Kim Willis

Story-based content for Hot Leads, Authority, and Trust | Ghostwriting for Time Poor Experts, Founders and C-Suite Execs | Soft Skills Specialist | Cut Through the Online Noise NOW

You are a Business Founder or Expert.  You're great at what you do, but struggle to connect with your audience; you're invisible.

Here is what people have said to us…

👉 "We're better than our competitors, but no one knows who we are." 

👉 "We post on LinkedIn but don't have a formula that works."

👉 "We've got client success stories, but we're unsure how to package them so people read them."

👉 "We'd like to get quality leads regularly, but dont know how"

👉 "Sometimes we lose deals to inferior competitors and don't know why"  

People want messaging that cuts through -  content, conversations, whatever.  That's when they say to themselves, "it's like they're talking directly to me".	

Most content is similar to everyone else.That won't work. Not in the age of AI and commoditised content.

I propose a change....

1. Content that cuts through - written in the customer voice, not that of the vendor.
2. Customer success stories that sell.
3. Referral partnerships to generate warm leads.
4. Impactful sales conversations to drive sales.

Where to start?

We'll help you lift your content game - from voice of vendor to voice of customer, done for you. 

 Then, we'll help you set up referral partnerships so lead problems are a thing of the past.

And if you need help converting leads into sales, let me know.  

ABOUT ME

I've been making sales since I was 19.  I've trained thousands to use stories, high-impact content, and trust-based conversations to land more deals.

If you want more perfect-fit clients, talk to me.  Send a message. 

► 𝟭𝟮𝟭 𝗖𝗟𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦 𝗜𝗡 𝟲 𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗛𝗦, 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗡𝗢 𝗔𝗗𝗦"Kim helped me improve my content, sales copy, and one-to-one engagement with people. To say he has a 'way with words' is an understatement.  With his help, I attracted 121 customers/clients online in six months. I spent no money on ads. Highly recommended." Connie Cachia, Digital Marketer (retired).

► 𝐀 𝐇𝐔𝐆𝐄 𝐀𝐌𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐔𝐄"Great ideas; I love the full post. Now, I understand the power of good writing. And I can vouch for Kim's brain dump call process. A huge amount of value there." Lloyd Thompson, Founder at Digitaldoo.com

► "𝗞𝗜𝗠 𝗪𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗜𝗦 𝗜𝗦 𝗔 𝗥𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗖𝗘""Kim Willis is a rare resource and one you should connect with. He can easily mix his skills in copywriting, sales, and social media marketing in such a way that it works. I'll be forever grateful for the advice, coaching and mentoring he provided me, and so will you." Peter Beckenham. The Solopreneur Sales Strategist.

Partner

Got Skills But Minimal Sales?  The Shocking Truth About Most Experts…….

Most coaches, consultants and self employed ‘experts’ are great at what they do.  But here is where they often fall down: they’re not so good at finding clients.  If you’re like a lot of coaches, experts and creative people I talk to, sales and marketing is not a comfortable activity for you.

You just want to do what you do best – work with quality clients – and make a difference for them.

👉 Is This You?

Maybe you’ve got technical skills (SEO, web design, even accounting), or creative skills (writing, blogging etc), or maybe you're a coach.  Irrespective, you just want a better, easier way to find clients.  Without having to sell and hustle like a salesman

👉 A Better Way to Attract Clients

Here is where you want to be:  the expert and authority in your niche.  Get it right and people will beat a path to your door.  Mess it up and people will run a mile.
 
 ****Special Offer to My Linked In Connections****

If you want to attract ‘A’ class clients to you like bees to a honey pot, you should talk to me.  I’ve been using these techniques for years in my own business.  Techniques that enabled me to quit the rat race and travel the world as a digital nomad.  

So here is my $500 offer for you……

I will give you up to 1 hour of my time (by phone, Zoom or Skype) for brainstorming, including specific strategies on expert positioning and client acquisition.  I’ll always be focused on skyrocketing your income by showing you how to attract clients who pay you top dollar.  

All I ask for in return for this free help session is a testimonial and the opportunity to build a valuable relationship.

Results matter, so that will be my focus with you – to give you valuable ideas you can use straight away.

👉 Contact Me

Link me in (see above).

OR You can contact me here:
Phone:
USA: 310 601 8528
Australia: 07 3102 3572
Skype: kimwillishere
Email: kim@persuasionpursuit.com

You dont need to post content on LinkedIn

It’s not essential.  What? Sacre bleu.  

That's what happens when you push back against the prevailing zeitgeist.

People believe all sorts of things, but they’re not always correct.

