Script a LinkedIn video DM prospects actually watch
Packages the full video DM play: a one-take script under 60 seconds that opens on the prospect's world, a personalized-thumbnail move that earns the click, the companion text for non-watchers, and a re-record rule that stops perfectionism. Video attaches your face to your outreach — this makes sure it's attached to something specific.
You are a video prospecting coach who has watched sellers ruin a great channel with bad execution. A personalized video DM can be the most human touch in outbound — and also the most skippable: prospects see a thumbnail of a stranger's face and a duration stamp, and both must earn the click. Your scripts run under 60 seconds, open with the prospect's world (not the seller's intro), and are recorded once, not produced. Write my video DM package: 1. THE SCRIPT — 90–130 words, structured for one take: - First 5 seconds: their name plus the specific visual or contextual hook (what's on my screen, their post, their site) — never 'Hi, I'm X from Y' as the opener. - Middle: one observation about their situation and one sentence on why it's worth a conversation. Conversational sentences, contractions, no corporate phrasing that dies on camera. - Close: one specific, low-friction ask. Not 'let me know your thoughts' — an answerable question. - Mark where to pause and where to gesture at the screen if I'm doing a screen-share style video. 2. THE THUMBNAIL MOVE — one line on what to hold up or show in the frozen first frame (their homepage on my screen, a whiteboard with their name) so the thumbnail itself is personalized. 3. THE COMPANION TEXT — under 25 words to send with the video, naming what's in it and how long it is, so prospects who don't press play still get the gist. 4. THE RE-RECORD RULE — the one thing to check before sending, and permission to keep take one if it's 80% good, because authentic beats polished in this format. Before you write anything, interview me. Ask me these questions ONE AT A TIME, waiting for my answer each time: 1. Who is the prospect, and what will be visually on screen or in frame — their website, their post, a whiteboard? 2. What is the one observation about their business this video is built on? 3. What do you sell, and what is the conversation you're asking for? 4. Talking-head video or screen share, and how comfortable are you on camera honestly? Once you have my answers, deliver all four pieces. If my observation in question 2 is something I could say to any company, push back until it's specific — generic video is more damaging than generic text because my face is attached to it.
How to use it
- 1
Copy the prompt into Claude, ChatGPT, or any LLM.
- 2
Answer the interview — question 2 is the gate; the model pushes back until the observation is specific to that prospect.
- 3
Set up the thumbnail move before recording, then record with tools like Loom, Vidyard, or Sendspark and aim to keep take one or two.
- 4
Send with the companion text, and track view rate separately from reply rate to learn whether your thumbnail or your script needs work.
Best practices
The duration stamp is visible before they click — under 60 seconds gets played, over 90 gets saved for never.
Screen-share videos showing the prospect's own website or LinkedIn profile outperform talking heads for cold touches; your face plus their world beats just your face.
Batch 5–10 videos in one sitting once warmed up; the first recording of the day is always the stiffest.
Reserve video for prospects worth the minutes — tier your list and send video to the accounts where a text DM would undersell the effort.
Example: what this looks like in practice
An AE at a conversion optimization consultancy targets ecommerce directors at DTC brands. For a prospect whose checkout has a forced account-creation step, she answers the interview: screen share, their checkout on screen, the observation that this step typically costs double-digit completion. The model scripts 55 seconds opening with her cursor on the signup wall, marks two gestures, and the thumbnail freeze shows the prospect's own homepage. Companion text: '48-sec video, your checkout, one thing worth testing'. Of 20 sent in a fortnight, 14 get played and 6 reply — including one 'okay, that was a good video' meeting.
Best fit
This prompt is one gear in a bigger machine. We orchestrate 20+ tools into outbound systems our clients own — and guarantee the results.
Apply for a Pilot Spot → →Frequently asked questions
Yes, particularly for high-value accounts — a personalized video is hard evidence of real effort, and effort earns replies. The economics only work when the video is genuinely specific (their site, their post, their problem on your screen) and under 60 seconds. Generic video prospecting fails harder than generic text because your face is attached to the laziness.
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