How To Create A Video Sales Letter (Real Examples)

A video sales letter (VSL) in marketing allows you to generate leads and convert them into clients on autopilot. VSLs are among the highest converting lead magnets used in sales funnels.

Over the years, we’ve built hundreds of VSLs for clients and spent thousands of dollars advertising them. We’ve seen what converts and what doesn’t.

This article will teach you how to create a high-converting video sales letter (VSL) step by step.

I’ll even give you some real-life VSL examples that you can use for inspiration.

A guide to creating high-converting video sales letters (VSLs)

Many business owners find creating video sales letters challenging (and time-consuming!). That’s why we offer a done-for-you or consulting option if you need help.

Otherwise, here’s the step-by-step process for creating high-converting video sales letters:

1. Understand your target audience

The first step in creating a powerful video sales letter is to understand your target audience. Who are they? What are their pain points, desires, and challenges?

By gaining a deep understanding of your audience, you can tailor the message in your VSL to resonate with them on a personal level.

The best way to figure out your clients’ pain points is to ask them. When you speak to potential clients or existing clients, think about:

• What problems come up most often?
• What language do they use to describe the problem?
• What have they tried in the past that hasn’t worked well?

Additionally, identify the unique value proposition of your product or service.

• What makes it stand out from the competition?
• How does it solve your audience’s problems or improve their lives?
• Why is your solution better than alternative solutions?

Clearly communicating your value proposition is crucial for capturing their attention and convincing them to take action.

Once you’ve identified your target audience and value proposition, it’s time to use this information to craft a VSL script.

2. Write a video sales letter (VSL) script

The next step to creating a high converting VSL is to create a rough draft of your video sales letter (VSL) script.

Creating a video sales letter script before creating a VSL presentation is useful because it allows you to edit and change your VSL more easily if needed.

Incorporate persuasive language and techniques to reinforce the value of your offering. Use power words, social proof, and scarcity tactics to create a sense of urgency and desire. Share customer testimonials, case studies, or success stories to build trust and credibility.

We have just launched a new AI-powered VSL scriptwriter for clients in our lead generation course. The AI VSL script writer has been trained on our proprietary data based on what we’ve seen convert best for other clients.

This new AI tool can create a VSL draft for you in seconds at the click of a button.

Here’s a screenshot of what it looks like:

Once you have your first draft ready, we can provide you with additional suggestions and feedback to help you increase the chances that your VSL will convert when you start promoting it.

What do you say in the video script?

Here is the VSL template we recommend you use:

• Part 1: Talk about the problem your target audience has.
• Part 2: Show prospects possible alternative solutions to this problem
• Part 3: Educate leads on why your solution is better than those alternative solutions
• Part 4: Explain the next steps if they want to learn more about your solution (e.g. call-to-action to “buy now” or schedule a call)

Want to see an example of a high converting VSL in action? Check out our VSL here.

Here’s a more detailed breakdown of each part of the VSL template:

The problem

• In the first 10 seconds of your sales video make a big promise so you grab viewer attention and hook them into watching the rest of your video.
• After making a big promise, talk about their pain points. The better you explain their pain points, the more likely they are to trust you’re the right person to help them.
• Try and be as specific as possible when explaining the pain point they have.
• Use language and terms they can relate to when talking about their problem(s)

Tip: The bigger and more painful the problem you solve for clients is, the more likely they will pay you to fix this problem!

Alternative solutions

• After explaining the VSL problem, talk about alternative solutions
• What have they tried in the past that hasn’t worked?
• What are possible solutions they are thinking of using?
• Explain the pros and cons of those solutions

Why your solution is better

• Explain what your solution is and how it works
• Explain how and why it’s better than the other alternative solutions

Call to action / next steps

• Explain the next steps to your solution (e.g., schedule a call or place an order)
• Add urgency or scarcity if you can (but don’t use fake scarcity)
• Use client testimonials or social proof
• Answer frequently asked questions
• Ask for the sale (but don’t hard sell)

For a more detailed overview of what to include in a VSL, see ‘step 2’ of my free training.

3. Create a VSL presentation

Once you’ve created a great video sales letter script, the next step is to convert it into a video sales letter (VSL) presentation.

You can use Microsoft PowerPoint, Apple Keynote, Google Slides or Canva to create your presentation.

To create your VSL presentation, you need to copy and paste the text from your video sales letter script to your presentation.

Tips for creating an effective VSL presentation:

• Use a small amount of text for each slide so the slides change often (this increases engagement).
• Add photos or illustrations to make the content more visually appealing and easier to understand.
• Keep the font type and font size on each slide consistent.
• Make some slides stand out to emphasize main points.

4. Record the VSL presentation

The next step to creating a VSL is to record your video sales letter presentation. You can use screen recording software such as Camtasia, Descript or Canva to record yourself going through the presentation.

You can also go on camera if you want to, but this is completely optional.

I don’t go on camera on my VSL and it still converts really well!

Here’s a video tutorial on how to create and record a video sales letter presentation using Canva:

If you don’t like your voice or you don’t want to be on camera, you can outsource the video sales letter recording to freelancers on Fiverr. Here are some top-rated freelancers that can do this for you on Fiverr.

Tip: You can use additional editing tools such as Descript if you want to add more visual content or special effects to your VSL. But no need to make this overly complicated! Just start with a basic VSL first and you can always make improvements to it later on.

5. Publish the video sales letter

After recording your VSL, you should have an .mp4 video file of your video sales letter presentation. Now the next step is to upload this video sales letter on a sales funnel so people can watch it.

