Tommy Schaff, CMCT
Cialdini Method Certified Trainer®
Influence that turns trust into commitment — and commitment into results.
Tommy Schaff helps professionals understand how people actually decide — and apply that understanding in conversations where trust, emotion, and stakes are real.
After more than 35 years in Fortune 500 sales, private equity, and consulting, Tommy didn’t “discover” influence — he found the science behind what he had been doing instinctively his entire career. People don’t decide based on logic alone. They decide emotionally — and they follow through because of trust.
His work is about turning that trust into measurable outcomes without scripts, pressure, or pretense.
WHY PROFESSIONALS WORK WITH TOMMY
As founder of Major League Influence, Tommy blends behavioral science, real-world experience, and practical tools to solve one of the most common communication problems in business: People try so hard to sound impressive that they forget to sound human.
He has trained thousands of financial advisors, insurance professionals, consultants, and leaders to stop pitching and start connecting — resulting in clearer conversations, stronger commitments, and decisions that endure.
Not by selling harder — but by operating more precisely.
THE STORIES™ METHOD
Tommy created the STORIES™ Method, a structured framework built on Dr. Robert Cialdini’s Principles of Influence, designed to turn complex, emotionally charged conversations into clear commitments.
STORIES replaces:
- Jargon with clarity
- Scripts with presence
- Pressure with alignment
Because people don’t act on what they hear — they act on what they recognize as true.
IDENTITY CREATES CONSISTENCY
Consistency doesn’t come from discipline.
It comes from identity.
When professionals stop trying to “do the right things” and start operating as the kind of person who does them naturally, behavior changes without friction.
That identity shift becomes a force multiplier — creating clarity, confidence, and follow-through that lasts, even under pressure.
RESULTS MATTER AND HERE’S WHY
Results aren’t the goal. They’re the evidence.
When people win:
- Decisions were made
- Problems were solved
- Value was created at scale
If outcomes aren’t showing up, the work isn’t working.
Tommy works best with professionals who are willing to take responsibility for outcomes, not just effort.
WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE IN PRACTICE
In practice, this work helps professionals:
- Lead conversations without scripts or pressure
- Create clarity in emotionally charged decisions
- Secure commitments that hold up over time
CREDENTIALS & EXPERIENCE
- Cialdini Method Certified Trainer, trained and certified by Influence at Work
- 35+ years across Fortune 500 sales, consulting, and private-equity-backed businesses
- Served Chet Holmes and Tony Robbins as Chief Strategy Officer of Business Breakthroughs International, speaking after Tony Robbins on three continents
- Great American Speak-Off Semifinalist, recognized for clarity, connection, and audience engagement
- Creator of the STORIES™ Method
- Developer of the Ideal Client Multiplier Machine, used by hundreds of top advisors
- Founder of Major League Influence, a national training organization focused on ethical, high-trust persuasion
- Trusted by organizations including GAF, Northwestern Mutual, PayPal, Granite Creek Capital, and others
- Co-author (in progress) of May I Have Your Attention Please? with Stu Heinecke
- Holder of U.S. Patent No. 8,255,306 (Identification of businesses with potential to achieve superior revenue growth and financial performance)
- Former Limited Partner and Board Member of Go the Distance, owners of the Field of Dreams movie site — they built it, and Major League Baseball came
- Known for blending discipline with personality — including a lifelong love of baseball and collecting
Tommy works with a limited number of professionals each year to ensure depth of application, not surface exposure.
Mission
To help professionals operate from identity — not scripts — so their conversations, commitments, and results stay consistent under pressure.
Because when identity is clear, influence becomes natural — and outcomes follow.
Clients trained by Tommy
- Caxy Interactive
- Cindy Miller Golf
- GAF
- Gradient Financial
- Granite Creek
- Hunt Big Sales
- Magnolia Financial
- Madan + Associates
- MassMutual
- Northwestern Mutual Life
- Osmond Home Loans
- PayPal
- Penn Mutual
- Renovo
- Retirement Next Generation
- The College Funding Coach
- Wealth Building Cornerstones
- Whole Life Masterminds
What Dr. Cialdini Says About Tommy:
“Tommy Schaff brings a remarkable history of business success to his teaching and training. Combined with his deep understanding of the persuasion process, he has an extraordinary ability to convert experience and science into programs that leave audiences highly motivated and fully equipped to overcome influence challenges and achieve their goals. He is a winner who turns those around him into immediate front-runners.”
New York Times Business Best Seller Author, CEO, and President of INFLUENCE AT WORK
