B2B E-Commerce: A Waterslide Checkout Works for B2C, Not for Business Buyers | Aaron Sheehan

In this insightful episode of Talk Commerce, host Brent Peterson welcomes Aaron Sheehan, Head of Product Marketing and Strategic Partnerships at @OroCommerce for a deep dive into the fundamental differences between B2B and B2C e-commerce platforms.

Aaron, with his extensive background in the Magento ecosystem and specialized B2B commerce solutions, explains why "B2C commerce is one person buying for one person, and B2B commerce is a team of people buying from a team of people." This distinction creates entirely different platform requirements that many businesses overlook.

The conversation explores ORO Commerce's origins from the founding team behind Magento, who recognized the limitations of applying B2C platforms to B2B scenarios. Aaron delivers one of the episode's most memorable insights: "In B2C, I want the click from ad to checkout to be a waterslide greased with Crisco. But in B2B, friction is actually not only expected but required."

Brent and Aaron discuss why specialized platforms that understand specific business requirements provide more stable foundations than generalist solutions attempting to serve all market segments. The episode highlights how platform architecture decisions directly impact an organization's ability to weather provider policy changes, acquisitions, or service terminations.

The discussion also addresses the role of sales representatives in the digital commerce ecosystem, debunking the myth that e-commerce threatens sales jobs. Instead, Aaron explains how proper B2B platforms free sales teams from administrative order entry to focus on relationship development while increasing average order values through better product discovery.

Whether you're evaluating e-commerce platforms or seeking to understand the unique challenges of B2B commerce, this conversation offers valuable insights about platform selection beyond surface-level features.

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
02:41 Origins of ORO Commerce
05:34 B2B vs B2C E-Commerce Fundamentals
08:35 The Waterslide Checkout Problem
11:08 When Friction Is Actually Required
15:07 No-Code Workflows for Business Users
17:07 Line Item Limitations in B2B Orders
20:00 AI and Agentic Buying Agents
24:17 Being Present Across Multiple Channels
26:27 Sales Team Compensation and E-Commerce
29:51 Upselling in the B2B Space
36:36 How Hufe Saved Magento
40:08 Adobe Commerce SaaS Discussion
44:49 Owning Your Data and Code
46:23 Closing Thoughts and Contact Information


Follow Talk Commerce on your favorite platform:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@talkcommerce
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/talkcommerce.bsky.social
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talk-commerce/id1561204656
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7Alx6N7ERrPEXIBb41FZ1n
Twitter: @talkingcommerce
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/talk-commerce
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/talkingcommerce
Website: https://talk-commerce.com/