Recently I sat in a business marketing presentation on customer segmentation. From the presentation we discussed three major customer groups:
Advocates
• These people are raving fans and love your business/service.
• They tell everyone they know about your organization.
• About 15% of your customers fall into this category.
• Lots of referrals.
Apathetics
• These people are passive.
• They have a “take it or leave it” attitude about your organizaton.
• About 60% of your customers fall into this category.
• Low referrals.
Assassins
• These people were displeased with your service.
• They talk about their experience 50% more than advocates.
• About 25% of your customers fall into this category.
• No referrals and will denigrate your business/service at every opportunity.
I wonder how this relates to the local church? Is this applicable?
Is the local church treated as a commodity by its congregation thereby making these segmentations relevant for discussion?
If this is appropriate for discussion, then that offers more questions.
1. How can we encourage advocacy?
2. How can we move people from apathy to advocacy?
3. How do we identify the assassins in our midst?
4. How can we address an assassin's concerns to make them advocates?
5. Is in the local church's job to move people up the ladder?
6. How does this effect giving? Serving?
Lastly, Where are you? Are you an advocate, apathetic or assassin for your church?
