Kim Willis

Persuasion Pursuit

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

Partner

Willis Marketing

Director

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

If you're an expert with something to say, shout about it.

But you need an engaged audience.

No audience = no clients

How will you do it?

Different ways but here are my favs:

1. Podcasts
2. YouTube
3. LinkedIn
4. Website
5. Email list
6. Live Events
7. Collaborations

All good, but it's not as easy as it looks, but I guess you know that already.

The issue is not the method; it's more about execution than anything else.  

How will you get the job done? 

Will you need help?

If you're a do-it-yourself person, fine.  How's that been going for you?

Look, if you don't fix it, here is what will happen:

- You won't get enough traffic
- You won't generate warm leads
- You won't attract high-value clients
- Your dreams will be put on hold
- Hopes will be dashed
  
 I can help you:

• Build trust

• Establish authority in your industry.

• Give clarity about what you do and who you help.

• Inspire a prospect to work with you

I've helped hundreds of people generate more traffic, leads and clients.  We do it with smart traffic and relationship-building methods.

For example, I redesigned Avon's LinkedIn About section and newsfeed content for his Relevate business. Views increased by 500% within two weeks, and he got a new client.

Help starts at $395.  Send me 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 the skills of 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.

Last week I saw Faheem Moosa’s post that featured a pic of him with a couple of his clients.

No biggie except for one simple fact.  He’s from Canada, but the pic was taken in Dubai.

He was there for a business conference, and fortuitously, two of his clients were at the same event.

Like me, Faheem does all of his business online and rarely meets clients face to face.

Seeing as I haven’t been on a plane since before COVID, the last time I met clients face-to-face was in 2019.

I hosted a small mastermind for a handful of my clients, hence the pic.

Connie was one of my best students.  She embraced what I taught her and, over the next few months, attracted 121 customers without ads.  How did she do it? Direct outreach on Facebook.

Yes, really.   

Here is a picture of us in Bali.  Connie is on the right, with her husband on the left.

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

Who should you write for?

Those who pay you, or those who praise you?

For many, it’s the latter.

They crave approval

They forget about the main game: 
- Winning right fit people to your cause
- Being the go-to option for buyers

Temptations abound.

And lots of goo-roos will pander to your ego.

But winning Likes and Comments from those who will never buy.

Is a fool’s errand that ends up one way

No moulah
 
And a likely exit from LinkedIn

Oh well.  Another dream shattered.

Back to the drawing board.

The message?

Focus on: 
- Networking
- Relationships
- Conversations

Boring eh?

You dont need another hack; you need an idea that's worth sharing

Own it and “prosecute the case for change”.

What idea?

Something that grabs people by the “short and curlies”. 

And won't let go.

They love it and want resolution.


Ready to give them what they want?

Potential clients want something to believe in.

So, light them up.

Got an idea that’s worth sharing?
—----------
P.S. Need help to find your shareable idea?

persuasion-pursuit

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

“We’re better than our competitors, but no one knows who we are.”

Ring any bells for ya?

You’re great at what you do, but struggle to connect with your audience; you’re invisible.

You’ve paid your dues. You’ve mastered your skills. 

Sometimes you take on clients for the money, not for enjoyment.  

Reason?  You're not in control of your marketing.  

So how can you change things?

Don’t just give advice, share your perspective.

Don't be bland, share a defensible Point of View.

Develop your IP.

Think bigger and grab the leadership baton.  

And get your message out there.

But here is the problem…. 

👉 To establish yourself as a thought leader will likely take years.  

It’s a good thing to do, but if you’re like most of the people I talk to, you can't wait.  

You need quality leads
You dont want to be “salesy”
You need results now, not in a year or more.

I propose a change….

1. Referral Systems to Drive Leads.  Warm, endorsed leads. And within a month or so.  Why wait?   

2. Sales Conversations to Drive Sales. Conversations, not sales pitches – so much better.  More deals done, and without the angst.

3. Case Studies That Sell.  Customer stories that persuade and instil belief.  Let them do the heavy lifting for you.

That’s what I do; what about you?

Forget discovery calls

Embrace continuous conversations instead.

