Should You Write a Script for Your Video?

Video is a powerful medium that can tell a compelling story in a short span of time. A frequently asked question about video making is: Should videos be completely scripted or should they be recorded on-the-fly?

It’s easy to get caught up in "what should I say" and then never make the video. A major aspect of video making is to get personal. Everyone wants to be professional but you also want them to be genuine and engaging to the customer. The video should be engaging so that the viewer can connect to the content in the video. Hence, keeping the conversation very casual is vital. Since both methods have their pros and cons, a combination of both may be a way to go!

Walkaround videos: Being knowledgeable about the vehicle is essential for general merchandising or personalized emails. When doing a walkaround video, the salesperson should be able to speak about the vehicle, performance and features without reading it off from a label or manual. The customer is more likely to trust and engage with the salesperson, if the salesperson can explain why the vehicle is excellent or why the vehicle is a right choice for the customer. Customers get excited about vehicles when the salesperson is excited.

If a salesperson can't correctly show a vehicle without a script, they should not be showing cars. The same holds true for video walkarounds. The walkaround videos should be informative and engaging. It is important to not sound scripted while doing these kinds of videos. While practicing your content before making the actual video is all right, the viewers are expecting a more natural flow of conversation.

Personal email videos: The primary goal of these kinds of videos is to convince a customer that the dealership cares about them on an individual level and that they can trust doing business with your dealership. Scripting these types of videos will be counterproductive to the primary goal as scripted videos often take personality out of the equation. While it is OK to train employees on what they should say in general, employees must be able to take those basic points and integrate them into the message using their personality. These videos should sound forced or monotone.

It is definitely OK to write your thoughts down on paper or outline the main points you wish to discuss. But when the camera starts rolling, it is time to put the script down, make eye contact and let your personality shine. Ensuring that you sound natural and conversational throughout the videos helps the viewer be more engaged and the message will come across as genuine and, ultimately, your dealership will see more success.

For more information on using video at your dealership, please reach out to Doug Thompson at VehiclesTEST.com (954-629-2242), or set up a demo with him.