A while back, we conducted an online survey of Top Echelon Network Preferred Members.  In that survey, we asked YOU what you wanted to see from us in the form of training in 2011—Network training, software training, general recruiter training—you name it.

Well, we gathered all of the results and collected all of the responses, and I’m pleased to report that we’ll be incorporating your suggestions into what we offer at the 2011 National Convention this spring.  The bottom line is that we want to give you what you want and what you need in terms of training.  As Preferred Members of Top Echelon Network, we want you to experience more success.  We want you to make more placements (both split and non-split).  We want you to make more money.  Period.

So take a few moments to skim the session descriptions listed below.  These sessions have been designed to cover the topics that you want to see the most.

“Recruiter Fusion 3.0”
Friday, May 13
1:30 to 2:45 p.m.

Attendees will love the all-new incarnation of this session.  Among the topics to be discussed include strategies for taking advantage of LinkedIn, the best research tools in the industry, and techniques for stopping clients from cutting your fees.

“Top Echelon Network Success Panel”
Friday, May 13
3 to 4 p.m.

The Top Producers in the Network do many of the same things, and they’re willing to share their secrets with other Preferred Members at the convention.  Time management, trends in the industry, “Top Echelon Network’s Best Practices,” and how to add contracting to your business model and make more money . . . all of these topics will be covered, and more.

“Business-Building Discussion Groups”
Friday, May 13
4:15 to 5:15 p.m.

Traditionally, recruiters have learned a tremendous amount from each other during this session, and 2011 will be no different. Topics that participants will discuss include effective strategies for making placements with social media, marketing strategies for securing new clients, and research tools that pay dividends in the form of more placements.

“Lightning Rounds”
Saturday, May 14
1:30 to 2:30 p.m.

That’s right . . . we’re bringing back this old-school but very popular session, which allows recruiters to glean knowledge from each other in a fast-paced environment while networking at the same time.  Topics will include sourcing tools, candidate closing strategies, social media and social networking, and how best to use technology on your recruiting desk.

Right now, you can register at the Early Bird Registration price of $345 per person.  The National Convention is scheduled for Thursday, May 12, through, Saturday, May 14, at The Westin Beach Resort in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.  Invest in your Top Echelon Network Membership and invest in your firm.  Join us in May for what’s sure to be a memorable event!

View the preliminary agenda.
See who’s already registered.
Sign up for the convention.

— — —

MDeutsch@TopEchelon.com
(330) 455-1433, Ext. 125

If you asked recruiters what they want to do in 2011, the answer “Make more money while working fewer hours” might just be a popular response.  And those recruiters who attend the 2011 Top Echelon Network National Convention are going to find out exactly how they can do that.

That’s because Jon Bartos of Jonathan Scott International will be the featured speaker at the National Convention.  Two of the themes running through all three of his presentations will be that of “working smarter, not harder” and “making more money in less time.”  Jon’s sessions are scheduled for the second day of the convention, which is Saturday, May 14.

Below are the titles and descriptions of those sessions:
“The Mechanics of Making More and Working Less”

Recruiters everywhere are working harder and harder for the same results (and in some cases, less results).  How can this be stopped?  In this session, Jon will show attendees how to work more efficiently and effectively in everything they do, hitting upon three key areas—1. Technique (process), 2. Time, and 3. Technology (including social media).

“Business Development in a Recovering Economy”

In this session, Jon will share the most effective business development techniques for recruiters—the methods that are working now in today’s economic environment.  He’ll tell attendees what they should be doing and what they shouldn’t be doing.  It all comes down to making the correct decisions, and Jon will help you make the business decisions that are right for you.

“Using Technology in Recruiting Effectively”

When it comes to recruiting, technology goes beyond social media, although Jon will touch upon social media and social networking in this session.  However, he’ll discuss all aspects of technology and how recruiters should implement these aspects into their desk and recruiting process.  Once again, Jon will recommend what to use and what not to use . . . and he’ll tell you why.