This is the approach Steffan Surdek  takes.  

I do the same thing.  Yay - we have a match!

As Steffan says, “I don't mind having multiple conversations spread out over time to build a relationship with them.” 

When they are ready, they usually let him know.

Can you accelerate the process?  Sometimes yes. 

For example, ask pertinent questions and you may uncover a pain point that is causing the prospect anxiety.

Probe deeper, and a pathway to a solution may come into view.

If not, no problem.

As long as the prospect is a good fit for you, take your time and relax.

Better to do this than push too hard - it’s a sure way to lose good people.

As trust builds, barriers come down, and it becomes easier to get to the truth—the heart of the matter.


I used to be an old-fashioned pitchman because that's how I was taught. 

But I never felt comfortable with it.  So I switched.

This is how I do business now, and I love it. SLOW SOCIAL - to speed up, first slow down.

Highly recommended.

For more ideas on this important topic, check the comments.

Why less qualified people are stealing your lunch

Here's the uncomfortable truth:

That "less qualified" person is winning BECAUSE their expertise is limited.

They think their basic insights are groundbreaking. 

But basic is exactly what your target buyers want.

Your buyers aren't experts. They're trying to solve a problem, and they need someone who can explain what's going wrong in simple terms.

Meanwhile, you're adding layers of nuance. Caveats. Sophistication.

You know too much to keep it simple.

You add complexity because you're worried a peer might think it's not "expert" enough.

This is status anxiety dressed up as quality control.

You're afraid to dumb it down because you want to prove to peers that you know your stuff.

But your ideal buyers aren’t impressed by your expertise.  What they want is simple: they feel you understand their challenges.

So you have a choice:

Create content that earns nods from peers (who will never hire you)...

OR create content that attracts clients.

One feeds your ego. The other feeds your family.

So, are you creating for peers or for your clients?

Here's what's wrong with most case studies:

They don’t emotionally connect, so people care 🤔

I just reviewed a case study from a business productivity consulting firm. 

Nice graphics, professional layout, great results...

But zero impact.

The problem?

They wrote it from their perspective instead of speaking to the person 
with the problem.

Whether you're creating a customer success story or pitching to 
investors, your content needs two things:

1. Logic
2. Emotion

Most businesses simply dump data and overlook the human element.

Let me show you what works:

Take Genesis+, a biotech startup fighting strokes (not its real name). 

Their CEO faced three battles:

- A partner who left to compete against them
- FDA rejection of their first application
- His mother's death from a stroke

Instead of boring slides about market size, he told a story of triumph:

- Winning the patent race
- Finding a pre-stroke protein
- Creating an affordable blood test
- Being driven by personal loss ❤️
- Using the FDA rejection to improve

The result? 💰

The bankers weren't just listening - they were captivated.

When he revealed that they could save 100,000 lives a year, they called the banker and transferred the funds.

The Message?

Write for the people who matter, not for yourself.

Cut the crap.  Fess up - your fear is holding you back
That was me

I was like a deer frozen in the glare of a car's headlight..

Trying to deal with my fear of public speaking wasn't easy.  

Time and time again, I rejected opportunities to give talks about my primary area of expertise:

“How to use stories and conversations to explode your sales”

Hot topic, eh?  Yet every time someone asked me to speak… 

I made every cotton-pickin' excuse under the sun, including:

- I’ll be on vacation
- I have another commitment
- My dog is about to die (I didn't have a dog)
- I’m scheduled to mow the lawn (I never mow lawns) 
- My wife said I was a loser, and now I'm sad (another lie)

But finally, I developed enough gumption to kick the fear to the curb.

And give my first talk.

It was a disaster, but I recommitted and, over the next few years, gave hundreds of talks. 

As I improved, my results also improved.  Some talks led to hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue.

All because I tackled the fear monster head-on, and won.

What fear have you conquered?

What fear do you need to tackle?

P.S.  I still have fears - fear of heights, and I’m claustrophobic.  Oh well, can't win ‘em all. 

