It's not totally there yet, but I think we're on the way.
With the power of Google, consumer advocate sites, sites dedicated to reviews, and retail sites with product reviews, rarely will a consumer purchase a product without having read or heard at least one review. I know I sure don't.
But marketing in both the B2C and the B2B worlds has moved towards permission instead of interruption, thus you'll most likely need an "introduction" in the B2B word via partners, clients, or simply through networking. Otherwise, they have to find you. When you're found, one way or another, by a prospect, the fact that they found you builds credibility for you. It's not a review, persay, but they're much more interested in you because you weren't banging on their door, sending SPAM or incessantly calling them. Just the fact that you've built authority in your industry helps your trust factor.
Am I recommending you not get references and reviews? No. I strongly recommend you do your research, even talking to present customers, and it is perplexing (as Scott points out) that the B2B world hasn't embraced some sort of review system. The social media world is leveling that playing field though. People have used corporate blogs, Twitter, and many other avenues to express their pleasure or pain for another B2B company. You can find "reviews" on the internet, but look for B2B review sites to pop up as each of us becomes more interconnected each day.
