Gaynor is an entrepreneur determined to rise to the top of his
industry. And it's hard to argue that he won't. TNG, which
now has more than 230 loyal and enthusiastic employees, is growing
by 30 percent each year in an industry that usually sees 2 percent
growth.
"We don't call customers," brags corporate trainer
Frank Knight. "They call us--with huge orders. It's like
they can't spend enough. They apologize when they have small
orders--they feel they aren't living up to [our]
expectations."
So how can you achieve all that? In a way, it begins with a bet.
But most of all, it begins inside the sales machine.
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The Sales Machine
It's a big machine. Gaynor's warehouse holds 10,000
items, from nail polish to tanning beds. On a typical day, TNG
ships out up to 15,000 items worldwide. Roughly 50 sales staffers
sway minds on telephones, telling incoming callers that if they
just buy a little more, they'll save a little more. They offer
more good deals than Monty Hall. Meanwhile, about 25 salespeople
make deals out in the field, persuading salon owners nationwide to
carry nothing (or almost nothing) but Nailco.
One of those salespeople is indoor tanning director Dave Folsom.
With his crew cut and tall frame, he looks like a cross between a
military instructor and a gym coach. He's one of TNG's
elite. "I like [TNG's] leadership, the management.
We've got good commanders," says Folsom, who likens
TNG's sales instruction to basic training (and he should know:
He's also a military policeman in the reserves). "We
attack, and we attack in full force."
But for all the people running the sales machine,
something's got to fuel it. And that formula is
Gaynor-designed:
* A sales-enthusiastic
culture.
* A learning-friendly
environment.
* Incredible customer
service.
| "We
don't call customers. They call us--with huge orders. It's
like they can't spend enough." |
The recipe is deceptively simple, but the cooking process is
anything but. Almost as soon as new employees arrive, they're
introduced to the TNG culture. Explains Maureen Mann, vice
president of sales for the Industry Source division, "You have
to want to play on the team, and you have to want to win."
Gaynor has wanted to win ever since he was 10 years old, working
in his dad's hardware store in Detroit. Even in high school,
Gaynor worked weekends and evenings, missing the chance to play in
sports. An armchair psychologist might suggest that's why
Gaynor acts more like the fired-up, beloved coach of a high school
football team than a CEO.
TNG has "school colors"--purple and white. Especially
purple. It colors the walls, carpet, cubicles, chairs, tables,
pens, files and folders. The building's exterior features a
prominent purple stripe. Numerous pennants, emblazoned with
"TNG Rebels," decorate the place. And how many businesses
do you know with their own fight song? At quarterly meetings,
you'll find TNG cheerleaders and a Rebel mascot (played by
Folsom), and at annual meetings, a real high school marching band.
Working at TNG is one big pep rally.
That's the idea. It's hard to be excited about selling
for your company if you hate your job. And how could you not like
working here? Gaynor and his wife, Teresa, TNG's vice
president, host two barbecues per year for the staff, and Gaynor
routinely passes out $100 bills at quarterly meetings. TNG
occasionally caters lavish lunches for employees, and there's
always free soda in the lunch rooms.
Says Anne Schultz, one of TNG's top sellers, "Every day
I come to work in a good mood."
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