Food Quote by Ray Kroc
““The agreement gave me 1.9 percent of the gross sales from franchisees. I had proposed 2 percent. The McDonalds said, “No, no, no! If you tell a franchisee you are going to take two percent, he’ll balk. It sounds too full and rounded. Make it one and nine-tenths, and it sounds like a lot less.” So I humored them on that one. The brothers were to get .5 percent out of my 1.9 percent. This seemed fair enough, and it was.””
About This Quote
Source Interview: Business Negotiations, 1975
Franchise agreements often use precise numbers to appear modest; slight adjustments can change perception of value.
In simple terms: Exact figures affect how deals are seen.
Key Takeaway
Use precise language in contracts.
Themes
business
negotiation
psychology
Mood
pragmatic
strategic
Type
business
advice
When to use this quote
- sales meetings
- franchise discussions
- pricing talks
Key Concepts
pricing strategy
perception management
contract law
Questions to Reflect On
- How does numerical framing influence agreement?
- When is precision ethically necessary?
A Different Perspective
Minor tweaks may still be perceived as manipulation.
![“[S]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once, for example, when I was just starting out in the food business, I was hired by the caper people to develop a lot of recipes using capers, and it was weeks of…” quote by Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d79/nora-ephron-1217_business_s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-th_980.jpg)
