Ben Gay III wrote "The Closers" series, which is considered the "Bible for salespeople". The series has sold over 10.5 million copies and is known as "The Foundation of Professional Selling". Ben's expertise comes from being the #1 salesperson in every organization he worked for, and at age 27, he became president of the world's largest direct sales/network marketing company at the time, Holiday Magic. The books were written to address a gap in professional sales training. Ben observed that many people lack proper sales skills, stating, "So now we have a generation... a generation of people who never learned how to sell". His goal was to provide comprehensive sales training and ignite the potential in those ready to learn.
In today's episode of The Closers Inner Circle Podcast, with hosts Denise Griffitts and Ben Gay III, Ben shares his remarkable experiences with legendary figures in the personal development and sales industry. Ben Gay III met Dr. Napoleon Hill when he was 25 and Hill was 84 and was the final mentee of Dr. Hill. Their relationship was facilitated by William Penn Patrick, who arranged for Dr. Hill to mentor Ben. Hill would often sit in Ben's office, writing on a legal pad while listening to Ben's conversations. This mentorship lasted for nearly three years until Hill's passing.
Ben also had close associations with other notable figures:
Earl Nightingale: Ben worked with Nightingale on customizing "The Strangest Secret" for various companies.
Zig Ziglar: Ben Gay III and Zig Ziglar shared a long-lasting friendship that began when they both responded to the same employment advertisement. They became colleagues at Holiday Magic, a prominent multilevel marketing company at the time. Despite their competitive nature, they maintained a strong bond throughout their careers, with Ziglar often serving as a mentor and father figure to Ben, who was 18 years his junior. Their relationship was marked by mutual respect and camaraderie, even as they navigated the ups and downs of the sales industry together.