How to Make a VSL: A 12-Step Checklist for Coaches and Creators

Most of the posts about this subject just say write your hook, agitate your pain and then sell your offer. This is just the script half of things. The other half where most people get lost in the weeds, includes; a camera shot that does NOT make you appear to be 10 years old, an audio quality that sounds like a zoom meeting (not great), and a pace fast enough so your viewers are able to see past the first three minutes of your VSL.

This is our production checklist that we go through with each coach or course creator who hires us to create their video sales letter. A blank document from start to finish and ending with a live ad.

The following is an outline of how to create your 12 step video sales letter (VSL) production checklist.

1. Define who you are creating your video sales letter for as well as what they want solved.
2. Write the hook (first 10 seconds)
3. Outline the body of your video using either PAS (problem, agitation, solution) or AIDA (attention, interest, desire, action).
4. Lock down the offer, guarantee, and call to action.
5. Determine which camera and framing will be used.
6. Set up audio.
7. Light the shot.
8. Record your delivery (take multiple takes, one section at a time).
9. Cut for pacing.
10. Add captions.
11. Layer in b-roll, screen captures, proof.
12. Publish; watch first 48 hours; iterate.

A top-of-funnel VSL should be 60–120 seconds long. Longer formats, and the lengths that suit each offer price, are covered in the length note under Step 8.

If you have never created a VSL before, we recommend reading our complete VSL guide to learn about the strategic aspects that will help you develop a plan to execute the steps outlined above. If you need assistance with creating a larger content workflow process where your VSL fits into, please view our educational video production guide.

Steps 1 to 4: How to Create a Video Sales Script That Helps Establish Credibility

The most important aspect of a VSL is the script. If your script is correct, you may be able to use your iPhone to film, edit with CapCut, and then convert. However, if your script is bad, even a $40K studio cannot save you.

Step 1: Identify your target audience and their pain. One sentence will define your target audience and their current pain. For example, Roezan’s template starts “If you are a coach or course creator generating $100k per year…we can assist you in adding an additional $100k…by using SMS.” This is the definition of the specificity level. Not “Entrepreneur looking for ways to generate more revenue,” but rather; there needs to be a defined revenue range for the audience, a defined role within the organization, and a defined method for which you plan to utilize.

Step 2: Develop the Hook. The first 10 seconds of your VSL determines whether someone watches the next 50 seconds. The three successful patterns for creating hooks around coaching offers are; contrarian claims (“Everything you’ve ever heard about list building is incorrect”), results based on timeframes (“We increased MMR by $40K to a coaching company within 11 weeks”), and questions calling out specific issues (“Are you a coach that generates anywhere from $20K to $50K per month, yet finds yourself unable to get past the ceiling?”). Avoid introducing yourself. Your name means nothing to a cold viewer. Writing compelling video sales letters for a coaching package or an online course starts with zeroing in on a precise job title rather than speaking to everyone. The opening hook of your vsl hooks viewers instantly, making it effortless to capture leads before prospects can click away.

Step 3: Outlines the Body. The two templates used to create VSL account for approximately 90% of all created VSL. PAS is “Problem – Agitation – Solution” while AIDA is “Attention – Interest – Desire – Action”. While both templates provide structure for developing a VSL, Copyposse breaks these structures into eight sections: hook – elaborate – mechanism – proof – offer – value stack – objection – close. (Copyposse.com) Use either one, develop according to that structure and avoid mixing.

Step 4: Secure your Offer/Guarantee/CTA. These are not individual slides at the conclusion of your VSL. Tie them together. Refer to your offer within the first minute of your VSL, reference your guarantee within the fourth minute of your VSL, deliver your CTA(s) at the sixth minute, eighth minute and during the closing. More than one CTA is better than one CTA. According to case study data published by Adilo (2025), a weight loss VSL converted at 25% and a course VSL generated a 40% increase in sign ups when the CTA was referenced multiple times throughout a nine-minute VSL. (Adilo.com)

If you would like to start with a basic script template where you simply fill in the blanks with your information, download our VSL script template. To view complete examples of how to build upon each section of a VSL template, go to our VSL examples broken down. Studying real-world video sales letter examples shows that top performers draft a tight video script accompanied by detailed instructions for viewers, ensuring every call-to-action drives the buying process forward.

Steps 5 Through 8: Filming High-Converting Video Content for Paid Ads and Organic Feeds

Gear information will lead you down an endless YouTube rabbit hole of useless information. So here is the quick version of what to buy for a shippable VSL.

Step 5: The Camera and Frame. We recommend a Sony ZV-E10 ($698) and the 16-50 mm kit lens which can cover just about every coaches VSL. Zero dollars to spend on gear? Use an iPhone 14 Pro or later and shoot 4K 24 frames per second. Keep it mounted as close to eye-level as possible, do not put it low. For desktop use, film in 16:9 (landscape). Get a 9:16 cut on a second device or leave some room above your subject to be able to crop it later. The ideal distance for both flattering your subject and blurring their background is 4 to six feet with a 35mm or 50mm lens equivalent. When you create talking head videos, direct eye contact establishes immediate rapport. Framing these talking-head videos with shallow depth of field gives them the intimacy of 1-on-1 personalized videos.

Step 6: Audio. Audio is by far the largest differentiator between a low-quality VSL and one that actually keeps viewers’ attention. Clipping a Rode Wireless GO II ($299) microphone to your shirt is always going to produce better results than using any built-in camera microphone. Also, hanging two moving blankets behind your camera in a room with hardwood floors and bare walls will also help eliminate echo. Aim to get clean dialogue in the range of -12 dB to -6 dB peak levels without any clipping.

Step 7: Lighting. To create good lighting you need three things; one main light source coming from the side at 45 degrees, one secondary light source, either a bouncer or fill, directly across from the main light and one back-light. An Aputure Amaran 100x ($239) is probably the most common choice among VSL creators. Avoid overhead office fluorescent lights because they throw unflattering shadows under your subjects eyes making them appear tired.

Step 8: Delivery. Do not memorize your entire script word-for-word. Instead memorize the beats. Each time you record a new take speak each segment freshly. Short recording sessions are best when creating a video such as this. Take ten seconds or less to introduce your offer and then deliver it within eight to twelve takes. Deliver your call-to-action (CTA) at the end of your video. If you are high-energy stand up and deliver your content, if you want to appear calm and authoritative sitting is the way to go. Always remember to keep looking at the lens of the camera and never look at yourself on the monitor. If you have to tape over the monitor so be it!

Length Note:

Five minutes is the optimal length for SMS and coaching offers priced under $2K. Eight to Twelve minutes is perfect for offers between $2K and $10K. Fifteen minutes or longer should be reserved for high-ticket mastermind style programs and you should have evidence stacked like pancakes.

Steps 9 – 12 are for the production of the Video; specifically, creating pace and adding Captions and B-roll.

This is where a good script can be converted into an effective Video sales letter. We create our first pass transcripts using Descript, and then we finalize the edit using either Adobe Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve. If we’re going solo and need to work within a budget, DaVinci Resolve has a free version that allows us to do everything listed above.

Step 9: edit for pace. Remove all unnecessary pauses greater than 0.4 seconds from each sentence. Remove any audio where someone clears their throat, says “um” etc., and remove any sentence that does not help move the viewer closer to the call-to-action. Copyposse: “cut the fluff… conversational flow” trumps perfect delivery. (Copyposse.com). Typically, a seven minute unedited Video will provide about four minutes thirty seconds of usable content. Typical.

Step 10: add Captions. This caption should be burned-in. It is not the automatic captioning feature that YouTube provides. Many viewers who watch videos via social feeds have their volume turned down while watching videos. Additionally, Meta and TikTok automatically mute any Video they place on their feed. For this reason, it’s best to use Descript or Submagic to create your Captions and apply a design element such as: white text with a light black outline, highlight at least one or Two keywords in yellow when they are at their most important. Avoid using animated Captions throughout the entire length of your Video. These are better suited for Reels. Rigorous, frame-by-frame video editing makes all the difference when distributing across multiple social media platforms. Exporting tailored aspect ratios ensures your master file renders cleanly across native web video platforms.

