Boy, we’ve wrapped even MORE good stuff into this week’s installment of “‘Comments’ and Compliments”! (I know, I know . . . just when you thought we couldn’t.)

First and foremost, all of the recruiters involved in this week’s installment attend Top Echelon Network conferences and conventions on a regular basis.

Second, one pair of recruiters has now made six split placements together, and the genesis for their Trading Partner relationship happened at a Top Echelon Network conference.

Third, the other pair of recruiters made their first split placement together in the Network, both recruiters attended the 2012 Fall Conference in Chicago, and there’s a good chance that both will be attending the upcoming 2013 National Convention in St. Petersburg.

Fourth . . . well, there isn’t a fourth.  Wait a minute, there is!

FOURTH, you need to register for the National Convention and “celebrate in Florida” with these recruiters!  They’re going to be there and they’re going to want to meet, network, and have fun!  Why?  Because that’s what we do!

The National Convention is scheduled for Thursday, April 25, through Saturday, April 27, at the TradeWinds Resort.  Sign up now at the Early Bird Registration price of just $495 per person.  Join us in St. Pete for our 25th anniversary . . . it won’t the same without you!

If you’d like to thank another recruiter for their efforts in a split placement situation, send your information to marketing@topechelon.com.  Your comments might be included in an upcoming issue of The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog!

— — —

“The MJR/True North Consultants team strikes again!  Dave was an excellent partner.  He traveled with me to visit my client on-site and supplied excellent candidates for the position.  Another reason to celebrate in Florida in April!”

Submitted by Maria Hemminger of MJ Recruiters, LLC regarding her split placement with David M. Sgro, CPC of True North Consultants, Inc.

Position Title—DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES
Fee Percentage—25%

(Editor’s note: this is the sixth split placement that Hemminger and Sgro have made together in Top Echelon Network.)

— — —

“Thanks, Chuck, for sending a great candidate.  He was the perfect fit for my client.  I also wish to commend you on your professionalism.”

Submitted by Ron Sunshine of Ron Sunshine Associates here regarding his split placement with Chuck Szajkovics of Bulldog Recruiters, Inc.

Position Title—MAINTENANCE SUPERVISOR
Fee Percentage—20%

(Editor’s note: this is the first split placement that Sunshine and Szajkovics have made together in Top Echelon Network.)

— — —

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MDeutsch@TopEchelon.com
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There are a lot of reasons to attend the 2013 Top Echelon Network National Convention.  In fact, I recently published a blog post about three of them.

However, in this particular blog post, I’d like to address one reason in particular: putting the cost of the convention on this year’s expenses.

Now, I’m NOT an accountant, nor do I play one on television.  However, for years recruiters have traditionally registered for our National Convention during the previous year for the purpose of putting the cost of that convention on the current year’s business expenses.

(Once again, I’m not giving you financial advice.  As I stated, I’m NOT an accountant.  Please consult an actual accountant for details.)

As we’ve stated previously, Danny Cahill of AccordingToDanny.com is the keynote speaker for the National Convention.  In addition, the site for the event is the TradeWinds Resort in St. Petersburg, Fla., and the dates are Thursday, April 25, through Saturday, April, 27.

Also as we’ve previously stated, Early Bird Registration for the National Convention is currently underway.  If you sign up now, you can take advantage of the Early Bird price, which is the lowest price we’re offering: $495 per person.

As anybody who’s been in the Network for any length of time can attest, we haven’t raised the price of attending our events in quite some time, “quite some time” being another way of saying “forever.”

We’re not looking to make money off the convention.  All we want to do is get Preferred Member recruiters together so THEY can make money . . . and that includes you!

So register for the 2013 National Convention!

(Editor’s note: Drea Codispoti is not a Certified Public Accountant.  Any resemblance to a Certified Public Accountant is purely coincidental and does not represent the views of the staff and management of Top Echelon, Inc.  Please consult an actual Certified Public Accountant if you have any questions.  All rights reserved.  Results may vary.  Void where prohibited.)

— — —

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Drea@TopEchelon.com
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There is money waiting for you at the 2013 Top Echelon Network National Convention.

Let me repeat that: there is money waiting for you.