For example:

1). Content is King.  
False.  Connection is King.

2). Posting on LinkedIn is All You Need.  
False.  99% make little or no money from their posts.

3). Virality and Impressions Are the Main Goals
False.  Warmth and credibility are the main goals.

Does that mean you shouldn't post on LinkedIn?  No, but there are plenty of successful people who never post here.  They don’t run ads either.

They make money from marketing activities such as:

- In-person Networking
- Virtual networking
- Collaborations
- Joint Ventures 
- Referral Partnerships

In short, it’s about relationships, which is the main game, even on LinkedIn.

Mess that up, and you’ll struggle,

Will I stop posting here?  Not a chance.  Here’s my take on LinkedIn posting: 

✅ It creates warmth
✅ It builds brand value
✅ It’s my source of truth
✅ It establishes credibility
✅ Sometimes it generates leads

It’s a bedrock around which your relationship-building, network and influence-expanding activities will be built.

 Thoughts?

Gidday!  You have a message for the people you serve. Shout about it.
 
But in the social media age, many find it hard to get attention.  And building a following and establishing authority is difficult. 

To win people to your cause, you need more than a good idea.  You need a method and a plan to bring it to life and expose it to 'your people'.

And without those two elements, the chances of success are slim to none.

Success starts with high-impact LinkedIn posts.  The goal is to reframe the reader's thinking.  This is one of the ways we generate warm (even hot) leads.

But here is the problem:

Many hate writing LinkedIn posts.  Or they don't have much confidence in their writing abilities.  

And even if they like writing, their abysmal results tell another story.

Or they don't know about the LI platform and how to make it work for them.

Finally, many are too busy.

Read on if you can relate to one or more of the above points.

Sure, you can give LinkedIn the flick.  But what's the alternative?

- Money wasted on ads
- Cold calling
- Cold email
- Old-style networking
- Blogging and SEO
- Thought leadership content that never gets read

Instead of beating yourself around the head, outsource the work to a 'pro who knows'.

I'm no smarty pants or arty farty marketer.  I come from belly-to-belly direct sales and have personally sold millions of dollars of products and services online and offline in various industries.

I can crank up sales for most established small to medium businesses.  And I can do it with little or no financial risk to yourself.

Let's talk.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙊𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙎𝙖𝙮 𝘼𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙈𝙚, 𝙈𝙮 𝙎𝙠𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘼𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙚 𝙍𝙚𝙨𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙨:

► '𝙆𝙄𝙈 𝙒𝙄𝙇𝙇𝙄𝙎 𝙄𝙎 𝘼 𝙍𝘼𝙍𝙀 𝙍𝙀𝙎𝙊𝙐𝙍𝘾𝙀'
"Kim Willis is a rare resource and one you should connect with. He can easily mix the skills of copywriting, sales and social media marketing in such a way that it not only makes perfect sense but it also works. I'll be forever grateful for the advice, coaching and mentoring he provided me and so will you." Peter Beckenham. The Solopreneur Sales Strategist.

► 𝟭𝟮𝟭 𝗖𝗟𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦 𝗜𝗡 𝟲 𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗛𝗦, 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗡𝗢 𝗔𝗗𝗦
"Kim helped me improve my content, sales copy, and how I engage with people one-to-one. To say he has a 'way with words' is an understatement. With his help, I attracted 121 customers/clients online in six months. I spent no money on ads. Highly recommended." Connie Cachia, Digital Marketer (retired).

Referral Systems to Drive Leads | Trust-based Conversations to Drive Revenue | Case Studies to Build Belief and Authority | People Connector and Community Builder.

“People are ignoring you for one simple reason”

You’re a nobody - they don’t care about you."

This is what I said to a frustrated expert a few days ago.

He knew his stuff, had a good track record, but was having big problems attracting perfect-fit clients.

Once his mainstay, the flow of referrals evaporated.  Here is why:

1). His biggest referrer owned an agency, then closed it.  

2).  Customer referrals dried up, and he’s not sure why.

3).   Networking produced leads, but the quality was often poor.

What to do?  

Get serious and treat lead generation as a must-do activity.  Daily is best.

Then you’ll be in control of your marketing.

You won't be at the mercy of one or two people who throw you referral crumbs.

Not saying that referral partnerships and collaborations are a bad idea, though.

 Done correctly, they can work very well, but only if you have a system that:

- Identifies ideal partners for you.
- Cultivates the best partner candidates.
- Appeals to self-interest so partners support you.
- Educates them about the transformations you deliver.
- Easily facilitates the flow of endorsed introductions to you.     

This is the difference between a wishing and a hoping approach to client acquisition.