And not only can you make more money in less time by attending the National Convention, you can also save money by attending.  That’s because if you sign up before Friday, January 14, you can still take advantage of the “Super Early Bird” registration price of just $275 per person.  Once again, that’s the lowest price we’ve ever offered for a National Convention.

But that price is only good until the end of the business day on Friday.  After that, the price goes up to $349 per person, which is the “Regular Early Bird” price.  The dates of the National Convention are Thursday, May 12, through Saturday, May 14, and the location is The Westin Beach Resort in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

I hope to see you there!

View the preliminary agenda.
See who’s already registered.
Sign up for the convention.

— — —

MDeutsch@TopEchelon.com
(330) 455-1433, Ext. 125

Okay . . . the New Year is here.  No more screwing around (not that you’ve been screwing around; that’s just a figure of speech.)  What I mean is that despite all that’s happened during the past two years and the seemingly endless beating that recruiters have endured, the industry—as well as the economy—is poised on the edge of recovery.  Optimism is high, and confidence is commonplace.  As a Preferred Member of Top Echelon Network, that means, among other things, more split placements.

We have been and will continue to put an emphasis on the 2011 National Convention, and that’s because events like this help recruiters make split placements.  If I could double-bold that last sentence, I would.  When you meet other recruiters, you find out more about them, and when you find out more about them, you find it easier to work with them.  You want to work with them.  You look for ways to work with them, and desire precedes everything.  If you have a desire to make split placements, you WILL make split placements.

What we have at Top Echelon Network is a desire to help you make split placements.  We believe that attending the National Convention will help you make splits, and that’s why we’re offering a “Super Early Bird” Registration period until Friday, January 14.  The price for “Super Early Bird” is the lowest that we’ve ever offered for a National Convention: $275 per person.  But just as important as the affordable price are the recruiters in attendance, and I want to highlight those recruiters in this article by listing their names and agencies below.  Attend the convention, meet these recruiters, and make more split placements.  (WHERE is the double-bolding key?)

Jay Canowitz of Ives & Associates, Inc.
Vicki Marino of Recruiting Excellence
Marla C. Ray of Scientific Resources, Inc.
Cindy Stephens, CPC/CTS of Stephens International Recruiting, Inc.
Douglas Stephens of Stephens International Recruiting, Inc.
Tim Hopkins, CPC/CTS of Stephens International Recruiting, Inc.
Tamra Rhodes of TR Associates
Sean Napoles, CPC of Career Brokers, Inc.
Daniel Simmons, CPC of Continental Search and Outplacement, Inc.
Bob Wylan of R.A. Wylan and Company, Inc.
Cindy Andrew Cordell, CPC of Corporate Resources, LLC
Chris Ramsay of Corporate Resources, LLC
David M. Sgro of True North Consultants, LLC
Joe Noto of Regency Search Group
Dave N. David of Executive Research Associates
Melinda O’Neil of Enterprise Search Associates, LLC
Mike Aquino, CPC of MPA Companies, Inc.
David J. Sgro of True North Consultants, Inc.
Bob Small of Carroll Technology Services, Inc.
Bill Quackenbush, CPC/CTS of QCI Technical Staffing
Steve Brody of Executive Resource Systems
Cynthia Woods of Woods & Paolino Recruiting Solutions
Maria Hemminger of MJ Recruiters, LLC
Joanna Spaun of MJ Recruiters, LLC
John Paolino of Woods & Paolino Recruiting Solutions
Jim Folger of ONESource Technical, Inc.
Eric Berg of JN Adams & Associates, Inc.

View the preliminary agenda.
See who’s already registered.
Sign up for the convention.

— — —

MDeutsch@TopEchelon.com
(330) 455-1433, Ext. 125

I have good news for those recruiters who’d like to see the deadline for “Super Early Bird” Registration for the 2011 National Convention pushed back: we’re pushing it back.

We originally set the deadline for Friday, December 31.  One of the reasons we did that is because we know that a lot of recruiters would like to register for the convention before the end of the year so they can claim the expense of the event on their 2010 taxes.  While that’s important, it’s not the most important aspect of “Super Early Bird” Registration.  The most important aspect would be the fact that we want Preferred Members to attend the convention.