Am I guaranteeing that you’ll make a split placement if you attend the convention?  No, I can do that.  However, based on the sheer number of recruiters who have done just that down throughout the years, I’m confident you’ll increase your chances of making a split placement dramatically.

In fact, we have another convention success story in this week’s issue of The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog!

And as you might have guessed, this is the first split placement that these two recruiters have made together in the Network.  They’re both long-time Members.  They’ve both been very successful.  But the didn’t make their first split until they met each other at the 2012 Fall Conference in Chicago this past October.

If you attend the 2013 National Convention, you’ll meet recruiters face-to-face that you’ve never met before.  You’ll share hot job orders and candidates.  You’ll share business ideas.  You’ll share “war stories” from the recruiting trenches.  And you might just make a split placement with one of them in the future.

Just like these two recruiters . . .

— — —

“I talked to Suzanne about this job in Chicago.  She said she was interested in helping.  She did a nice job of supplying us with qualified candidates.  Thank you, Suzanne!  It’s GREAT to finally do a split with you!  Glad you made the trip to Chicago this year.”

Submitted by Maria Hemminger of MJ Recruiters, LLC regarding her split placement with Suzanne Griffith, CPC of J S Griffith & Associates

Position Title—RESIDENT ENGINEER
Fee Percentage—20%

(Editor’s note: this is the first split placement that Hemminger and Griffith have made together in Top Echelon Network.)

— — —

The 2013 Top Echelon Network National Convention is scheduled for Thursday, April 25, through Saturday, April 27, at the TradeWinds Resort Hotel in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Remember, the main speaker for the convention is Danny Cahill of AccordingtoDanny.com, one of the most recognized and respected names in the recruiting industry!

So register for the 2013 National Convention!

— — —

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Drea@TopEchelon.com
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These days, you can’t get people’s attention unless you have a list . . . so I made up a list of three great reasons you should attend the 2013 Top Echelon Network National Convention.

Are there more than three reasons?  Sure there are.  But in the interest of brevity, I’m only presenting that many.

Reason #1—Danny Cahill!  He’s going to be the main speaker for the convention.  It’s been quite a few years since Danny presented for us at a Top Echelon Network event, and we’re certainly glad he’ll be in St. Petersburg for the convention.  In fact, I know there are some recruiters who are going to sign up for the event JUST because he’s speaking.  Danny is wealth of recruiting information, and you have a chance to tap into that information at the convention.

Reason #2—You’ll have the chance to find new split placement Trading Partners.  This opportunity is huge draw for split-minded recruiters.  They love networking with other recruiters and meeting them face-to-face, sharing hot job orders and candidates, and setting themselves up for making more splits in the future.  It never fails: placements result from each and every event that we hold, and this one will be no exception.  I’ll be sure to publish details of those placements following the convention.

Reason #3—Early Bird Registration is just $495 per person.  Year are year, no matter what the inflation rate is for everything else, the cost of the convention stays the same.  We have no interest in raising the rate.  Why?  Because we know that the convention is good for your business, and if it’s good for your business, then it’s good for us.  Not only that, but if you register before the end of the year, the cost of the convention will count toward this year’s expenses.

There’s my list.  Just three items, but they are three great reasons to register for the convention and to do it sooner rather than later.

So register for the 2013 National Convention!

— — —

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drea@topechelon.com
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This is it!  Early Bird Registration for the 2013 Top Echelon Network National Convention is finally here!

As has traditionally been the case, we release Early Bird registration in December so that recruiters can sign up for the convention before the end of the year.  That way, they can apply the cost of the event toward the current year’s business expenses.

Something else that’s also been a tradition is that we keep the cost of convention registration as low as possible.  Prices may rise everywhere else in the world, but we keep the price of attending Top Echelon Network events pretty much the same.

Case in point: Early Bird Registration for the 2013 National Convention, scheduled for April 25 through April 27, is just $495 per person.  Compared to the cost of attending other conferences and conventions within the recruiting industry, that’s a rather reasonable price.

Remember, our goal is NOT to make money off the convention.  We consider the convention an investment in the Network.  We believe that getting recruiters together will help them grow their business, and part of that growth will include more split placements.

Why do we believe that?  Because we’ve seen the proof during these past 25 years.  That’s right, we’ll be celebrating our 25th anniversary next year, so that’s yet another reason to attend the convention.

