Engagement - Recurring Decimals & Skateboarding!

Skateboarding logic

"I am afraid of falling, but I will always take a chance!"(Eversley,2015)

Skateboarders, I think are some crazy interesting people. These guys do not play it safe. Why would you want to skate down stairs or a railing? Let’s take the stairs – its constant small drops, and jerks while on a piece of board or plastic on wheels.

The image says it all. That's not my son, its another young hero, but Andrew swears its perfection!

These guys know how to fall, and they are actually thinking about what they did wrong while falling. At least my first son Andrew expressed this as we discussed his passion for that extreme sport.

Andrew is also a Liverpool soccer fan  ( we call it football), and he gets a lot of ribbing for supporting a team which does not seem to like to win much - my opinion! He loves the team, and their team spirit, making sure we know their club song “You’ll never walk alone”. He is loyal, and will support that team win, lose or draw!

Recurring decimals  

You need readers of your words like recurring decimals. Readers who can be relied on to regularly check in. How can this be done without engagement? The answer is it can’t. No one will regularly repeat the same action if, there is uncertainty or inconsistency in value. There must be a reason for a reader to choose to read your words consistently, and reciprocation should be consistent also! 

The recurring decimal appears when its values are repeated at regular periodic intervals, and only if the portion repeated is not zero. There is no value in coming back, at zero. The value of a recurring decimal is to keep the remainder going.Consistency establishes a reason to keep checking for new activity. 

As consumers we love shopping for things. Whether it’s a pair of shoes or the latest Mercedes Benz, we tend to keep going back, to wherever we got good service and a great product. If you like the service at the coffee shop around the corner, that’s your first choice for coffee. The financial adviser who keeps helping you save and grow your money, you will keep him close because you treasure his service. Recurring decimals are happening, periodically in your life with these great relationships. 

When zero happens, infinity stops. The recurring decimal can keep going to infinity, as with a loyal customer.

Skateboarder engagement

Andrew was my personal assistant for five years. On one of our trips he met some folks from Blueprint Skateboards, and Paul Shier a great skateboarder who was partnering with them at the time. Paul gave him a ticket to a premiere they were having for skateboarding. Paul is a regular guy with a huge reputation, and a big heart!  Andrew was getting high on engagement with this network of skateboarders, all strangers with one common interest!

Andrew’s passion helps him create his own opportunities. I see him repeat different actions, as he tries to make his hobby his career. He opened his online store for skateboard supplies locally and keeps trying to make it work. Never giving up, despite the challenges. ( My dreams for an attorney dashed -by a skateboard!)

Recurring decimals & skateboarders

While you may be publishing weekly or daily it is important to engage consistently with your followers / network. Let your interest be about others and their work, while distributing your work. Establish your presence. Read an article, like an article, comment and share. There is much which can be learnt from others,and you will be able to understand their preferences. Your audience has opinions and views they are willing to share. Building a fan base starts here!

Engagement requires willingness to go beyond your comfort zone, to see what the possibilities can be. 

The recurring decimal understands the need to check in with his customer – the numbers, so he can be prepared for the next visit. If he does not keep in touch, when that zero approaches it will be too late.

Blogging requires us to engage periodically with our customers – we are the recurring decimals!

Salespeople must periodically check in as recurring decimals or they will get to the point of zero very fast.

Tips

Engagement can be as rich and as fruitful as you choose to make it.

• Don't be afraid to start a conversation 
• Be passionate and loyal
• Keep in contact consistently like a recurring decimal, to build relationships 
• Get to know your network, your market of readers & writers 
• Share your challenges and successes, everyone likes a shared story
• Most of all whatever you decide to do, be fearless like the skateboarder - he knows he will fall, but keeps trying for a strong landing!

Jump

The premiere was great Andrew recalls. As he practices his skateboarding, he jumps and the friction created, by his speed and the angle of his feet, causes the board to fly with him – landing strong or falling flat. He gets up, and goes again, his engagement with his audience his goal to his success!

This is the 2nd part of my engagements posts. I hope you enjoyed as much as I did preparing it for you. I relate most things back to my life, and my kids say with exasperation, " that's experience taking" when I share!
Can't get on the skateboard with him yet, maybe someday!

Engage with me and our readers and writers by, liking, commenting and sharing. When we share, it increases the value of the engagement, and helps us & others!

You can also share with me on Facebook and Twitter. I like hearing from you!

DWordslayer

(The amazing picture above is of Paul Rodriguez  from Google search - Surf + Skate Rangoe Magazine, rangoe.com)

Artwork: Artistree -andrew.innocent@hotmail.com
© Donna-Luisa Eversley and D-WORDSLAYER, 2016. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Donna-Luisa Eversley and D-WORDSLAYER with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.