TODAY'S PIC.  Me at 5 months.  Another lie.  It's Noah, my grandson, and he has NO FEAR.  (Well, not yet. haha)

Mini celebs in the offline world
But total nobodies online

Mmm, I see this a lot.

Not a problem if:
👉 You’re totally crushing it offline.
👉 You’re happy doing much face-to-face work.
👉 You love travelling a lot. 
👉 You detest working from home.

Not saying you should follow me:
- Totally online since 2011
  
But if you’re sick of: 
1. Spending time driving around
2. Being stood up at appointments
3. Spending money on transport and entertainment

I suggest a balanced approach:
❌ Less time offline
✅ More time online

Then invite your offline connections to your digital world
😍 On LinkedIn or elsewhere

But you’ll need to shun these counterproductive behaviours:
1. Post and ghost
2. Post nonsense content
3. Ignore comments and replies
4. Avoid conversations in the DMs
5. Not interacting with post commenters
6. Seduced by shiny objects and other temptations

And here is the big one…

🎯 You don’t have an idea that’s worth sharing

You want something that grabs your peeps and makes them sit up and take notice.

Mine?  I'll share mine and the thinking behind it in a future post.

Online mastery isn't that hard.

Quicker results may be closer than you think.

P.S.  Want tips on how I do it?

Why B2B marketers mess up on LinkedIn
They treat it like a lead gen platform.

That used to be me.  I bought into the hype and went all out for leads.

After 3 months - no leads, no nothing

So I switched

I focused on relationships and little more than a month later signed my first client

So the message is clear:

LinkedIn is really a networking and relationship-building platform.

This is why cold outreach campaigns bomb.

The same applies to running ads to people who don’t know you.

It’s likely to fail.  You’re a nobody, and you will be ignored.

Instead, start here:

1. Ideal Buyers.  Your ideal client profiles (ICP)
2. Engagers.  Industry people who amplify your content to buyers.
3. Industry Influencers.  Thought leaders your buyers follow.
4. Potential Channel Partners.  Non-competitive companies serving your ICP
5. Niche Media.  Podcast hosts, event organisers and community owners.

Build relationships with these people.

Referrals, introductions and warm leads will flow from there.

The Success System That Never Fails

That’s the title of a book I read many moons ago.

Written by W. Clement Stone, he shared his miraculous story of how, at age 19, he began working with his mother to sell accident insurance policies. 

He became a sales superstar and then founded his own company, Combined Insurance, which eventually grew into a large business.

According to Stone, the keys to success are threefold:

1. PMA - Positive Mental Attitude.
2. A saleable product
3. A sales success system that never fails

Rather than constantly reinvent the wheel, he was adamant that a simple, replicable system trumps constant improvisation.

We dont have to embrace everything Stone did or all of his views, but I like the idea of having a success system that works over and over again.

Replication = Multiplication

It’s the way to scale.

Example:

I’m building a new referral system where warm leads are regularly produced.

Like clockwork.

I can’t do that without a reliable system that replicates the initial work I did

It’s not smart, it doesn't duplicate, and it’s very tiring.

Thoughts on systems?

Any fool can complicate things

Even me.  Which is why I’m always simplifying my message.

So an 8-year-old can understand it.

But to do it well, understand your topic at a deep level.

Go deep.

Then remove excess words that add nothing to the piece.

Sometimes less is more.

And right now commoditised content - AI slop or otherwise - is saying a lot but meaning little.

Your job is not to produce content that means nothing.

Instead, learn how to cut through so you mean something to your audience

It’s about resonance, not word count or posting frequency.  

Slow down, and focus on making real connection

That’s all.

Why I’ll never join BNI

Or other in-person business referral groups.

I’m not saying you can't make money from them.

You can.

But often the referrals are low quality - not exactly your type of people.


Not all referral groups are like that, of course.  

Some attract high-calibre people, but it’s the exception, not the rule.

The effect for many members - especially white-collar experts - is few, if any leads.

And if the leads convert, often the ticket value is low.


The other problem is the time factor. 

I know people who spend half their week travelling to one networking event or another.

And having one-to-one networking coffees.  

It’s ok to do these things, but it's not very time-efficient, and it can be expensive.

