My video demonstrations on my local retail website generate several high end retail sales every month. Recently, a client asked me what should be included, and what should be left out. He sent me a video of a vacuum cleaner demonstration that was well done, and dramatically proved a point in the product presentation. He then asked about putting the price in the video. Here are my thoughts about that.

Should your video tell everything including the price?

Everything you leave out of a video presentation or direct mail piece will still be thought about by the prospect before they buy. They will fill in any areas you leave out with wild guesses. Here’s the thing about wild guesses...They are always wrong.

If the thought is negative, the imagination will usually make the situation far worse than it is. If they are thinking of buying your product, a positive thing….they will fill out missing pieces with their imagination. They will be wrong, and will almost universally guess on the side that benefits them.

If you don’t state the price, and your product is $800…

The consumer will guess something like ""Well, it’s better than that piece of junk I paid $50 for. So I bet it’s almost $100. I’ll just drive the 30 miles to check out that $100 product".

They will not be happy. They may even tell you that your video said the price was $100.

Never make them guess. Gray areas anger people, make them feel ripped off, and start arguments.

Selling is communication. Clear complete communication.

By stating the price in the video, you erase any price resistance when they visit your store. If they already know the price, it’s impossible to try to negotiate a lower price when they show up.

And as I watched my client’s video, it struck me that it dramatically demonstrated the great airflow of the vacuum. The demonstration was complete, and strong.

But…..

You need more. Your product demonstration should answer, not one objection...but every objection they may conceivably bring up. It should show every strong benefit. Every effort should be made to appeal to as many specific needs as possible. And "Value" is build based on the quality of the product and what you get with it.

So you need to show what the product will do, but you also need to show that it’s worth more than your asking for it.

Creating curiosity to get people to call you (or stop in) seems like the sensible way, but it’s not. It’s almost impossible to create strong enough curiosity to get someone to change their plans & drive to your store.

They have to be sold. These videos have to get the people in a hot lather about buying the demonstrated product. That’s the only way they will get off their behinds and come to your store.

The natural next question might be "Won’t you make the video too long if you include everything?".

How long is a movie that captures your interest? Two hours? Is that too long?

Whether it’s a movie, conversation with a friend, radio talk show, sales letter, or product demonstration video...here is the reality;

If they are keenly interested in the content, the more you tell them, the more value you build...the better. The video can be as long as it needs to be, to build the most value...and people interested will watch the whole thing.

If they are not interested in your content...it does not matter how much you shorten the video...they aren’t going to watch it anyway.

Have you ever said "You know, that movie on TV last night was terrible...but it was only an hour and a half long, so I decided to watch the whole thing." No.

Make the video as long as it needs to be to tell everything they will need to know to want to buy your product...then stop.

That’s how you make a demonstration video.