALES ROUNDUP

Here’s what’s happening in the sales world this week:

A thief recently broke into a car dealership in Tyler, Texas, by throwing a rock through a window, but was then unable to get out. The thief cut himself on the glass on the way in, then stole candy from a salesperson’s desk before realizing it was time to leave. He didn't want to go through the same window that caused the severe bleeding, and without finding another way out, he decided to do what most of us non-criminals do: call 911. You can read more about it here.
A South Carolina seller's fishy business has landed him in hot water after pleading guilty to importing and selling protected sperm whale parts. The dealer smuggled teeth and bones from Australia, Latvia, Norway, and Ukraine, cleverly disguising them as "plastic" to get past customs. After moving 85 pieces on eBay for over $18K, federal agents finally harpooned the operation, seizing another $20K in whale contraband from his home. Now he's facing up to six years behind bars, and hefty fines. You can read more about it here.

FEATURE

"BE047665" by Sabatu is marked with Public Domain Mark 1.0.

Ray Kroc: The Mixer Salesman Who Built the McDonald’s Empire

Before the golden arches dotted landscapes worldwide, Ray Kroc spent decades as a traveling salesman. His journey from selling paper cups to milkshake mixers ultimately led to one of the greatest business success stories of the 20th century, and possibly all-time.

From Piano Player to Paper Cup Peddler

Ray Kroc was born in Oak Park, Illinois in 1902. As a young man, he played piano in nightclubs, drove ambulances for the Red Cross, and sold real estate in Florida. But his true calling (sales) emerged when he joined the Lily-Tulip Cup Company after World War I.

As America's economy boomed in the 1920s, Kroc traveled from restaurant to restaurant, selling paper cups with enthusiasm that set him apart. He didn't just drop in, make his pitch, and leave. Kroc spent time with restaurant owners, asked questions about their businesses, and remembered personal details about their families and interests.

The Prince Castle Years

In 1938, Kroc was selling paper cups to Earl Prince, owner of the Prince Castle Multi-Mixer. Kroc was fascinated by the machine’s ability to mix five milkshakes simultaneously. Seeing its potential, Kroc took an enormous risk. He negotiated a deal paying $68,000 (just over $1.5 million in 2025) to have exclusive rights to sell the mixers nationally, putting himself in debt.

For the next 16 years, Kroc's life followed a grueling pattern. He'd wake before dawn in modest hotels, study his territory maps over breakfast, and spend all day driving between restaurants. Some days brought multiple sales; many brought nothing but rejection.

Kroc drove thousands of miles each month across America's expanding highway system. His car trunk was filled with mixer parts, and his mind was filled with stories about how his mixers had transformed other restaurants' operations. He became intimately familiar with the challenges of running a food service business, absorbing knowledge that would prove invaluable later.

At night, he'd call his wife from payphones, update his sales records, and prepare for the next day's appointments. While other salesmen complained about the road, Kroc embraced it. The restaurants of America became his real office, each one a potential client and an opportunity to learn.

The Fateful Order

In 1954, Kroc was intrigued by an unusual order that came across his desk—a small restaurant in San Bernardino, California wanted eight Multi-Mixers. At 52 years old, with gray hair and arthritis beginning to trouble his hands, most men might have simply processed the order and moved on.

Instead, Kroc packed his bags and hopped on a plane to see for himself. When he arrived at the McDonald brothers' restaurant, he witnessed something extraordinary—long lines of customers receiving their food with remarkable speed. The restaurant's efficiency and simplicity captivated him.

Standing outside that restaurant, watching the operation with a salesman's trained eye, Kroc didn't just see a good customer for his mixers. He saw his future. He saw a system that could be replicated across America. The next morning, he approached the McDonald brothers with a proposal to franchise their concept nationwide, with himself at the helm.

In 1961, after Kroc had grown the franchise to over 200 stores nationally, he purchased the McDonald's company outright for $2.7 million. The deal included a handshake agreement made infamous in 2016 biographical film, The Founder, where Kroc promised the McDonald brothers a half-percent royalty on all future McDonald's proceeds, a deal he would later renege.