Having your VSL on an appointment funnel allows you to:

• Use your VSL to get leads
• Follow up with leads to maximize conversions
• Remove distractions so leads are more likely to convert
• Track video engagement through your video analytics dashboard

Want to see a video sales letter example? Check out my VSL so you can see how it all works.

I recommend publishing your VSL on Kartra. Kartra is one of the best all-in-one funnel building tools.

Kartra gives you:

• Video hosting and analytics
• Pre-built opt-in forms on your landing pages
• Lots of landing page templates to choose from
• Email marketing automation
• Sales page with checkout forms
• Professional quality templates
• And lots more features!

6. Promote the VSL

Now that you’ve created your VSL presentation, it’s time to start promoting it. Here are some of the best strategies to advertise your VSL.

Some of the top strategies to promote your VSL include:

• SEO
• Paid advertising
• LinkedIn outreach
• Cold email
• AI lead generation tools

Promoting your VSL is important for the best results. The more you promote it, the more leads, appointments and clients you’ll get.

VSL Examples

Here are some real-life VSL examples to give you some inspiration when creating your video sales letter.

Example #1: Skyline Social

Want to see a real-life example of a VSL that converts? Check out my VSL here.

I’ve been using this VSL for over 5+ years, and it consistently generates new leads, appointments and clients every month.

Over the years, I’ve only made a few small tweaks to ensure the VSL content doesn’t become outdated. So, if you want to see a real VSL that converts, check it out.

A few key points about this unique VSL:

1. The VSL is over 10 minutes long. My first VSL was 9 minutes, and it generated about 40-50 appointments each month, which was too much for me to handle on my own. So I decided to make a longer VSL to pre-qualify leads even more.

Today I get less appointments as a result of this longer VSL (about 30 each month) but the appointments I do get are 90% sold, so my conversion rate is higher.

The lesson?

If you want more appointments, create a short VSL. But if you want better quality leads and appointments, who are already 90% sold, create a longer VSL.

Tip: Even though the VSL is long, it doesn’t have any fluff. It gets straight to the point and is action-packed full of value.

2. The VSL is visually simple. If you watch my VSL you’ll notice there are no fancy graphics, animations or video effects. It’s a simple VSL presentation created in Apple Keynote. This proves that you do not need fancy graphics and visuals to get the point across! In fact, in my experience helping clients market and advertise their VSLs, I’ve often found simple VSLs work better than fancy VSLs.

Example #2: Airtable

In the words of Albert Einstein: “If you can’t explain it to a six-year-old, you don’t understand it yourself.”

I have heard this quote many times, and I agree. That is why Airtable’s VSL makes so much sense.

Whereas the past examples spanned roughly 10 minutes a piece, how long did they need theirs to last?

Less than two minutes.

The best thing about this VSL is that it is so simple that it emphasizes complexity. It gives a clear visual of the product, including its functionality and a lovely narrator orchestrates the entire experience.

Example #3: Wix.com

Do you think Airtable’s two-minute span was impressive? Then you need to view Wix.com’s VSL.

It is less than one minute in length and is similar to Airtable, but it does something a bit different: it almost looks more like an advertisement than a video sales letter!

If you go online and read the jargon about how much time needs to be spent on a VSL, you are part of the 99 percent of people who equate Google as the end-all determinator of decision-making.

The fact is, Wix.com does not even need to show a single face.

The best video sales letters (just like a regular sales letter which, by definition, should only be one page in length) draw you in, which is what Wix does.

Example #4: Canva

Canva’s VSL does something a bit different. It not only shows the features but also shows you how they will benefit you. Yes, you.

Even if you are not a content creator, Canva manages to convince one to believe that it is worth checking out. Furthermore, it is less than one minute in length.

It’s a great example of a short and simple VSL that still converts well.

Learn from these videos as broad examples of what to do and what not to do. Want to learn more about creating a VSL? Check out ‘Step 2’ of my free Masterclass training.

What are the best types of VSLs?

Here are a few of the most popular types of VSLs you can create.

When creating video sales letters, there are many styles you can choose from.

Here are some of the most popular video sales letter formats:

VSL Presentation

A presentation-only VSL is, as the name suggests, a presentation with text that changes often with a voice-over recorded on top of it. Some presentation-style VSLs will have a few images in them as well.

This is the easiest type of VSL to create.

You can use free VSL templates inside Canva, Apple Keynote or Microsoft PowerPoint.

VSL Presentation with talking head

This type of VSL is similar to the presentation format but with a selfie-style webcam video on the screen to show people what you look like. Being on video can, in some cases, help with conversion rates.

There are lots of ways to start recording this type of presentation. One of the easiest ways is by using Descript.

Animated videos

Another effective type of VSL is an animated-style video.

The easiest and cheapest way to create videos with animated graphics is to use a freelancer on Fiverr.

Here are a few top-rated listings on Fiverr from professionals who can do this for you.

Stock videos

Another way to create video sales letters is with stock videos. This could be a VSL with only stock footage or a VSL presentation with some stock footage at certain points.

For stock images or videos, I use either Camtasia‘s Paid Library or Descript’s stock footage (which is included at no extra cost with all paid plans).

AI video

Yes, believe it or not, you can now create video sales letters with AI!

Key features:

• Use an AI voice or your own voice
• Use AI personal avatars or upload yourself as an AI custom avatar
• Great for recording videos without being on camera
• Saves lots of time

My recommendation for creating video sales letters using AI is Synthesia or HeyGen’s AI video avatar generator.

Talking head video

The talking head style video sales letter is popular with small business owners who are very comfortable on video.

With a talking head video, you can also have text, images or b-roll stock footage to help with engagement.

If you don’t feel comfortable on camera, you can

FAQs

Here are some frequently asked questions about creating VSLs: