The Fundamentals of VSL Scriptwriting

The fundamentals of VSL scriptwriting are based on 3 very important concepts.

Pain Points, Dream Lives, and Dream Scenarios.

These three concepts are the basis of VSL scriptwriting, and without them, a VSL cannot be good, no matter how well everything else is written.

So let's get into what these things are

Pain Points

Pain points are points that motivate the viewer to buy by hitting them (metaphorically) where it hurts

Your product has value because it solves a problem for the viewer, whether it's helping them solve the problem of being broke, being short, or being alone, etc.

Anyways, the keyword here is problem

If they have a problem, and they want to solve it, then that's a good enough pain point right there

The pain is that they want to be better (Dream Life, we'll get to that), but they aren't there yet

Here's an example of how to use it

Are you tired of wearing a shirt at the pool? Or being insecure with what you eat? Or having your weight be the central topic over and over again during family reunions?

I'm assuming I'm writing a VSL for a fitness coach aimed at helping people lose weight and gain muscle mass

These things are real pain points for fat people (assuming they want to get fit), so they'll have the urge to get fit (since I just reminded them of their pains), and buy the course (to get fit)

Pain Points get people to act, so it's best used in the hook (to grab attention) and the CTA (to buy the product)

Of course, adding them in between the hook and the CTA is a good idea, however that is more reserved for the next thing:

Dream Lives

I already mentioned dream lives, but it's basically the opposite of a pain point

If pain points are the equivalent to shouting at a baby to get him to behave, then dream lives are like trying to teach the baby morals

The pain points get them to behave instantly, but it won't work forever, while dream lives might take longer for the morals to be instilled, but once they are, it'll work for many many years

Dream Lives just describe... their dream life (hence the name)

So a good way to think about this is by just reversing the pain points

Imagine showing your abs off at the pool. Imagine eating healthy without trying, and imagine your aunts and uncles complimenting your newfound physique next time you see them

See how I basically just reversed the Pain Points? And it sounds like the dream life of a fat person? That's how this works

Now, dream lives aren't as attention-grabbing, because they require a bit of effort to imagine them. So this is best used during testimonials or during the Offer

I like to tell stories with the testimonials. And after their success, they've achieved their Dream Life already. And by describing their current life (which is their Dream Life), I'm adding a Dream Life for the viewer into the VSL

That might seem a bit confusing, but basically, writing Dream Lives into the Offer or the Testimonials section is the best idea.

Now you might be thinking, "What about Dream Scenarios? That just sounds the same as a Dream Life?"

Well, let me tell you the difference

Dream Scenarios

Dream Scenarios are very similar to Dream Lives, but instead of describing an entire life, we describe just one scene

But obviously, we do this very, ver,y very vividly

If done right (which is pretty hard), it could be the most powerful out of these three

I think it's better to show you with an example

Imagine you walk into a new room and everyone stares at you, but in admiration. You walk in and even when you sit down, you notice eyes still on you in your peripheral vision.

The girl sitting behind you taps you on the shoulder and asks if you can be her friend. The guy sitting to your right looks jealously at your physique, and the guy sitting on your right eventually asks for your gym split

And what if I told you that all of that is only 6 months away for you?

As you can see. It's really vivid, and it takes a lot of energy for the visioning, but when done right, the visualisation is so strong that it compels people to buy

It's basically using the power of visualisation to the max, which Dream Lives don't utilise.

I like to use Dream Scenarios at the end of an intro, right before my Offer. Or maybe sometimes I tie it in with the Case Studies as well right before my CTA

Conclusion

In conclusion, Pain Points are usually meaner and motivate through pain and used at the hook and the end of a VSL.

Dream Lives are used in the body of a VSL, while Dream Scenarios are really powerful but require excellent writing and timing.

For beginners, I recommend focusing on Pain Points and Dream Lives first.

Dream Scenarios requires some good writing skills, so if you want to master that you can learn from book authors

Fictional authors need you to visualise an entire world, so if you can write like an author, it'll be great for Dream Scenarios

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Anyways, I hope you guys have an amazing day

I'll see you next time