No. 182 · Strategy · Economics
Apostle Model
Satisfied customers drift away; only delighted ones bring others with them.
In the Almanac
“Queen’s Ware”, 1765–1774 · “Xerox”, 1995
Both stories in full, three ways to use it and where it misleads.
Get the AlmanacListen · Watch
Questions
What is Apostle Model?
The Apostle Model sorts customers by satisfaction and loyalty. Apostles are so delighted they keep buying and bring others with them, while unhappy terrorists warn people away. Research at Xerox found totally satisfied customers were six times more likely to buy again than merely satisfied ones.
How do you use Apostle Model?
Use it to decide where effort pays off: lift good experiences into great ones, look after the people already championing you, and listen hard to critics before their frustration spreads.
When does Apostle Model matter?
Apostle Model is one of the 56 mental models for strategy, the situations where you ask: How do I win when others want the same thing? Within that, it belongs to “Winning customers”, alongside Adverse Selection, Churn and Customer Development.
What is an example of Apostle Model?
Two stories show it at work: Queen’s Ware (1765–1774) and Xerox (1995). Both are told in full in The Mental Models Daily Almanac, which has two stories for each of its 365 models.
Which mental models are related to Apostle Model?
Social Proof, Peak-end Rule and Flywheel. Apostle Model itself comes from economics.