Want another reason?  Danny Cahill of AccordingtoDanny.com is the main speaker for the National Convention!

Want another reason?  The site of the convention is the TradeWinds Resort in St. Petersburg, Fla., the site of our very first convention way back in 1990.  It’s a great venue with a great speaker for what’s going to be a great event.  The only thing missing is . . . YOU!

So register for the 2013 National Convention!

— — —

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drea@topechelon.com
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As I announced recently, Early Bird Registration for the 2013 Top Echelon Network National Convention starts on December 5 (that’s next Wednesday, for those of you keeping track at home).

As always, the convention will be sensibly priced for the Preferred Membership.  We haven’t raised the price of our National Convention in years.  In fact, we’ve even dropped the price.  That’s how much we believe in the value that the convention offers.

However, we’re not the only ones who believe in that value.  There are plenty of Preferred Member recruiters who believe, as well, and that’s because, as the saying goes, “seeing is believing.”  Specifically, these recruiters have seen the results in the form of split placements and additional revenue for their recruiting firms.

Two of those recruiters—Cindy Szajkovics of Bulldog Recruiters and Pete Oettinger of Front Line Solutions—are featured below.  They met for the first time this past spring at the 2012 National Convention in Nashville, Tennessee.

As a result of that meeting, they recently made a split placement together, a placement they might not have made otherwise, and that means they could make even more splits in the future.  (Where there’s one, there could be many.)

— — —

“Pete has helped us by sending qualified candidates, and we look forward to more splits.  We met him at the Nashville convention, and it’s a relationship we will continue!”

Submitted by Cindy Szajkovics of Bulldog Recruiters, Inc. regarding her split placement with Peter Oettinger of Front Line Solutions, LLC

Position Title—POWER GENERATOR FIELD TECHNICIAN
Fee Percentage—20%

(Editor’s note: this is the first split placement that Szajkovics and Oettinger have made together in Top Echelon Network.)

— — —

The 2013 Top Echelon Network National Convention is scheduled for Thursday, April 25, through Saturday, April 27, at the TradeWinds Resort Hotel in St. Petersburg, Florida.  Remember, the main speaker for the convention is Danny Cahill of AccordingtoDanny.com, one of the most recognized and respected names in the recruiting industry!

And yes, next year marks the 25th anniversary of Top Echelon Network.  And yes, we want you to attend the National Convention.  And yes, it’s going to be fun.  And yes, if you attend, you could make money with people you’ve never met before.

So when when I ask if you’ll register for the convention next week, I hope your answer will be “Yes!”

— — —

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drea@topechelon.com
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Here at Top Echelon, we’re excited about the Network’s 25th anniversary.  This is especially the case after the robust attendance that we enjoyed at the recent Fall Conference in Chicago.

I say “robust” because attendance at that event represented the most recruiters we’ve had at a National Convention or Fall Conference for a few years.  Six or seven years ago, it was normal for anywhere between 150 and 180 recruiters to attend one of our events.

With that in mind, it might not surprise you to know that our goal is to get that many Preferred Member recruiters to sign up for the 2013 National Convention.  The convention is scheduled for Thursday, April 25, through Saturday, April 27, at the Trade Winds Resort Hotel in St. Petersburg, Fla.

As we’ve mentioned before, this our 25th anniversary convention, so we’re going to blow it up “Gangnam Style”!

Okay, that was a joke.  There’s no way we’re doing THAT.  However, now that I have your attention, I’d like to inform you that “Early Bird Registration” for the 2013 National Convention will be available on Wednesday, December 5.

That might seem like that’s way off . . . but it’s.  It’s only a month and a couple of days.  So if you plan to join us in Florida next April for the convention, be sure to register during the Early Bird period, because that’s when you can take advantage of the best price for the convention.

(And we haven’t raised the price for our National Convention in years.  In fact, we’ve dropped the price.  That’s how much we believe in the value that these events provide.)

If you haven’t already made plans to join us in Florida next April, you should seriously consider doing so.  It’s going to be one of our best events ever—and it will be even better if YOU are there to join in the fun and networking.