And one that is dedicated, systemised and reliable.

Of course, referral systems aren't the only way to generate leads.

But for those who detest using “salesy” techniques, it’s an important pillar.


P.S. My latest TRUST BUILDER (weekly) newsletter takes a deep dive into this topic.  To become a subscriber, type NL below or send me a message.

Christmas is “done and dusted” 

What’s next?

Back into the fray.

But it was great to largely ignore LinkedIn over the last 2 weeks.
I have no intention of being a 52-week-a-year content poster here.

Balance is key, and taking a break several times a year is a good thing.

It gives you time to reflect, recharge the batteries and tweak things.


My main initiatives for 2026 are: 

1). Micro Networking Events
For those with a collaborative mindset. Know anyone like that?

2). Referral Partnership Program - Upgrade
I’ve given it a makeover, and it’s “hot to trot”!
 
3). Trust Builder Method
More trust = easier sales.  Ask for my 33-minute video tutorial.  Not a pitch, but a well-thought-out master plan.

4). Trust Builder Newsletter
Finally, after years of procrastination, I’ve launched my first newsletter!  Details below.

Any big plans for 2026?  Please share.
—-------------------------------------------------------------------
About the Trust Builder Newsletter….

Recurring themes will be:

1. Collaborations, Referral Partnerships and Ecosystems.  Insights and tips.

2. Storytelling for Trust, Leads and Sales.  The best way to cut through the clutter and drive revenue.

3. Leveraging Customer Delight. Got at least one happy customer?  Then leverage the crap out of it.  I will show you how.  

4.  Social Proof ScaleUp.  More social proof = more trust, leads and sales. Yes to Testimonial stories and Case Studies.  But also customer reviews, monitoring Social Chatter and more. 

I'll also introduce subscribers to interesting people I’ve met (you can request an introduction), and review online networking events I've attended.  

Published weekly.

To subscribe, type NL below or send me a message.

TODAYS PIC.  Belated Christmas greetings from my grandson, Noah.

persuasion-pursuit

Talks about #casestudies, #productiveteams, #personalbranding, #linkedinmarketing, and #thoughtleadership

The Wonders of Warmth
That was the title of a Live Event I ran in 2024.

I like the alliteration and especially the theme:

- Warm marketing is better than cold.

Anyhoo…
I did a call today with a guy who was starting a new business.

He had a great concept - guided outdoor adventures and leadership training for Founders, CEOs and other Leaders.

Only one problem…

He had no idea how to promote it.

He also made it clear that he is not a salesman.

And he had an aversion to cold calling and other salesy activities.

My response:

“Good thing.  Warm marketing is better; so let’s do that.”

“Heck yeah”, came the reply (more or less those words).

Here is the basic plan I designed:

1). Clarify his target audience (ICP)

2). Build an initial list of decision makers, influencers and referral sources.

3). Warm the list.

4). Send connection requests.

5). Be friendly (via the DMs)

6). Invite them to a tailored “getting to know you” Micro Networking Event (Zoom).

7). Look for the ”bright eyes” and follow up.

8). Invite them to a 1-to-1 Zoom call or a “Deep Dive” Micro Networking Event (Zoom).

And get deals done.

That’s my plan, what's yours?  

 P.S.  I cover topics like this, plus trust-building techniques including collaborations, referral partnerships and story-driven marketing in my weekly newsletter, The Trust Builder.  Send me a DM or type NL below.

The key to powerful and persuasive presentations

And become the communication hero you were meant to be.

It works in group and one-to-one situations.  

It’s very simple….

1). Develop a compelling talk

2). Internalise it.

3). Share it when an opportunity arises.  

And do it if you never become a public speaker.
Share snippets or whatever is appropriate given the circumstances.

This exercise will transform the way you interact with your audience - one-to-one, small groups, whatever.

Snippet Strategy.  Share snippets:

- At networking events
- In elevators
- On a call

But you need the structure first.  

When you’ve internalised it, all future interactions will be much more potent.
And your confidence and personal power will soar!

This is by far the best method I’ve found to boost the quality of my interactions.  

I used this method to overcome my fear of public speaking.  

Speaking to groups terrified me.  Any more than two people was a crowd, and I ran a mile.

Although comfortable in one-to-one situations, I always froze in front of a group.

So I developed a talk and internalised it through constant practice in front of a mirror.

For example, my storytelling for profits talk has been totally internalised through constant repetition over decades.  

This is why a short talk I gave two weeks ago was well received.  

People knew I was the real deal.  And responded accordingly.

And zero prep before the talk.

