The power of word of mouth is phenomenal.   There are so many times that I personally have been influenced or influenced someone else’s decision by a simple referral or recommendation (or avoided a situation or product based on someone’s negative review).  According to Nielsen, 92% of all consumers trust and believe recommendations from friends and family members over all other forms of advertising and even anonymous online reviewers have a 70% trust rate.  And beyond just purchasing decisions we can be persuaded or dissuaded to pursue certain goals, activities, or decisions in our careers and personal lives.  Researching which is best or what we should do is often only more…