We’ve decided that there are probably plenty of recruiters who are more interested in the $275 per person “Super Early Bird” price than are interested in claiming the expense of the convention on this year’s taxes.  And if that’s the case, setting a deadline of December 31 doesn’t entirely make sense, especially since the dates of the convention are Thursday, May 12, through Saturday, May 14, and Regular Early Bird Registration is going to run for well over two months.

As a result, we’re pushing back the deadline for “Super Early Bird” to the end of the business day on Friday, January 14.  That gives you two more weeks to register for the convention at the special price of $275 per person.  But the price of the convention isn’t the ONLY reason to register.  There are plenty of others, too:

• The site of the convention is The Westin Beach Resort in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.  That’s right, the beach will be right there for you to enjoy . . . and you’ll want to enjoy it, since the average high temperature in Ft. Lauderdale during the month of May is 86 degrees.
• We’ve secured a room rate of $169 per night at The Westin.  You can take advantage of that rate by clicking on a special link on the registration page, but remember that we have a limited number of rooms available at that rate.  So it’s first come, first served.
• The main speaker for the convention will be Jon Bartos of Jonathan Scott International.  Bartos is one of the most popular trainers and speakers in the recruiting industry, and this isn’t the first time that he’s presented for the Network Membership.  Bartos will be addressing the topic of working more efficiently on your desk during a time when recruiters are putting in more hours than ever.
• Once the 50th recruiter has signed up for the convention, we’ll draw a name, and that person will be able to attend the convention for FREE.
• The convention will feature a number of networking opportunities, both formal and informal, including our popular Gala Event.  What will the Gala Event involve?  We’re not at liberty to disclose such information at this time, but we can guarantee that whatever it is, it will be memorable.

We sent out an email a couple of weeks ago with a link to our online 2011 National Convention packet, which includes additional information about the event.  If you missed that packet, now’s the time to take a look at it.

There are already over 20 recruiters registered for the National Convention . . . and we want YOU to be there, too.  We’ve done everything we can to ensure that the cost of attending the convention is as low as possible.  We believe strongly in the power of these events and their ability to help you maximize your Network Membership.  You attend, you meet other recruiters, you form relationships, you trade hot job orders and candidates, and you make split placements.

That’s the way it works, and that’s the way it’s worked ever since we started holding these events.  If you haven’t attended one our conventions in the past, I invite you to call any one of our Top Producers and ask them what role attending such events has had in their success.  I can almost guarantee that there will be a coorelation between the two.  The New Year is poised to be one of resurgence for the recruiting industry.  Join us in that resurgence.  Attend the National Convention.  Have fun.  Meet other recruiters.  Make more placements.  Now THAT’S a happy ending.

View the preliminary agenda.
See who’s already registered.
Sign up for the convention.

— — —

MDemaree@TopEchelon.com
(330) 455-1433, Ext. 172

The 2011 Top Echelon Network National Convention is going to be unique for a number of different reasons.  Heck, it’s already unique, and the event is still months six months away.

In talking with recruiters lately, the word I would use to best describe those conversations is “optimistic.”  That’s certainly backed up by our most recent Members’ Area Poll.  We asked Preferred Members about their thoughts regarding the recruiting industry in 2011.  The majority of those who responded were either “very optimistic” or “cautiously optimistic” about the industry in the new year.

Partly because of that optimism, we have high hopes for attendance at the National Convention.  Of course, because of the recession and the state of the economy, attendance at our events has been down for the past couple of years.  However, considering we went back to our previous format of a National Convention and a Fall Conference each year, plus the fact that the economy is continuing to improve, we expect at least 100 recruiters to register for the convention, and quite possibly much more than that.

