October 5, 2011 · 5:59 am

Economy of One: Elizabeth Allen’s Vital New Book

Sometimes, new books simply release at the most crucial time. Call it perfect timing — timed perfectly.

So is the case with marketing consultant Elizabeth Allen’s new e-book, The Economy of One, which comes out during a time of double-digit unemployment in most of the country. It also comes out during a jobless recovery in which entire career segments and occupations have been eliminated from the workforce — thus forcing career workers to reinvent themselves for an economy built on speed, technological savvy and versatility. In The Economy of One, Elizabeth combines her proprietary CODE (Communicate-Organize-Document-Evaluate) sales and marketing program with an “All Hands on Deck” approach, showing the unemployed, underemployed and those considering career chance to think and act with an entrepreneurial mindset. This book and its subject matter have been praised by the likes of the Wall Street Journaland bestselling business author Michael Gerber.

Since we were involved with the initial editing of The Economy of One manuscript, as well as ongoing book promotion, we’ve decided to share with you Elizabeth’s longer responses to questions asked for the Economy of One’s media materials. This deeper look will give you a strong idea of how vital and valuable this book is — not to mention the author’s deeply caring, compassionate approach to helping men and women around the country reinvent themselves and their work skills.

Q: At what point in the past few years did you fully conceptualize this idea of The Economy of One, and how that would be the ultimate solution to finding success in this changed economy?

Elizabeth Allen: I came to the conclusion when I was asked to present my sales process, the CODE, to unemployed people.  While it was originally developed for companies, I came to realize that these people represent our single largest uninvested national asset, and that they needed the skill sets to re-engage and think differently in order to capitalize on their value. In working with them, I realized they had forgotten their value and lacked a process by which to change their mindset about their circumstances.  They needed a new way to think in order to leverage their wealth of knowledge, know how and skills.

Q: What is the most challenging and/or most vital aspect of the marketing piece for people to grasp when they have to market themselves after years of working in a career position?

EA: That what may have worked in the past, in terms of finding a job, simply isn’t working any more.  The system as we know it is “broken”.  If they will confront the reality of the problem, then they can take responsibility for themselves providing themselves permission to explore other options.

Q: Which leads to The Economy of One, which is rooted in successful approaches you developed and truly informative case studies.

EA: The Economy of One was crafted from the perspective of what does work.  This program was designed after nearly a decade of cutting-edge industry research defining “best practice” as it relates to how entrepreneurs “think and sell”.  It breaks a highly fluid and intuitive process into specific and actionable steps. It’s not a huge mystery; it’s a set of skills and processes that can be learned. The Economy of One applies no matter whether you are simply looking for a job, are considering being a contractor or exploring opening a small business.  It’s a new way for individuals to confront and overcome “the system” that is broken.

Q: What do you feel distinguishes an entrepreneur from an unemployed career worker with highly valuable job skills?

EA: Having served the entrepreneurial community for decades, I realized that there was only one difference between someone who is unemployed and someone who is an entrepreneur – the entrepreneur has decided they have something to sell.  That’s it!  The skill most fundamental to entrepreneurs is that they’ve given themselves the permission to engage and try to sell something.  The challenge is that they do this so intuitively, that it’s difficult to break the behavior down into specific roles and processes critical for success. The Economy of One translates this highly intuitive process into very simple steps that provide an immediate solution to people desperate for a new method in which to engage.

Q: It seems that the ability to sell yourself and your skills is perhaps the most important competency anyone can have these days.

EA: This issue of selling is now mission critical for both our country and our people, because whether they choose traditional employment, contract work or self employment (or any combination), people must know how to effectively sell themselves, their capabilities and their value.  Whether people use this skill of selling for themselves, or present it as a skill they’ve developed to potential employers, it opens a new solution to people who need a method to move forward.

Q: How did all of your work with CODE among small- and mid-sized businesses over the years help you to define and share the core competencies people need to reinvent themselves and be successful again?

EA: My passion is entrepreneurs and the companies they build.  Fundamentally, there are three roles that are required for sales: That of the Prospector, Technical Expert and Closer.  The companies I’ve worked with frequently need to train everyone in their company how to support the sales process, because now more than ever, it’s time for all hands on deck as it relates to creating customer loyalty and sustaining a predictable sales pipeline.  The very issues that company leaders face in translating these three skills to their employees are the same issues that people in general face in terms of adapting these skills for their own personal use.  The process of mindset adjustment is the same.  Where in the past employees have claimed that “sales isn’t my job, I’m just a technical expert,” companies are saying, “It’s not enough.” They are now requiring everyone who has anything to do with the customer to take increased responsibility for the care and support of that customer, and this is a challenge to people who don’t see it as their job.  They have to change their mindset.

Q: That seems like an action we need to take across the board — changing our mindset.

EA: People who are considering transition or are unemployed also have to “change their mindset” because what’s worked in the past simply isn’t working any more.  According to the US Bureau of Labor, by the year 2019 40% of the US workforce will be Free Agents (people working contract to contract). So beyond this short term issue of how to create jobs and get people engaged with the process, having a method by which to predictably engage and position and sell your skills will become increasingly vital.

Q: What is the potential benefit for a reader who embraces the precepts of The Economy of One and targets leads and opportunities?

EA: For people “stuck in transition,” this process will help them to recognize and take control of their own economy.   We all realize that we individually have ” God-given talents, resources, skills and know-how. The question is, how do you create demand for what it is you can supply? The Economy of Onetakes you through a simple, step-by-step process designed to empower people to better position and sell what they have to offer, whether they are looking for a full time job, considering contract based work, or thinking of starting a small business.

Author Elizabeth Allen

TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF EARLY RELEASE OFFERS FOR THE ECONOMY OF ONE: Facebook: http://eof1.com/offers-fb-eof1/ Twitter: http://eof1.com/offers-tw-eof1/ LinkedIn: http://eof1.com/offers-li-eof1/ Through Word Journeys: http://eof1.com/offers-word-journeys/ Read more at bobyehling.wordpress.com