Almost 30 Years of effortless simplicity as an Amazon customer

I recently had a small but meaningful realisation: I’ve been an Amazon customer for nearly 30 years. And in all that time, they’ve never called me. I’ve never received a personalised email from a salesperson: no tailored offers, no seasonal campaigns just for me, and no relationship-building attempts.

And yet—I’ve kept buying. Why? They've mastered the art of effortless simplicity. I search. I find. I buy. And they deliver.

There is no friction, no persuasion, just speed, relevance, convenience, and trust. My experience as a customer has been shaped not by sales efforts but by seamlessness.

Now, this isn’t to say Amazon is without its challenges. There are valid criticisms, such as issues with worker conditions and environmental impact, and not everyone’s experience is the same. But my reality as a long-term customer speaks for itself: they haven’t sold to me, and I keep coming back.

This experience is worth reflecting on, especially if you’re in B2B.

While Amazon is a consumer-facing company, the underlying expectations it has set affect every market. B2B buyers are also B2C customers. They’ve experienced the simplicity of platforms like Amazon, Spotify, and Netflix, and now they expect that same ease when making business decisions. They don’t want to be convinced; they want to choose confidently.

So, here’s the big question:

Is your company the natural starting point when someone is ready to buy what you offer?

And more importantly, are you making it effortless for them to do so?

No charm, outbound cadence, or clever sales decks will help if not.

Becoming “the Amazon” of your market: Where to start.

Here’s how you, as a decision-maker in a B2B company, can begin moving towards the kind of experience that keeps customers coming back without ever having to “sell” to them.

Understand your buyers’ real journey.

Consider shifting your focus from mapping out the sales process to mapping the buying process. Where do your current and future customers start when they realise they have a need? What do they search for? What obstacles do they hit? What reassures them? Get close to this journey.

Remove unnecessary friction.

Audit every step of the customer journey and ask, “Does this make it easier—or harder—to buy from us?” Long forms, unclear pricing, slow follow-ups, or gated content can add invisible resistance. Please remove elements that do not benefit the buyer.

Make your relevance obvious.

You don’t have to scream louder. You must show up when it matters and speak to the proper needs. Optimise for discoverability, clarity, and helpfulness—especially on your website, in product descriptions, and in search.

Design for self-service first.

Not all buyers want to talk to a sales rep. Many avoid it. People can explore, compare, and even purchase without human interaction. That’s not impersonal—that’s customer-centric. So, design your processes and systems assuming that the customer will want to do everything themselves, and then provide support for those who need it.

Build trust through experience.

Trust doesn’t come through claims. It comes from consistently delivering on expectations. Make your digital experience smooth. Be honest about what you can and can’t do. Offer transparent reviews, references, and proof.

Learn continuously from behaviour.

Data isn’t just for dashboards. Use it to learn what your customers gravitate toward, what they avoid, where they drop off, and what brings them back. The best companies let the customer’s behaviour shape their improvements.

What would it take for your company to do the same?

The companies that thrive long-term aren’t always the ones that “sell the best”. They’re the ones who make it easy to buy from. They don't become the go-to through clever sales scripts or aggressive marketing but by being the most helpful company.

Amazon didn’t earn my loyalty by courting me. They earned it by removing everything that would have gotten in the way.

What would it take for your B2B company to do the same?