By Lenora Edwards
When I first sat down with TJ Ziebell in 2020, I was looking for solutions to complex communication roadblocks in my own business. Like many leaders, I thought my challenges required tactical fixes—sharper presentations, better scripts, or revised agendas. Instead, TJ Ziebell introduced me to a fundamentally different perspective: true influence is never built on tactics. It is built on human psychology. Ziebell calls himself a professional problem solver, a title earned over 30 years across 30 distinct professions. He has worked as an auto mechanic, a commercial photographer, a high-volume car salesman, a bartender, and an advisor to executives and TEDx speakers. Despite the breadth of those environments, he discovered a single constant: human beings operate on identical subconscious needs regardless of their title or net worth. In a recent conversation on The Entrepreneurs Forum, Ziebell explained why traditional business communication frequently breaks down. Most sales professionals and corporate leaders rely on feature-heavy arguments. They present technical specifications, product capabilities, or operational advantages, expecting logic to close the deal. However, human decisions are rarely driven by logical features. Every major choice rests upon an individual's internal values and criteria. "Rapport is the lubricant that allows people to feel comfortable around you and trust what you offer," Ziebell noted during our interview. "You cannot make a decision about anything without accessing your values and criteria. You will defend those standards, and you will be offended if someone ignores them."
Macy's department store trained its sales staff to ask specific questions about customer preferences rather than pushing existing inventory. When a shopper came in seeking a specialized blender that was out of stock, the clerk did not try to sell her an unwanted substitute. Instead, the clerk called a competing store down the street, confirmed they had the exact model in stock, and directed the shopper there. Short-term revenue was sacrificed, but the long-term impact was massive. That customer returned to Macy's first for every subsequent purchase throughout her life because she knew the company honored her actual criteria rather than its own short-term quota. For modern entrepreneurs and executives, applying this principle means moving beyond standard discovery questions. Instead of asking what a client wants to buy, leaders must ask two core questions: What is important to you about this outcome? And how will you know when you have achieved it? The first question uncovers the core value, such as security, speed, or prestige. The second question reveals the exact sensory standards required to fulfill that value. When a leader reflects those exact criteria back to a client or team member, trust establishes almost instantly. Yet, even the most skilled communicator will hit a ceiling if their internal identity fails to support their ambition. This brings us to what Ziebell calls the financial thermostat. Just as a physical thermostat regulates room temperature, our internal belief system regulates our maximum level of success and wealth. Most people establish their financial thermostat before age 18,
To illustrate this shift, Ziebell shared a story from retail history often called the Macy's effect. Decades ago,
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