I have a confession to make: I’m kind of obsessed with CrossFit.
If you’ve never heard of it, CrossFit is a strength and conditioning program focused on muscular strength, cardio endurance and flexibility. Yes, it’s an exercise philosophy, but for me, it’s also a lifestyle, a source of therapy and a community I’m proud to be a part of. We all have our communities, right?
One person’s CrossFit is another’s book club, fantasy football group or poker night. We join them because we have common interests, and we like being a part of supportive environments where everyone is speaking the same language and working toward a common goal. Think back to when you joined your community, though, and you might remember feeling a little intimidated at first.
I see it at my box (aka gym) all the time when a new person joins. You can tell the sight of things like rope climbing, box jumping and heavy weights freaks them out a bit. But the great thing about CrossFit and most communities, for that matter is that we welcome everyone with open arms, and we cheer them on and support them as they progress in their workouts. As they say, the hardest thing about starting is just walking through the door.
The same goes for CA Communities. We’re a large group with a lot going on, so I can totally understand someone loading up a community page and being overwhelmed by the amount of information they encounter. But just as we might offer a modified workout for a rookie CrossFitter, we CA Communities folks have some ideas for how new members can get through the door:
- Beginner Start small! Navigate to your community homepage, find a category that interests you and make a post. You’ll be surprised at how natural it feels and how excited you are when someone responds.
- Intermediate OK, time for a new challenge. Go to the Ideas board in your community, and see what’s trending. Found an idea you like? Vote for it. Or if you're feeling your oats, why not post your own idea and see how the community reacts?
- Advanced I can tell you’re ready for the heavy stuff. Come to an Office Hours meeting with some nagging product questions and get them answered directly by CA developers and engineers. And don’t worry, we’ll spot you.
Now, how do you feel? Smart, strong, energized? That’s the power of our community right there, and I can tell you from experience, it’s infectious. We think you’ll be back for more.
Stacy_Kouba is VP, Customer Intelligence at CA. Where she is responsible for ensuring that the “voice of the customer” drives key business initiatives to ensure customers have the best customer experience.