You Sleep When You Die

This is not a tough question. The answer is false. False promises. False advertising. False prospects for the future. False information so people will continue to give Toyota the benefit of the doubt and time to fix the problem. Maybe at first, but not now. Not as problems continue to mount. Still think the majority of consumers believe the load of shit that Toyota is shoveling? Then how do you explain the fact that Toyota was the only major manufacturer last month that suffered a decline? Every other major manufacturer was up for the month of February: GM, Ford, Chrysler, Honda, Nissan, Volkswagen, Mazda, Hyundai, BMW, Subaru, KIA, Jaguar and Porsche. You get the picture: everyone beat Toyota!

Last week I wrote about everyone’s RAS (Reticular Activating System). I explained how RAS works. For those of you who didn’t read it, I’ll catch you up real quick. If you’re walking through an airport, there’s lots of noise: people talking at ticket counters, people talking on cell phones, people buying things, people making announcements over the loudspeaker…it goes on and on and on. But all of a sudden you subconsciously activate your RAS. You activate it to listen only if you hear your own name or flight number being called. You’re able to block out everything else.

Lucky for you, the principles of RAS can help you achieve goals beyond your wildest dreams.

I want to give you another example…

Thanks to Jim Maxfield and @HarilaosMichael for providing two of last week’s top questions. Remember, get your questions about advertising, business, the economy and more answered every Wednesday by posting comments to blog posts or, better yet, on Twitter via #askjz.

“Jordon, give us your business perspective on the U.S. debt issue.”

“I’ve been following what people like Robert Prechter and Marc Faber have been saying about the world economy. What’s your take?”

Thanks to Ed Ethridge for providing one of last week’s top questions. Remember, get your questions about advertising, business, the economy and more answered every Wednesday by posting comments to blog posts or, better yet, on Twitter via #askjz.

“What is your response to Jonathan Salem Baskin’s recent Ad Age article, “What If Giving Up Your Brand Really Means Giving Up?” If the trend is moving towards NOT trusting the people we engage with through social media platforms, how will advertisers and marketers adjust? And will it even still be relevant?

You’ve always espoused growing a brand while simultaneously driving traffic and sales. Where does social media fit into this Brandtailing pyramid?”

Every one of us has a Reticular Activating System (RAS) in our brain. RAS is an area of the brain that helps us transition from “relaxed wakefulness” to “high attention.” Because RAS puts things on our awareness radar, it plays a vital part in our ability to achieve goals. Get it? Making your million dollars. Plant it in your head NOW…deep in your RAS.