— — —

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Drea@TopEchelon.com
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Next year, we’ll be celebrating the 25th anniversary of Top Echelon Network!  That includes celebrating at the 2013 National Convention.

As part of that celebration, we’re heading back to the Trade Winds Resort Hotel in St. Petersburg, Fla., site of the very first Top Echelon Network National Convention.

Also as part of that celebration, we’ve secured industry trainer Danny Cahill as the main speaker for the convention.  It’s been quite a while since Cahill has participated in a Top Echelon event, and we’re glad to have him back, especially for something as momentous as our 25th anniversary National Convention!

Cahill is, in short, a legend in the recruiting industry.  He started at Hobson Associates right out of college.  He became its Rookie of the Year, top producer, and general manager by the age of 26.  At 27, he bought the company and has since built it into one of the country’s largest search firms specializing in Software Sales, Bio Tech Sales, and Industrial Sales talent.

Cahill was the Educational Chairperson of the Pinnacle Society, 75 of the highest achievers in the industry, and he personally mentors many members.  He also owns and runs AccordingToDanny.com, an online training and mentoring company dedicated to enhancing the skills and jumpstarting the spirits of recruiters worldwide.

Remember, the dates of the 2013 National Convention are Thursday, April 25, through Saturday, April 27. The last weekend in April has traditionally been the “sweet spot” for the convention, especially in terms of attendance.

Speaking of which, we’re looking forward to a considerable amount of people attending the 2013 National Convention.  We had around 120 recruiters at the recent Fall Conference, and we believe that we can get at least that many recruiters to the Trade Winds (and maybe even 150).

So stay tuned for more information regarding our 25th anniversary and the 2013 National Convention, including registration dates, registration prices, and a preliminary agenda of activities.

We look forward to seeing YOU in St. Pete!

— — —

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mdeutsch@topechelon.com
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Well, maybe “mania” is a bit strong of a word to use.  Maybe.

But as Mark Demaree announced earlier, the site and the dates for the 2013 National Convention have been set.  Not only that, Drea Codispoti announced the site and dates for the 2012 Fall Conference earlier this month.

Sure, there are plenty of details to release, loose ends to tie up, etc., etc.  However, I’d like to focus on an important aspect of these two upcoming events:

The official hashtags for each.

As you may remember (or perhaps you don’t), the official hashtag for the 2012 National Convention was #TENAT12.

Many recruiters used that hashtag while tweeting at the National Convention in Nashville.  Consequently, we now have hashtags for the 2012 Fall Conference and 2013 National Convention.  Because fair is fair.

As you might imagine, the hashtag for this year’s Fall Conference is as follows:

#TEFALL12

That would mean the hashtag for the next year’s National Convention is this:

#TENAT13

As I’ve mentioned previously, all you have to do is include this hashtag with every one of your tweets regarding the Fall Conference and/or National Convention.  Here’s an example:

So far, this is the best Top Echelon Network event I have attended . . . this year . . . in Chicago. #TEFALL12

You don’t have to physically be at either of these events to tweet about them, either.  You can use the hashtag even if you’re just tweeting your thoughts from the comfort of your own home . . . in your pajamas . . . while you watch an episode of Glee.

The power is in your hands.

— — —

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MDeutsch@TopEchelon.com
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Top Echelon Network celebrated its 24th anniversary last month.  What does that mean?

That we’re currently in our 25th year of existence!

Well, it means more than that, too.  It also means that we’ll be celebrating our 25th anniversary next year!

Top Echelon Network was founded by Mike Kappel in 1988.  As a result, we plan to celebrate 25 years of helping recruiters make placements (and split placements) throughout the rest of this year—and next year, too!

The first step: announcing that we’re going back to the TradeWinds Hotel in St. Petersburg, Fla., for the 2013 National Convention.

The TradeWinds was the site of our very first convention, which was held in 1990.  (It took a couple of years for the Network to grow to the point where holding a convention was necessary.)

There are many other details that we’ll be releasing in the weeks and months ahead, so be on the lookout for those.  In the meantime, make plans RIGHT NOW to join us for the 2013 National Convention.

You have the dates . . . you have the location . . . and it’s our 25th anniversary.

We don’t hope to see you there.  We expect to.

— — —

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MDemaree@TopEchelon.com
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