Start with the questions your buyers ask
A VSL works when it answers the doubts in your viewer's head, in the order they have them. List the questions prospects ask on sales calls. Each one is a part of your VSL, and many become short videos of their own.
Tap a question to see the video it becomes.
- The videoYour story: how you learned this and why you care, in under a minute.
- The videoProof from people like your viewer: results, screenshots and short testimonials.
- The videoA clear walk-through of the offer, with each part shown on screen.
- The videoYour guarantee, said plainly and calmly, straight to camera.
Film a few extra pieces while you're set up: a short introduction, two or three tips and a client story. They become ads, Reels and YouTube Shorts that lead people to the VSL.
- The hookThe first 30 seconds, filmed several ways.
- Short tipsOne idea each, for social media.
- Client storiesResults, in their own words.
Set up the phone properly
Use the light you already have
Sit facing a window, with the window behind the phone. Soft daylight on the face looks better than any ceiling light and makes you look rested and trustworthy. Avoid sitting with a window behind you, which turns you into a silhouette.
Film every section at the same time of day, or the light will change between parts of the VSL. If you film across several days, note where the phone and chair stood so the shots match.
Get clear sound in an ordinary room
A VSL lives or dies on your voice. Record in a small room with soft furnishings, close the door, switch off fans and air conditioning, and keep the phone within an arm's length. Bare walls and hard floors make you sound distant.
Tick what you can do in your room.
Talk to one buyer, not an audience
- Look at the lens
- Picture one ideal client
- Speak in short sections
- Keep your energy up at the start
- Read a script word for word
- Talk to "everyone out there"
- Film it all in one take
- Rush the guarantee and next step
Look at the lens, not the screen. Film your VSL in sections: hook, story, problem, solution, offer and guarantee. Use bullet points rather than a word-for-word script, so you sound like yourself.
Don't worry about mistakes. Pause, then start the sentence again. In the edit we keep the best take and remove the rest, so you never need to get it perfect in one go. For the hook, film it three or four different ways and we'll use the strongest.
- Take 1Lost the sentence
- PauseStarted again
- Take 2Stumbled on a word
- Take 3Clear and calm
Keep claims and client details honest
Only share results you can stand behind, and get written permission before showing a client's name, face or numbers. Hide emails, accounts and notifications on screen recordings. If something slips in, we can blur it in the edit.
Send the clips and let the edit do the heavy lifting
Upload the original files from your phone to Google Drive, Dropbox or WeTransfer rather than sending them by messaging apps, which compress the video. In the edit we tighten every section, put them in the order that sells, add graphics for the moments that matter and captions throughout, and deliver the full VSL with ad cut-downs.
- 01TightenPauses, filler words and repeats removed.
- 02StructureSections in the order that sells.
- 03GraphicsKey numbers, steps and the offer on screen.
- 04CaptionFor viewers watching with sound off.
- 05DeliverFull VSL, ad cut-downs and vertical versions.
If you'd like help planning your VSL, book a free consultation. We'll map the structure with you and show you how to film it, then handle the whole edit.