There was a time not too long ago when you needed to be someone important to have a voice or to be heard. Times have surely changed.

With the advent of LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and thousands of blogs, everyone has a voice these days. People from the “old school” like myself would probably consider watching paint dry more enjoyable than “tweeting.” However, it must be important to someone to know what you are doing every five minutes because this method of communication has really taken off. I can’t figure it out, but I’ve never claimed to be the sharpest tool in the shed or the tastiest French fry in the happy meal.

These forms of communication link millions every day. Information travels to and fro. Businesses make a living out of it. In shifting the focus to our industry, the idea of instant communication has the potential for great value.

Before making a purchase, you are able to read reviews from previous buyers. The same real-time feedback can help us in the hospitality procurement field. I will give you my own example.

As a participant in LinkedIn, I am a member of four industry groups, which are online discussion forums that connect people throughout the industry. If I want to get comments on the quality of a certain table, see who has comments on a certain brand of product, etc, the feedback is only a few keystrokes away. Granted, the online discussion forums are not scientific research. But they are forums for informational exchange. The information obtained on these forums is what marketing firms would spend large sums of money in trying to obtain through their own research. Online discussion forums can be a true procurement resource in your purchasing arsenal because they give a voice to the everyday buyer like you and me.

While you will probably not see me “tweeting” any time soon, you can rest assured I will use online discussion forums to help me be a better buyer.