Would you hire someone you don’t trust?

This should be an easy one. My answer: Of course not.

So why do so many companies refuse to let their employees tweet, post, or otherwise represent them online?

Take Security Public Storage, for example. The facility near me is staffed with people who are  smart, friendly, and responsive–well, once you walk in the door. That’s because the corporate arm won’t allow the local facilities to talk directly with customers and prospects online. Instead, they want their customers to “find us in one place across social media.”

My reply:

You want control. Your customers want to talk to the [people] they do biz with. Sorry, but that’s a local person, not a logo.

Why is this so hard for companies to understand?