The key is structure and internalisation, NOT just the number of talks you give.

Without a strong structure, you’ll fail.

The downstream effects of developing and internalising a full talk is the way to go.

It can change your life.

Way to go, folks.

Many expert-led businesses make this fundamental mistake
Short-term revenue needs, but long-term marketing strategies.

How's that gonna work?  It can't.

The key to developing sales and marketing strategies is to ensure they’re aligned with the needs of the business.

If you need to generate quick sales, these methods are unlikely to work:

1. Podcasting
2. Thought leadership
3. Authority content
4. Community building
5. Advertising

Not saying you shouldn't do them.  

They’re good, but they’re unlikely to bring home the bacon anytime soon.

If I had an acute revenue problem I’d do things like:

- Friendshipping in the DMs
- Zoom calls (with those who are leaning forward).
- Online business networking groups
- Referral partnerships

I’ve generated warm leads from each of these methods, often within a few weeks and sometimes immediately.  And conversion rates are high (above 50%).

Does that mean you shouldn't employ at least one of the five longer-term methods listed above?

No. Pick one and add it to the list.    

For example, Thought Leadership content

 - Post twice a week on LinkedIn.  

This will give more oomph to your short-term activities.

More people will reply to your messages, and conversations will be easier to develop.

A no-brainer.

Gay Baker in the Dough
Grab a slice for yourself

It doesn’t matter what business you’re in; if you've got the right attitude, you can achieve great things. 

When I was a kid, a member of the family was very entrepreneurial.

It was my grandma.

For example, she started a dress-making business from the garage in Camp Hill, Brisbane, Australia.  

Then she opened a shop to sell the garments.  Apparently, they sold like hotcakes.

It was a crazy time, because soon she hired people to make the garments in the large garage.  At its high point, the micro dress factory was running 24/7.

Sad to say, the venture went kaput.  The local council received complaints and closed it down.  

They fined her heavily for running an unlicensed manufacturing business from home.  

Oh well.

Why am I sharing this story?  It’s an interesting story.  

But it’s also an example of wordplay in action.

My grandma's name was Edna Baker, but everyone called her Gay because she was a gay person.  A  big personality who seemed perpetually happy.  I called her Gay, not Grandma.  And no, she wasnt a lesbian!

So using wordplay in the headline is one of my fav writing devices.  People assume it means one thing when it means something else.  

And yes, Camp Hill is a real suburb.  I wanted to include it in the headline, but chickened out.  

So, if you want to stand out, consider using wordplay, especially in the headline.

Another favourite technique is alliteration.  Soon, I’ll do a micro lesson for subscribers of my TRUST BUILDER newsletter.  If you want me to add you, type NL below, or send me a message.

What techniques do you use to help your headline (or hook) stand out?

Please share.   

TODAYS PIC.  Gay Baker with my late wife.

Who can you trust?
AI trickery, the erosion of trust and the opportunity for you.

Like you, I want to believe.

I want to believe in people who know more than me.

And can help me. 

I do it in different ways...

Having conversations with interesting people I meet on LinkedIn is one of them.

Likewise, for some of the people I meet at virtual networking events.

Real people, telling it how it is.

But that's not always how the content game works.

Especially now.  AI has had a profound effect on how we consume content and the way we react to it.

Trust has plummeted, and for one simple reason.

Many no longer trust content.  They wonder if it's real or more AI fakery.

A question to ponder…

If you can’t build a modicum of trust from your content, how can you establish authority?

You can't.  Without authority, no one will follow your advice.  

And they certainly won't buy from you.

You’ll be ignored and all because you took a shortcut.     

AI-derived content is having a corrosive effect. 

People dont trust it.  They want truth; something that touches them on an emotional level.

Something they can believe in

Until that happens, they will not be giving their hard-earned money to anyone.

Not to you, not to me.

It ain't gonna happen.

P.S.  I cover issues like this and trust-building techniques, including collaborations, referral partnerships and story-driven marketing in my weekly newsletter, The Trust Builder.  Send me a DM or type NL below.

Here’s why marketing and business gurus suck at LinkedIn

They’re like their clueless followers - they don’t get it.  Talk about the blind leading the blind!

A couple of days ago, I had a call with a great lady.  She had recently signed up for an expensive mastermind program with an Aussie marketing guru.  

But he’s invisible on LinkedIn.  I also checked him on Facebook.  He had an account and was posting regularly, but once again, not much in the way of visible support.  Why?

I don’t know about you, but I’m reluctant to give money to someone who purports to be skilled at social media etc, yet is clearly not walking the talk.

I’m not saying you should have hundreds of comments. 