The humble mixer salesman went on to become a fast-food mogul, transforming from the man who knocked on restaurant doors to the man who opened thousands of them across the globe. While many wouldn’t celebrate hit cutthroat and (sometimes) unethical business practices; we can admire his vision, grit, and salesmanship that built an empire.

“Adversity can strengthen you if you have the will to grind it out.” – Ray Kroc

COLD OUTBOUND IS EXTINCT, USE YOUR NETWORK

With outbound becoming increasingly complex, costly, and ineffective, companies investing in Go-to-Network will continue driving growth, leaving competitors behind.

Our friends at Commsor released a guide that walks you through how to properly implement the two halves of Go-to-Network: network creation, activities that bring buyers in your sphere of influence; and network activation, how you turn those networks into business value.

In this guide you can expect to learn new ways to layer in warm strategies without changing your entire sales process, discover what a Go-to-Network sales process looks like from start to finish, and get breakdowns of plays that are driving revenue for real Go-to-Network operators.

So what are you waiting for? A meteor to hit?

Start implementing a Go-to-Network sales strategy today.

Read the full guide here!

MEME OF THE WEEK

Source: Instagram -- Sales Humor

QUIZ

Which three actors star in the latest Broadway version of Glengarry Glen Ross?

A. Ethan Hawke, John C. Reilly, Elijah Wood
B. Michael Cera, Oscar Isaac, Jonah Hill
C. Bill Burr, Bob Odenkirk, Kieran Culkin
D. Glen Howerton, Walton Goggins, Ben Foster

SALES FAILS

Each week, we bring you the most cringe-worthy sales moments from across the web. To submit your sales fail story for consideration, click here. (Don't worry, you'll remain completely anonymous).

I pride myself on building relationships with clients, so I always keep detailed notes in our CRM. During a quarterly review call with a long-term customer, I shared my screen but shared the wrong tab and accidentally showed my personal notes on the client profile tab of our CRM.

He could clearly see the notes I'd made: "Personal: Doesn't respond well to technical jargon—use simple explanations. Recently divorced. Son plays college baseball at Northwestern—check scores before calls. Follow up on weekday mornings."

There was an awkward pause as I quickly clicked to close the window. His demeanor changed instantly and he got super quiet for the rest of the call. I knew it was a bad situation, so after we got off the phone, I sent a pretty personal email apologizing, but he didn't respond. He ended up emailing my boss and requested I be taken off his account or he wouldn't renew—which my boss had no other choice but to do.

Anonymous Location withheld

GRAPH OF THE WEEK

Source: LinkedIn Poll -- April 2025

WORTH A PEEK

What’s the best way to deal with the stress of working in sales? A burned-out rep worried about keeping his job recently posed this question on Reddit, with responses ranging from exercise, to self-talk, to avoiding drinking. You can read the conversation here.

ASK THE QUOTA

Want to submit a question and be featured in our advice column? Click here. (Don't worry, you'll remain completely anonymous).

Dear Quota Team,

I recently left a sales job where I consistently hit 200% of quota selling a market-leading product that essentially sold itself. It was great, but I wanted a challenge (and more money) so I jumped to a new company with a competitive product offering a higher OTE. Big mistake. I'm getting a fraction of the qualified leads I was getting at my last job and prospects constantly bring up our competitors (including my old company). I'm starting to think that my success may have had more to do with the product than my selling abilities. I'm not sure what to do and I'm really considering going back to my old boss on my hands and knees to get my job back.

Regretful in Location Withheld

Dear Regretful,

If you're truly convinced you made a mistake and you're better off at your old firm, there's nothing wrong with swallowing your pride and going back to your old boss and asking for your job back (assuming you left on good terms). But you also said you wanted a challenge and the opportunity to make more money — you now have an opportunity to do both. Invest in yourself and your career by making the effort to get better. Brush that rust off and focus on re-honing your skills. Good luck!

Quiz Answer: C. Bill Burr, Bob Odenkirk, and Kieran Culkin star in the latest Broadway version of Glengarry Glen Ross (you can read the source article here)

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Today's email was written by Ken Kupchik, Erica Furgiuele, Steve Rado, and Emily Hill.

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