Step 11: B-roll & screen shots & proof. The purpose of B-roll is to cover the jumps made during the editing process to eliminate jump cut twitches. In addition, B-roll is used as proof. For example, if you make the statement that you “helped a client increase their monthly recurring revenue (MRR) by $40k,” show a screen shot of a Stripe dashboard showing that clients’ MRR increased by $40k. Similarly, if you state “this is how you do [the method],” show a slide of how you do the method. Both Roezan and Growthflow use visual proof for every single claim they make. (Growthflow.ai). Using a few short testimonials (2), instead of one long testimonial (1), can also enhance credibility and trust with potential customers. And, music should sit under dialogue at -22 db, build up at the time of the offer reveal, and Drop out after the close.

The last step before your potential customer sees the video is Step 12: Publishing. This is probably the area where most Video Sales Letters (VSLs) meet their demise. Many people will create their video, cut their video, upload the video to some sort of platform, put up a $20/day ad with Facebook/YouTube, and say they are done.

Step 12: First publish your VSL, and then test in 48 hour blocks. Once your VSL has been published, send it to a dedicated landing page (this should NOT be your home page or a YouTube Watch Link). A good example of a landing page structure that works can be found on Swipes Pages’ 2026 Review (swipepages.com), which lists the following elements:

• Video at the top of the landing page
• CTA button visible by the second frame
• Social proof located just below the fold
• FAQ located at the bottom of the landing page

For the actual design of the landing page, please refer to our VSL funnel breakdown.

In the first 48 hours after you have published your VSL, monitor four different metrics:

• Retention drop point – If your visitors are leaving your video prior to minute number one, your hook was either ineffective or non-existent. If visitors are dropping off at minute number three, the agitate is likely taking too long. If viewers are dropping off at minute number six, there is insufficient evidence of an offer or sufficient proof of results.
• Click-through rate from video to booking calendar/order form – Anything less than 3%, is a problem. Anything over 8%, is a winner.
• Cost per Qualified Lead – Before you start throwing money into marketing channels, determine what your acceptable cost per qualified lead is. When you pass this threshold, stop.
• Monitor how many of your viewers make it to the Call To Action (CTA) on your landing page. If 40% of all viewers make it to the CTA and if 4% click, your copy is fine. However, if 40% make it to the CTA but only 1% click, revise your CTA copy rather than revising any other part of the copy.

First revise your Hook; Second Revise Your Offer; Third Revise Your Body Copy. In our experience, approximately 40% of the Conversion Delta for any given campaign comes from revision to the Hook alone.

Common mistakes in VSL production that coaches and creators should avoid

The following patterns are common on many of the coach and creator created videos we see:

1. Scripted-robot delivery. If you read off of your video within 15 seconds of starting the viewer will know you’re reading and feel it. Bullet points, don’t put your script in complete sentences.
2. Too perfect of a studio. I have seen many times when a room was set up and looked so professional (clean) that no credibility came through. In contrast, if you look like you work for a living there is much credibility built in to your studio setup.
3. The offer is hidden until minute 8. If your offer has value, give a “taste” of what it can be by minute one. Holding back after minute 5 teaches people to leave.
4. Using only one call-to-action in closing. Using Three different CTAs increases conversion rates over using just one. Try testing this.
5. Manipulative scarcity or false countdowns. Avoid these completely. Since 2023, the FTC’s updated endorsement guidelines create real risks related to fake live and fake countdown methods. There is nothing wrong with using real deadlines, real available time, real customer testimonials. Just do not use fabricated scarcity.
6. Forgetting to add a compliance disclaimer pass-through. If you mention client success stories with regard to their income, identify those as specific clients’ experiences – not “typical”. If you include testimonials, obtain written releases from each client prior to using their testimonial.

How to Create Video Sales Letters for Modern Digital Marketing

Shooting and editing your own video sales letter (VSL), as an additional task to building your coaching or course creation business, is likely to be perceived as a side project that takes at least 30 days of your time to complete. For this reason, we offer a flat rate per month for shipping VSL’s to coaches and course developers. You will shoot the “talking head” section using the camera equipment listed above and Vidpros’s Editors will create the cut, add captions, add B-roll footage, and apply any Proof Overlays needed. Please send us a sample clip of the talking head recording along with a detailed script outline. We will then use those elements to create a 90-second edited Test Segment which will allow you to visually assess the finished quality before making any commitment.