There is no business without sales, something the Think Grow Lead (TGL) Group understands. The company was founded on the belief that sales is the lifeblood of every enterprise and a discipline that can be learnt and mastered. Yet, despite its importance to economic growth, sales often carries a stigma, from the fast-talking car salesmen of 1990s infomercials to today’s scepticism about anyone with “sales” in their title. TGL aims to change that narrative. The company positions sales not as a gimmick but as a skill that determines whether a business thrives or fails.

“To sell is human. Every conversation is a sale,” said Duane Lue-Fung, executive chairman and founder of TGL, in an interview with the Jamaica Observer.

Inspired by Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich, Lue-Fung launched TGL to elevate the practice of sales and equip people with the tools to grow.

“I believe if we’re creating leaders, you have to walk backwards; it starts with thought, so you have to become a better thinker, and then a better thinker drives growth, so you think, then you grow, and the result is you lead,” said Lue-Fung.

In 2015, the business was conceptualised and registered. At that moment, Duane Lue-Fung called his business partner, Paul Bryan — now the director of regional sales and co-founder — to share challenges he was having with a salesperson over the phone. Before this, Lue-Fung had started a Kyocera business in Jamaica, an experience that sharpened his perspective on what drives success.

“When I look back, I only did well, not because I was an excellent entrepreneur but because I was excellent at selling,” he recalled.

With a keen eye for sales strategy and techniques, Lue-Fung found himself analysing other sales agents he encountered. Often, he noticed they struggled to sell to him, and instead of walking away, he guided them through the process, effectively teaching them how to close the sale. That sparked a light-bulb moment: how many people were out there trying to sell products without the skills to truly succeed with clients? He called Bryan to share his thoughts, pointing to a gap in the Jamaican market and industry, and that is how the business began. Bryan, a trained business coach, agreed to partner with him; Lue-Fung already had years of experience working in industries that required selling, including selling copiers. The art of selling wasn’t new to either. While individual trainers offered sales coaching on a micro level, corporations weren’t investing in sales training in a structured way. And when they did, the trainer’s name was often forgotten. With further research into the sales training space, TGL moved to establish itself in an industry where its founders were not yet known. After registering in 2015, the company hosted its first workshop with about 30 participants. The turnout, they admitted, was surprising; not only did individuals register, but corporate organisations also sent staff, providing early validation for the fledgling venture.

“Sometimes you have to leap and find your wings going down; sometimes you have to build the plane while you’re flying,” Lue-Fung told the Sunday Finance.

That early success provided the validation TGL needed to push forward, and from there, the company gained momentum. For the first three years, the company operated out of a friend’s office before moving into its own space at 47 Hope Road in Kingston, where it has remained ever since. Through trial and error, TGL refined its model. The workshops quickly gained traction, particularly among corporate clients. While individual salespeople attended, the company focused its marketing on sales managers, betting that if leaders bought into the training and demanded higher performance from their teams, the impact would be greater.

“Individual salespersons are not generally inclined to save themselves; they are not generally inclined to go study on their own or to take money from their own pocket to increase their capacity to earn,” admitted Bryan.

Bryan noted that only around 10 per cent of salespeople are willing to pay for their own training. Most rely on their companies to provide it.

“You have to take your learning in your own hands and know that your future lies in your ability to know more and to know it better than anybody else,” he added.

Over time, TGL recognised a gap in the education landscape. While people often turn to institutions for formal training and see certification as a more credible way of building skills, there was no official school dedicated to sales. To fill that void, TGL partnered with the University of the Commonwealth Caribbean (UCC) to create the TGL School of Sales and Sales Management, giving participants formal certification in sales training.

“UCC approached us because they realised a lot of people, especially in corporate, were asking for other courses outside the normal marketing courses,” explained Lue-Fung.

Alongside its partnership with UCC, TGL also delivers its own independent programmes each quarter. Accredited since 2017, it remains the only school of its kind in the Caribbean.

“79 per cent of participants in the School of Sales start earning more personal income after the training, and 87 per cent stay at a higher level of confidence to do what they need to do in sales,” Bryan cited.

Building on its success, Bryan shared details of one client that had struggled with stagnant revenues. After TGL’s training, which identified weaknesses in its “sales DNA” and internal practices, the company saw a dramatic turnaround. Within six months, sales improved month after month.

“Marketing makes noise. Sales convert a lead into a customer,” he explained to the Sunday Finance.

With repeat clients and a growing demand for corporate training, TGL has since become the leading sales consultancy in the region. The company now has a presence in Trinidad, where it launched a physical operation a year ago following strong interest from firms there. TGL has trained hundreds of companies and is now eyeing Suriname and Guyana as its next markets within the next 36 months.

“It’s a vision of ours to become the leaders in the region in terms of sales consultancy,” shared Lue-Fung.

LUE-FUNG…to sell is human. Every conversation is a sale (Photo: Karl Mclarty)

BRYAN…you have to take your learning in your own hands, and know that your future lies in your ability to know more and to know it better than anybody else (Photo: Karl Mclarty)

Team members at TGL Group co-founders Paul Bryan (left) and Duane Lue-Fung (second left) discuss business with Malika Watson, marketing and communications manager, and Jermane Blair, business development executive. (Photo: Karl Mclarty)

Paul Bryan, TGL co-founder and director of regional sales, leads a sales training session. The next training is scheduled for October 21, 2025.

The TGL Group team .