How to Get Better Video Testimonials With a Teleprompter

Professionally shot testimonial videos make a great first impression.

They show off your industry expertise and how you’re a value-add for your clients or employees.

But if you’ve ever recorded a video, you know how challenging it is to get that “perfect” take.

A tool that caps the number of retakes and avoids awkward pauses while recording a video testimonial is the one and only teleprompter.

Today, we’re sharing tips on using a teleprompter to record professional video testimonials and introducing video testimonial software with an in-built teleprompter – Trust.

So you don’t need to add another tool to your stack. Ready?

But first, why video testimonials?

Video testimonials – what makes them valuable?

Video testimonials add proof to promises and claims. Since time immemorial, customer reviews have been a major deciding factor for users if they should proceed to purchase a product or not.

And the modern twist on traditional customer reviews is video testimonials.

So when most customers rely on reviews – 95% to be precise–customer testimonials should lead your marketing efforts.

Trust offers the easiest way to create video testimonials and attract high-quality leads. Read how to create a testimonial video here.

The teleprompter advantage for video testimonials

A teleprompter is a device that displays the video script on a screen for the person facing the camera.

They can record effortless video content while still maintaining eye contact and not fumbling.

Here are some advantages that make recording video testimonials without a teleprompter impossible:

More confidence – Camera-shy users may lose confidence and forget their script. So, a teleprompter helps instill more confidence and lets them talk freely.
Efficient and time-saving – No more back-and-forth retakes. A teleprompter helps users record videos of any length efficiently in less time.
Accurate messaging – A teleprompter ensures your brand’s targeted messaging and tone of voice remains consistent across all platforms, like YouTube and other social media platforms (Reels, Shorts, etc.).
Shows off professionalism – With a teleprompter, the reader maintains eye contact with the camera–forming an instant connection with your target audience. Uploading these video testimonials can strongly impact how your brand or products are perceived.

Let’s dive into some actionable tips to record awesome video testimonials + with a teleprompter.

6 preparation tips for recording natural single-take video testimonials with a teleprompter

Tip 1: Create a Q&A in advance

Recording testimonials can be overwhelming for your customers or employees, especially if they’ve never done them before.

They may struggle to summarize points into a precise video or forget to add key details.

The best way to avoid this situation is to prepare a Q&A (question and answer) series beforehand and notify the submitter by email or messaging apps a few days before the shoot.

Trust lets you Interactive forms with a series of questions and answers in a blink.

Trust follows an interactive, survey-like approach to video testimonials, where brands can easily set any number of question-and-answer pairs in advance.

For example, you can upload an audio or video question – “Can you talk about the results you’ve achieved using Trust over the last quarter?”

We’ll talk about how to do this shortly, so stay put!

Tip 2: Offer recommendations for recording

Let’s face it. Your clients are not professional videographers who know the ins and outs of great videos. So, a little help and advice go a long way.

Offer them helpful advice and recording recommendations to avoid multiple takes.

For example, list our recommendations, such as:

Check your internet speed before hitting record.
Record in a well-lit room with a clutter-free background.
Please read the questions beforehand.
Please check the camera and audio quality.

Using Trust, you can add video hints for advice, as shown below:

Tip 3: Set clear expectations beforehand

Remember, your clients or employees are doing you a favor by submitting testimonials, not vice versa. So, always respect their time and patience.

Here’s how to do this:

Set time commitment expectations and ask them how much time they can dedicate to recording testimonial videos.
Set camera time expectations so they get their recording space clean and ready.
Assure them they’re not obligated to submit a video testimonial.
Always and always collect their consent to use their videos and words across your marketing materials like promotional emails, websites, social media pages, sales presentations, etc.

You don’t have to add consent exclusively using a tool like Trust.

As shown below, Trust’s Interactive form to collect video testimonials has an in-built consent tool that collects consents proactively:

Tip 4: Use a teleprompter

There’s a common misconception that using a teleprompter can make people sound like robots. But that’s far from the truth. News readers, actors, weather reporters, and professional studios are all using it!

