Anywhere and anytime. Yesterday, it happened at my nephews' flag football game.

It happened spontaneously and without warning.

My sister asked about my experience at a local restaurant, and I gave an honest answer -- great beers, poor food.

The restaurant wasn't given advance notice of her question, but word of mouth happened regardless.

The spontaneity of word of mouth marketing underscores the need for a consistent and quality product experience.

Would the restaurant have done anything differently had they known two months after I dined with them that I'd be asked my opinion?

To proactively guard against possible pitfalls of word of mouth marketing, would they have created the same dining experience during non-peak hours as they might on a Friday night?

Everybody you encounter as a business is a potential walking, talking, hooked-up-to-social-media billboard.

Whether it's the first impression or the thirtieth, it's your responsibility to create a memorable experience worthy of a positive review.

Because once they walk out your doors, once the email exchanges stop, and once they checkout of your online store, your influence ends.