And why exactly is the National Convention so unique?  Well, let me count the ways:

• For the first time ever, we’re offering a “Super Early Bird” Registration period, which runs until the end of the year (Friday, December 31).  If you sign up for the convention before then, you can register for the low price of $275 per person.  How low is that?  It’s the lowest price we’ve ever offered for a National Convention . . . and it’s not even close.  Added bonus: if you sign up before the end of the year, you can put the expense of attending the convention on this year’s taxes.
• We’re going to give away a free registration. The first 50 recruiters who sign up for the convention will be entered into a drawing.  The winner of that drawing will be able to attend the convention for FREE.  (Of course, they’ll still have to pay for all other associated costs, including travel and hotel expenses.)
• The dates of the convention are Thursday, May 12, through Saturday, May 14.  We don’t typically hold the convention in May.  It’s usually March or April.  Since the location is The Westin Beach Resort in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., the weather should be phenomenally good.

As part of our promotion of the National Convention, we’re going to email a “Convention Packet” to Preferred Members of the Network.  This packet consists of a series of blog posts with additional information about the event (preliminary agenda, Jon Bartos speaker bio, possible flight options, etc.).

Learn more about the 2011 National Convention Packet on our recruiter networking page.

There’s a little over two weeks left to take advantage of our special “Super Early Bird” pricing.  When it comes to experiencing more success in the Network, one of the quickest ways to do that is by meeting other recruiters face-to-face, and the convention offers a great opportunity for that kind of networking.

So I encourage you to invest in your business, in your Preferred Membership, and in 2011.  Join us for the National Convention in Fort Lauderdale.  It’s going to be a great event.

View the preliminary agenda.
See who’s already registered.
Sign up for the convention.

— — —

MDemaree@TopEchelon.com
(330) 455-1433, Ext. 172

Connect with Mark on LinkedIn.
Follow Mark on Twitter.
Join Top Echelon Network on Facebook.

“Super Early Bird Registration” for the 2011 National Convention is now available!  Sign up now in the Members’ Area at the low price of just $275 per person.

“Super Early Bird Registration” began on Monday, and will run through Friday, December 31.  As we mentioned in last week’s issue of The Pinnacle Blog, there are two main reasons that we’re offering a “Super Early Bird” and such a low price for a National Convention:

• We want you to attend! Attending conventions is one of the quickest ways to enjoy success in the Network (i.e., make split placements).
• We want you to be able to claim the cost of the convention on this year’s taxes, which you can do if you register before the end of the year.

We’ve already had a handful of recruiters register for the convention, and we expect many more to do so by December 31.  Keep in mind that there will be a regular “Early Bird Registration,” but the price associated with that ($350 per person) isn’t nearly as attractive.  That’s why I encourage you to sign up now and lock in the special rate.

Another reason I encourage you to do so is that the first 50 Preferred Members who sign up for the 2011 National Convention will be entered into a drawing to receive free registration for the event.  The name of one lucky recruiter will be drawn from that pool of 50, and that recruiter will have the cost of the convention waived.  (They’ll still have to pay for all other associated costs, of course—travel, hotel, etc.)

Once we reach 50 registered attendees, we’ll conduct our drawing, pick a winner, and announce that winner in The Pinnacle Blog.  In the meantime, below is some additional information regarding the 2011 National Convention:

• The dates of the convention are Thursday, May 12, through Saturday, May 14.
• The location of the event is The Westin Beach Resort in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
• The main speaker for the convention is Jon Bartos of Jonathan Scott International.
• The preliminary agenda for the convention, plus logistics and location information, is also included in the Members’ Area, along with the registration form.  (All of that is located on the left-hand side of the Members’ Area, under the Placement Forms.)

We’re looking forward to a fun, productive, and exciting event.  This year has been a tough one for recruiters, but next year is looking up.  We hope that you’ll join us in Fort Lauderdale to meet other recruiters, drum up new business, and have a good time.

View the preliminary agenda.
See who’s already registered.
Sign up for the convention.

— — —

MDemaree@TopEchelon.com
(330) 455-1433, Ext. 172

Connect with Mark on LinkedIn.
Follow Mark on Twitter.
Join Top Echelon Network on Facebook.