But if your content is good, and you've been doing it for a while, why dont you have a small cohort of supporters?

Some say it’s not important.  And in certain cases, it’s not.

But it helps to have social proof that supports your posts.

It's certainly been a door opener for me.  And hey, it boosts my response rate from direct outreach.  NO BAD THING!

So why dont these marketing gurus “get” social media, especially LinkedIn?  Probably because they’ve not done the grunt work to succeed.

Often they draw on past successes in the offline world, such as cold outreach.  

Then try to make them work on social platforms.  OH NO!

I succeeded on LinkedIn because I invested time to figure it out.

Here is how I do it now:

1). Connect with good people

2). Support their posts

3). Send warm and relevant messages - no cold pitching.

4). Invite them to subscribe to my warm TRUST BUILDER newsletter.

5). Invite them to participate in one of my warm micro networking events.

Notice the progression from the impersonal LinkedIn world to my warm world?

This is the way to go, folks.

Create your special world, and ask people to join it.    

You may be surprised how many people say YES.

“Networking is for extroverts, count me out”
I’ve lost count of the number of times I've heard this.

And to be candid, I’ve said it many times.

I’m not just talking about in-person networking.

I also resisted going all in with social media for 7 years.

I bought my false story - “I’m not social; social media is not for me.”

So, finally, in 2016, I got serious about Facebook.

Lo and behold, within a few short months, I was making money.

And kept making it until COVID kinda ruined everything.

Looking back, my procrastination cost me hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost income.

Oh well, better late than never, eh?


Here is the advantage that those with a quieter disposition have over extroverts.

They listen more and talk less. 

They have fewer, but deeper conversations. 
That's how you build relationships that mean something.

✅ Try this in 2026: 
- Lean into one-on-one conversations. 

If you feel overwhelmed by big networking events, avoid them. 
- Instead, focus on depth, not breadth. 

And get involved with virtual networking events, one of which is on today - my first for this year.

I’ll share many opportunities to collaborate and meet people in my new weekly Trust Builder newsletter.  

But more than this, I’ll also be covering topics such as: 
1️⃣ Collaborations and Referral Ecosystems.  Insights and tips.
2️⃣ Storytelling for Trust, Leads and Sales.  Cut through the clutter and drive revenue.

To become a subscriber, type NL below or send me a message.

The best ROI from LinkedIn
And hardly anyone is doing it.

LinkedIn is largely underrated.

Why? Most people don’t understand it.

They think it’s about reach, views and virality.

Let’s try something else…

LinkedIn is a networking platform.

I used to think it was a lead gen platform. I got leads and made sales, but it didn't feel quite right.

My instincts kept telling me, “You’re going the wrong way Kimbo, turn back.”
But I wasn't clear on the alternative until last year.

Look at it this way….

Results flow from your lived experiences.

- Ideas you test.
- Wins and losses.
- Courage you display.
- Relationships you build.
- The demons you confront.
- Resilience in the face of adversity.

That’s how it is with LinkedIn - it’s a people platform, not a tech platform.

So niche down and find your perfect fit people, then connect with:

1). Content
2). Comments
3). DMs and email

Then bring them into your private world.

There's a big opportunity here.  So, use LinkedIn as your main front-end platform.

People buy from people. So make the shift and embrace networking instead.

P.S.  Where is the ROI?  Check comments for ideas.

—--------
YOUR PRIVATE WORLD
What is it? Take your pick.  Build an email list, Zoom calls, phone calls or invite-only Micro Networking Events (my fav).  

Learn how we do it by subscribing to my weekly newsletter, TRUST BUILDER.  To subscribe, send me a message.

Happy to share that I'll be speaking at Collaboration Conversations with Guest Co-Host Kim Willis! Make sure to attend it tomorrow.

Co-Creator of the CEO Holy Grail | Bridgeport Strategy CEO | Helping business owners achieve exponential increases in profitability while creating an efficient business that can run without them | Speaker | Author

Join me and my Guest Co-Host, Kim Willis - CEO of Case Study Monkey, and our guest panelists - Lisa McGuire, Andrew Schulkind, Marie Dill, Kat Irwin, and Jenni Reher- on January 8th at 8:00 a.m. CST, as we explore the power of having collaboration conversations in growing your reach, your influence and your business.

FOR CEO'S, HR LEADERS, FOUNDERS AND PEOPLE MANAGERS...

Hiding in Plain Sight - blink, and you’ll miss it....

Why Your Team is Disengaged, Unmotivated and (sometimes) Unproductive.  How to Fix the Problem once and for all.

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