Here is my suggestion…

✅ Break free from the need to always meet people face to face.

And find a balance between online and offline networking activities.

And for crying out loud, be creative.

👉 Example:

Many moons ago, when living in Sydney, I hatched an idea to visit Melbourne to do business.

I had some connections there, so I enlisted their support and asked for introductions.  

Each of these introductions was called, and appointments were booked.  Yes, no emails or DMs were sent - fancy that.

The result was 5 new clients and a heap of revenue.

This might sound harsh, but some of the people who join these often expensive networking groups are a bit lazy.  

They don’t have the wit, courage or confidence to break free and go for it.  


There are plenty of ways to generate business without spending countless hours a week doing offline networking.

I’ll talk about one of them in my next post.

P.S. Regarding the above example.  It happened when I was a young guy - well before the internet.  Would I travel a long way to talk to leads now?  No way.  Today, I would do a Zoom call and decide the next steps from there.

Who are you writing for?   Your peers or your ideal buyers?

Sometimes you lose business to competitors who aren't as good as you.

It SUCKS

Why do some buyers do that?  

You know they won't get as good a result if they had chosen you.

Yet, they made the decision.

Other than licking your wounds and crying to mommy, there’s nothing you can do about it.

Back to the drawing board.

Let's see if we can sort it out for next time.

But first you need to uncover the reasons for this sad state of affairs…

1). Competitors Make Outlandish Promises.
👉 And they won’t be delivered.

2). Competitors Cut Their Prices to The Bone.
👉 How you gonna compete with that?

3). You’re Writing For Your Ideal Clients but…
👉 You’re not cutting through.
👉 You don't make the case for change.

4). You’re Writing For Your Peers NOT Your Ideal Clients
👉 You want to impress peers more than persuade ICPs
👉 You want to fit in and don't want to rock the boat.
👉 You post safe content that never persuades.

The effect?  They don’t buy.

Look at the last point.

Some experts are more intent on impressing their peers than their target audience.

Strange.

They don't want to offend peers and push back against the status quo.

So let's forget about that and focus on the main game

✅ Give your ideal clients exactly what they want.

They have a problem and want it solved.

So, do this first:

🎯 Interview Your Customers

Not another inert survey but a live interview by phone or Zoom.

Ask questions like these:

Why did you buy from us?
What pain were you experiencing?
What problem did we solve for you?
How did you feel after we fixed the problem?
What consequences for not solving your problem?

You don't need to interview all of your clients.  Just a handful.

Done right, you’ll get some amazing insights.

Then you can leverage them into a messaging strategy that rocks.

When was the last time you interviewed your customers?


P.S.  Don’t fancy doing client interviews in-house? Let skilled interviewers do them for you.  Send me a message.

Why you don’t share your tiny little stories
You think only big stories sell.

You don’t think they’re essential.

You don’t think people are interested.

You think only big stories sell.

No one else is doing it; you don’t want to stand out.

You’re too busy to collate them.

You don’t know how to do it.

You’re trying to impress your peers


Snap out of it.

You want a better tomorrow?

Make changes today.

Your target audience wants gutsy, relatable business stories.
 
Especially tiny little stories.

So give them what they want.

And stop trying to impress your peers.


Need help to find your tiny little stories?

taplio

Kim Willis's Linkedin Analytics

Kim Willis

Performance ScoreKim Willis's LinkedIn Performance

What is Kim talking about?

Who is engaging with Kim

Kim Willis's Best Posts (last 30 days)

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

.css-6ytdur{background-image:linear-gradient(284deg, rgba(39, 43, 72, 1) 0%, rgba(33, 47, 183, 1) 100%);color:transparent;-webkit-background-clip:text;background-clip:text;}Kim Willis's Linkedin Analytics

Kim Willis

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Kim Willis's LinkedIn Performance

What is Kim talking about?

Who is engaging with Kim

Kim Willis's Best Posts .css-1emoo84{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:400;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);}(last 30 days)

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Kim Willis's Linkedin Analytics

Performance ScoreKim Willis's LinkedIn Performance

Kim Willis's Best Posts (last 30 days)