Make It Easy: Why Simplicity Wins in Business
How optical stores, tire shops, and trust teach us what brands often forget

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The Paralysis of Too Many Choices vs Simplicity in Business

I was fed up with spending way too much time and money at optical stores. So I did what any time-pressed, semi-rational consumer would do. I went online to buy my next pair of glasses.

The site looked slick. I picked the frames, uploaded my prescription, and clicked through a few coating options. Everything seemed fine.

Then came the questions:

What kind of lenses did I want? Glass, plastic, or polycarbonate? What about prism correction? Or image quality versus impact resistance?

I didn’t know. How could I possibly know?

The site threw up charts and jargon about lens materials, hardness, and light refraction. It felt more like a physics midterm than a shopping cart. So I did what most overwhelmed people do.

I left.

And now they keep emailing me, “Don’t forget your glasses!”

But they still haven’t addressed the real reason I abandoned the purchase: They made it too hard.

A Tire Shop Teaches the Real Lesson About Simplicity in Business

That confusion reminded me of a moment years ago when I needed new tires.

My father believed tires were the most important part of any car. “They’re the only part that touches the road,” he’d say. It sounded like something Yoda would’ve said if he owned a Buick.

So when it was time for me to buy a new set, I wanted to do it right. I walked into a tire shop and immediately got hit with questions:
“All-season or ultra-high-performance? Tread pattern preferences? Do you need V-rated or Z-rated?”

Again, I didn’t know. I just wanted to get back on the road.

I called my dad. He said, “Pick a store you trust. Tell them you want good, safe tires. Let them do their job.”

So that’s what I did. I didn’t become a tire expert, but I got exactly what I needed, with zero confusion and zero buyer’s remorse.

What Simplicity in Business Really Means

Here’s the problem:

The online glasses company thought their job was to sell me lenses. But their real job was to make it easy for me to see better.

They didn’t need to throw every option at me. They needed to guide me through the process, the way a good store—or a good brand—should.

This is where simplicity in business isn’t just helpful, it’s essential.

Are You Solving Problems or Selling Products?

Too many businesses focus on what they know—product specs, technical terms, internal processes. But customers don’t care about your expertise.

They care about solving their problem.

You’re not selling tires.
You’re getting people back on the road.

You’re not selling glasses.
You’re helping them see clearly.

You’re not selling what you make.
You’re offering what they need.

Two Ways to Win Customer Trust

Every interaction you have with your customers is a fork in the road. You can build trust. Or you can break it.

To build trust, you only need two things:

1. Simplify Every Step
   Make it easy to choose you. Limit choices. Remove friction. Use language that invites, not intimidates.

2. Guide, Don’t Gatekeep
   Unless your customer asks for technical detail, they don’t want it. They want to trust that you’ve already figured it out.

Remember what my dad said: “Let them do their job.” That’s what people want from the brands they trust.

Simplicity, Clarity, and the Customer Experience

I’ve spent decades speaking to companies around the world about how to build powerful brands. And here’s one truth that always lands:

Clarity and empathy are not soft skills. They are strategic advantages.

Your customers want to feel confident.

They want to feel understood.

And they want to stop squinting at a thousand options and finally see clearly.

Are You Helping Customers See Clearly?

So the next time you’re mapping out your customer journey, ask yourself:

Are you helping your customers see clearly?

Or are you burying them in complexity?

And if you’re not sure, I’ve got some time on my calendar in 2025. I keynote at conferences around the world, helping organizations clarify their brand story and simplify their message. Because sometimes the only thing standing between you and success is the right lens.