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By now, the challenges of handling the firestorms that can be set off via Social Media are well known.
Motrin Moms, Dominos, Amazon...they've all been hit.
The issue or Reputation Management is top of mind (and was featured a few weeks ago on ABC's Nighline.)
Companies like Rapleaf and, to a lesser extent eBay (through feedback) and LinkedIn (via recommendations) are attacking the issue of "is this someone I want to do business with?"
But, there's another side that I'm seeing evolve and represents a further "leveling of the playing field."
A few months ago, I put out a tweet indicating I would be meeting with a certain someone and then attending a conference.
A trusted friend of mine reached out individually to ask "hey, what are you discussing with so and so?"
I told him.
He said, "I've got to warn you..." and he went on to explain the M.O. of this particular person and the company for which he worked.
Now, the company would be great to have on anyone's client roster, but he warned me, "they are really, really difficult to work with. They waste your time. They don't respect your work."
Once upon a time, there was no way for large networks to share experiences on working with a large company, but now there is...now vendors who feel like they were not respected or abusedcan warn each other that working with them is challenging, that time is wasted.
What does that mean?
It means that when a company reaches out to the best vendors, those vendors will know (either informally or formally) that it may not be worth their time. Sure, they may try because it's a big name client, but they may not give it their all...since they know the odds of a payoff are low.
And this need not be a company, it may be a given VP within an organization. The word can now travel..."don't work with him."
The best of the best will go somewhere else, b/c they can...and the quality of the deliverable for the client (who chooses a consultant/vendor who doesn't know or who is 2nd rate) may not be up to snuff.
Lesson: No matter where you are or who you work for, your reputation matters and word can spread faster than ever. Power based on Title is fleeting.