A teleprompter offering speaker notes can maintain the reader’s eye contact and sound natural with face-to-face communication.

But remember, a teleprompter is as effective as your video script.

So ensure you keep it engaging and conversational, and encourage your users to be comfortable with the script by practicing it in advance.

Now, if you think you need a teleprompter tool to add to your tool stack–don’t fret! No more overhead expense if you’re using Trust to record and collect video testimonials.

Trust has a built-in teleprompter functionality with its effective video testimonial solution.

Trust’s teleprompter offers:

Flexibility for you or your client to add text manually on the go.
Simple controls to change font size, scroll speed, timing, etc.
Try and test the teleprompter any number of times before submitting the final take.
Optimized for all devices like mobiles, tablets, and desktops.

5 simple steps to using the Trust teleprompter:

Sign up for Trust’s 14-day free trial here.
Add your website details and workspace info to launch your Trust dashboard.
Create an Interactive form to collect video testimonial responses. You can find this under Forms > Add New > Interactive Form.
Under the General form tab, enter your basic info, such as form name, company logo, background colors, etc. Here, enable “Video upload” and “Teleprompter” to allow recording.

What the users see:

Finish up by adding welcome messaging in audio or video form, add a question-and-answer series (as suggested in tip #1), include options for users to add star ratings, collect consent, and add a thank-you note to appreciate the user’s commitment.

Click on Save, and you’re good to publish the form as a landing page or share it as a URL.

It’s that simple with Trust!

Tip 5: Keep the script conversational, not robotic

User testimonials should be conversational with a hint of uniqueness, not robotic and scripted.

Although video testimonials are always better when the flow is organic, a little help from a script and a teleprompter can make recording less stressful.

So, make it a point to help your clients write engaging scripts by asking direct, open-ended questions.

You could use an AI Testimonial Generator to fetch ideas and build on the script to add some personality.

Tip 6: Optimize for mobile

Whether it is a teleprompter, video testimonial software, or recorder, it must offer an equally great user experience for both video recorders and viewers–irrespective of the device they use.

Optimizing for mobile can further mean faster load times and easy accessibility, so users don’t click off due to their mobile device not supporting a feature.

Video testimonials with a teleprompter use cases

Let’s discuss four testimonial use cases where a teleprompter is of utmost use:

1. Video surveys

Brands use video interviews or surveys to collect interesting customer insights, understand their offering from the customer’s perspective, and improve their products or services.

Video surveys normally have a ton of question-and-answer series, which your customer may find stressful. So, a teleprompter can come to their rescue to help easily record their responses.

2. Client video testimonials

If you’re in the B2B or B2C industry, social proof, such as client video testimonials, should be your top priority.

But most B2B and B2C users are busy professionals with little to no time on their hands–until a teleprompter comes into the picture.

They can quickly prepare a script, type it into the teleprompter, and record videos in their own time.

3. E-commerce video testimonials

E-commerce customers are a brand’s best assets to promote products.

For example, eCommerce companies could use software like Trust with an in-built teleprompter to get customers to record product unboxing videos and publish them to their online stores.

4. Student testimonials

Online course testimonials, student success stories, and counseling testimonials – you name it – help attract potential students.

Encourage your students to submit a video testimonial using a teleprompter without much effort.

Why Trust’s teleprompter to record video testimonials?

Trust is among the world’s top 10 video testimonial software that customers across industries love. And of all Trust’s rich features, its in-built teleprompter is note-worthy and the most valuable.

Here’s why Trust should be your go-to online platform:

Trust is an all-in-one video review tool, from creating request forms to publishing testimonials. So, using an A-Z video testimonial platform with a built-in teleprompter is a no-brainer to save time.
It’s easy to use with a very user-friendly and clutter-free UI.
Your clients do not have to log in or install the app to use the teleprompter and record their responses.
Plenty of form and testimonial publishing customizations without needing coding or design skills.
Has a built-in video editor to create attention-grabbing video footage in no time.