Building Your Practice Using Video or Podcasting (or The Importance Of Storytelling)

For mediators and arbitrators who are sitting down to build our practice development strategies for 2022, let me help you. It's going to be all about incorporating video and podcasting into your marketing calendars. This is great news for resolutionists. Storytelling is right in our wheelhouse. Mediators know firsthand how effective storytelling is. A well-told story creates an emotional connection between the storyteller and the listener. Stories are one of the best ways to experience something without having to experience it firsthand. 

As professionals, mediators and arbitrators know that when we tell a story well, it lowers the defenses of the listener. The same is true when resolutionists use video or podcasting to talk about our practices, our industry, our art, our communication tools, etc. 

In the same way that participants in mediation and arbitration frequently enter our rooms with their defense mechanisms set to high, as soon as a viewer clicks onto your video or podcast, their guard is up. They’re just waiting for that first ad, hard-sell promotion, the bait and switch – the catch (of course you’ll avoid doing all of those things). Being able to tell a story and tell it well, helps people unwind. They can lean back and relax, listen and enjoy, and experience the story you’re telling.

It’s important to note that this kind of interaction with a story has a big impact on brain chemistry. Listening to a great story releases specific chemicals in the brain that create the kind of empathetic reaction we know to be so powerful. 

For example, dopamine, which is associated with suspense, can help people focus, feel more motivated, and better retain the content they’re consuming. And this is good for us. We want both our clients in a mediation or arbitration as well as the viewers of our videos or listeners of our podcast to focus on the content, remember it, and feel motivated to action after listening or viewing.

Stories also release oxytocin. Oxytocin is associated with empathy and openness. So being able to tell a story that involves empathy invites the people watching or listening to become more trusting and open to your message. This helps them to transfer that trust to you, the storyteller. And we all know that the primary reason we get hired as the mediator or arbitrator is most often because the parties trust us. 

A good story also releases endorphins and phenylethylamine. Endorphins are hormones associated with laughter and having a good time. Phenylethylamine is an amine that has pharmacological properties similar to those of amphetamine and occurs naturally as a neurotransmitter in the brain. It’s present in chocolate and one of the key reasons that most of us like it so much. Phenylethylamine is the happiness chemical. And when we feel happy, well, we want more.

When someone hears a good story from you, in any medium on any platform, they react predictably.  They want more. They focus on your content, remember it, and want more of it because it makes them happy. They lean back and relax, become empathetic and open to you and your story, and they’re motivated to take action. 

 So, what makes for a good story?

Next time you have the opportunity to either tell a story or elicit a story for your video channel or podcast, follow this 8 step outline. It will work for long-form interviews as effectively as it will for video or podcast shorts. No matter how long your story is, include these 8 elements to keep your audience invested in your story and your practice. 

You’ll recognize most of these elements if you’ve studied writing, watched movies, or read any number of books. This is the outline to use to create a story that your viewers and listeners can get involved with. 

1.  Enticement

Let’s start with the video/podcast thumbnail and title. These components are like a movie trailer. Obviously, they need to be designed to get the viewers’ attention and entice them to click on your video or podcast thumbnail and start listening to your story.  Use a close-up photo of your face to create connectivity. Convey emotion in your image. Include some powerful text designed to encourage someone to click the thumbnail. Reflect the video/podcast content so that viewers get an idea of what they’re going to find (or even what they won’t find) in your video or podcast. If your thumbnail is misleading or doesn’t make sense, it erodes trust in you and your content.

Once they’ve clicked onto your video or podcast – here’s what they need to see and hear.

 2.  Character

Clearly identify the character in the story. This could be you or someone you’re talking about. It could also be someone you’re interviewing. This part can be as simple as introducing yourself and giving your soft elevator pitch. This kind of introduction leads easily and naturally into the next step of identifying what the character wants.

3.  Desire

This step is identifying what the character desires. For example, if your character is a hypothetical client, we all know the most standard list of what our clients want from us – reasonable and durable closure, a faster process, access to justice, a voice, a less expensive process, etc. If your character is you, you know better than anyone what the pain points are. If your character is a guest that you’re interviewing, use your mediator skills and ask open-ended questions that lead to the disclosure of your guest’s desires. 

Most of the time, these desires aren’t very complicated. In fact the simpler you keep the desires in your storytelling, the better. 

4.  Obstacles

As your story moves from character development and identification of the character’s desires, now is the time to weave in the obstacles. Tell us what is keeping your character from getting what they desire. Is it resources, support, time management, or wrong information? Is it a lack of conviction, lingering self-doubt, or a form of discrimination? 

Whatever the obstacle, keep it simple and relatable, and don’t hesitate to have more than one obstacle facing your character. Frequently, having a compound list of hurdles for your character makes your story even more appealing.

5.  Risk

At this point in your story, you want to tell us what’s at risk if your character doesn’t get what she wants. Stories that bring our fears to light encourage empathy with the view/listener. They likely have similar fears and will be able to relate to the character and thereby you. When we see someone else conquer these similar fears, it feels like we have, in some small way, also conquered that fear. This transference feels good. And that’s what we as storytellers want – our audience to feel good and get that rush of brain chemicals. 

6.  Hero

The hero of the story could be a person, an activity, or a thing. This is the time to introduce who or what gets your character what they need. It could be sound counsel from a mentor or advisor, introduction to a new resource, appropriate use of a new process, or any other motivational tool that helps your character find their way out of the struggle and beyond the obstacles. 

7.  How

In this part of your story, you want to tell us the ‘how’. What specifically was the activity, advice, or resource that let your character finally get what she needs and what she’s been wanting from the beginning of the story? Tell us using an explanation, demonstration or role-play, or a tutorial. This is where you give the viewer/listener the “good stuff”. 

8.  Transformation

Lastly, we all want to know how the character in your story has been transformed by getting what they want or need. How did conquering their fears and overcoming the obstacles in the story get all of us to the happy ending? Step 8 is the conclusion. It’s the fitting end to what might have been a predictable storyline, but it’s the reasonable, durable solution, and ultimately the happy ending that makes us keep listening to see the story come to a satisfactory conclusion. 

With this outline of 8 simple steps, you’ll be able to take your storytelling via video or podcast to the next level. Your stories will help you reach your practice goals because your prospective clients will have an opportunity to get to know you, to like you, and be reassured that they can trust you. Taking advantage of video and podcast platforms in your marketing strategy will be a game-changer. 

If you need help with setting up your strategy or creating a video channel or podcast channel, please don’t hesitate to reach out in the comment section below or via direct message and I’ll be happy to help you.