LARGE PRINT EDITION (Regular print & Kindle also available) In recent years, millions of Americans, who previously held secure positions throughout the workplace, have been struggling with job loss, underemployment in a changing and uncertain economy. The restoration of jobs has been painfully slow; in fact, there are indicators that up to 40% of the full-time jobs that have been lost may never return. Elizabeth Allen, author and nationally-known business consultant, responded to this nation-wide emergency by adapting her cutting edge sales and marketing methodology - CODE for Sales - for use by individual Free Agents. CODE is an acronym for Communicate-Organize-Document-Evaluate. "I was asked to present CODE to a large group of unemployed people," Allen said. "Looking out at the faces of so many highly skilled career employees, I realized that what they really needed was to be empowered. At this time, the millions who are unemployed represent the largest uninvested asset in the nation, but due to fierce competition and a changing economy, they have limited options. What people need are tools to help them re-engage and to capitalize on their value." The CODE system offers individuals an actual method to leverage their wealth of knowledge, know-how and unique skill set. "I adapted CODE as a process that anyone can apply," Allen writes, "as a way for people to take charge of their careers. CODE is designed to help individuals define their core competencies as well as their passions. Whether people choose traditional employment, contract work, self employment or any combination of these, people need to learn how to effectively sell their assets. Traditional approaches such as attending job fairs and sending out resumes on-line for positions posted on internet job boards have a very low success rate." The Economy of One begins with an explanation of how to adopt an entrepreneurial mindset and moves to the step-by-step sales method to follow so that Free Agent marketing efforts can result with greater success. Throughout the book, readers learn the inspiring stories of actual Free Agents, told in their own words. These people explain how the CODE concepts and tools changed their perspective of a very difficult situation. Changes in thinking led to changes in action, as participant after participant each became an Economy of One. For some, this was landing a dream job, for others starting a new business or finding a contract opportunity that provided a needed transition. What will you learn? -A step-by-step process that will help you effectively identify and explore your options. Looking for full-time employment is just one of many paths available to you. -Strategic self-promotion, communication and networking skills. You will learn how to engage a straightforward methodology designed to take the guesswork out of the self-promotion "sales" process. -Recapture confidence. You will learn 8 critical sets of questions that are deigned to empower you. -Insight into the strategic mindset of those doing the hiring. Understand how employer priorities align with yours before you interview. -Re-connect to passion, proficiency, and profitability. We will help you identify options that are best suited for your natural abilities and interests. -Monitor progress. You will learn how to approach every networking event, job fair or interview with a focused plan. -Achieve transparency. Communicate to others your progress so that the question of "what's your plan?" And "what have you been up to?" is easy to address. -Go way beyond writing a resume and applying endlessly for every job you see, competing with thousands of others for a job that may not even exist. Instead, engage the market from a very different, targeted approach, utilizing your "personal brand" to get in front of decision-makers. -Find support. This program is designed to re-energize you and jump-start your efforts, helping you more effectively engage immediately.
About the Author: Elizabeth Allen is the Principal consultant of the sales consulting firm MarketSmartz, based in Kansas City. A self-employed entrepreneur from the age of 25, she has worked in every facet of strategic market planning, national brand management and executive sales management. Elizabeth is the creator and developer of CODE, a proprietary sales and marketing system that has transformed small- and mid-size companies nationwide. In development and test pilots for over ten years, CODE has transformed the sales process of dozens of companies across the United States. Her sales management systems are the subject of The Contractor's CODE for Marketing and Sales (2006) and The CODE for Sales: All Hands on Deck (2011). Frequently asked to lecture, Elizabeth is a leading thought leader that delivers cutting edge insight and practical advice on how everyone throughout an organization can meaningfully participate and support the sales process. CODE relieves "Exhausted Rainmakers and Business Owners" from the endless task of having to drive business development. CODE creates a predictable customer pipeline that is not dependent upon the skills of any one individual. CODE delivers a sustainable exit strategy to business owners, while providing a system that will dramatically raise the performance and satisfaction of their organizational team. During the economic downturn of the past several years, Elizabeth has devoted much of her time and effort toward helping the many unemployed "Free Agents" transition to a new "Economy of One." From her observation that "the only difference between an entrepreneur and someone unemployed is that one has decided that he or she has something to sell," she developed a new CODE program to teach Free Agents how to "think like an entrepreneur," whether they become an entrepreneur or end up finding a new job. Elizabeth has taught and facilitated this course to a number of Free Agent groups. The program is documented in her recent book, The Economy of One: CODE for Free Agents (2011). Elizabeth served as a facilitator for The Kauffman Foundation's FastTrac program and as a mentor for the University of Kansas MBA Graduates Program. Her unique expertise and vast experience has been highlighted in InfoWorld, Entrepreneur Magazine, Concrete Monthly, and on a nationally broadcast PBS special. She has been featured in cover stories in the Johnson County (Kansas) Business Times and the Kansas City Small Business Monthly.