You don’t need the “luck of the Irish” to make split placements in Top Echelon Network (although . . . I suppose it wouldn’t hurt).

No, you just need to do those things that lead most directly to making splits, and one of those things is participating in Virtual Core Groups.  Luckily, we hold Virtual Core Group meetings every month throughout the year.

Virtual Core Group meetings are regularly scheduled conference calls for Preferred Member recruiters who work in the same industry or niche.  During these calls, the recruiters share information about the activity they’re seeing and they also bounce ideas off another other.

Below is the Virtual Core Group conference call schedule for the month of March:

The first two Thursdays of the month are filled with conference calls and the third and fifth Thursdays are wide open.  Please note that there is NO slot in the schedule for the fourth Thursday in March.  That’s because that’s the week of the 2012 Top Echelon Network National Convention in Nashville, Tenn.  Yours truly will be at the convention—and I certainly hope you will be, too!

Anyway, if you don’t see your industry or niche represented in the chart above, I am ALWAYS open to starting a new group.  If you think you’d like to start one—or join an existing one—please contact me as soon as you can.

Participating in Virtual Core Group conference call meetings is just one of the many things that lead directly to making split placements.  I’d also like you to contact me if you have questions about other things you could be doing to maximize your Network Membership.

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Drea@TopEchelon.com
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I’ve blogged extensively about all forms of Core Groups within Top Echelon Network—Traditional Core Groups, Regional Core Groups, and Virtual Core Groups.  All three help recruiters make placements in the Network—and I have proof this week.

The truth be told, there’s proof every week that Core Groups help recruiters make split placements.  It’s just that a new month is here, and that means a new month of Virtual Core Group teleconference call meetings, and I want as many recruiters to participate in these calls as possible.

Why?  Because the more recruiters that participate, the more split placements they’ll make, and the greater the revenue they’ll produce for themselves and their firm.

That being said, I have a specific example of how a Virtual Core Group meeting helped two Preferred Member recruiters make a split placement together.  The information below would normally be published in our “Comments and Compliments” feature in The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog, but circumstances dictate that they’re published in this blog post.  (I like to dictate circumstances.)

— — —

“[My trading partner] and I connected after an IT Virtual Core Group meeting.  She was a delight to work with.  She was very detail-oriented with her candidate interview, so much so that all of my focus with the candidate was on selling the client and not re-interviewing, because all other questions were answered on the RDS (Resume Data Sheet).  Thanks!”

Submitted by Jed Davis of Carroll Technology Services, Inc. regarding his split placement with Recruiter Name Withheld

Position Title—SAN TE
Fee Percentage—20%

(Editor’s note: This is the first split placement that these recruiters have made together in Top Echelon Network.)

— — —

Virtual Core Group meetings are regularly scheduled teleconference calls for Preferred Member recruiters who work in the same industry or niche.  During these calls, the recruiters share information about the activity that they’re seeing and bounce ideas off each other.  They also share hot job orders and candidates.

Below is the Top Echelon Network Virtual Core Group teleconference call schedule for the month of February:

As you can see, the first two Thursdays of the month are filled with teleconference calls and the third and fourth Thursday are wide open.

If you don’t see your industry or niche represented in the chart above, I am always open to starting a new group.  If you’d like to start a group—or join an existing one—please contact me.  I’d like to fill those open slots in February.

Get involved in a Virtual Core Group and make more money!  (That’s an order.)

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Drea@TopEchelon.com
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In last week’s issue of The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog, I wrote a post about how we’re going to “light the fuse” on Regional Core Groups in 2012.  Well, I want to do the exact same thing with Virtual Core Groups this year!

As I’ve mentioned before, Virtual Core Group meetings are regularly scheduled conference calls for Preferred Member recruiters who work in the same industry or niche.  During these calls, the recruiters share information about the activity that they’re seeing and bounce ideas off each other.  They also share hot job orders and candidates, which can lead directly to recruiters making split placements with one another—which just so happens to be the name of the game.

Below is the current Virtual Core Group conference call schedule for the month of February:

Once again, the first two Thursdays of the month are filled with conference calls and the third and fourth Thursdays are wide open.  I don’t want those dates to be wide open; I want them to be FILLED with Virtual Core Group meetings!  In fact, that’s the goal for this year: for those dates to be filled up each and every month.

If you don’t see your industry or niche represented in the chart above, I am always open to starting a new group.  If you think you’d like to start one—or join an existing one—please contact me as soon as you can.  Let’s not waste time.  Instead, let’s “light the fuse” on Virtual Core Groups and make this one of the best years for VCGs in the history of Top Echelon Network!

I’m Drea Codipsoti, and I approve this message.

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Drea@TopEchelon.com
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Regional Core Groups have cooled down in Top Echelon Network during the past couple of years, which is understandable, considering everything that’s happened in the economy and within the recruiting industry.

However, this is a new year, and there’s plenty of reason to believe that Regional Core Groups are going to heat back up in 2012.

In years past, there were as many as six or seven Regional Core Groups operating within Top Echelon Network, from Ohio to Tennessee to California.  As of right now, there aren’t that many groups gearing up for activity yet this year, but the potential certainly exists.

In this blog post, I want to address two specific Regional Core Groups, namely because they’re holding meetings in the near future.  These are groups that have a rich history within the Network and whose existence has been responsible for numerous split placements between Preferred Member recruiters.

Fort Wayne Regional Core Group

This group and the Baltimore Regional Core Group have been arguably the most successful groups in Top Echelon Network, and the Fort Wayne contingent will be meeting for the first time in quite a while next week.

Network recruiters are invited to join the Fort Wayne Regional Core Group at Ziano’s Italian Eatery at 11:45 a.m. on Wednesday, January 18.  This isn’t just a meeting, but an “after-holiday party.”  Ziano’s Italian Eatery is located at 702 E. Dupont Road in Fort Wayne.

If you’re interested in attending this meeting/party or if you want more information about it, contact Preferred Member recruiter Rhonda Dove of KB Search Team, LLC.
Kansas City Regional Core Group

After a hiatus, this Regional Core Group is getting back together, as well.  Its meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, February 15, at Leawood South Country Club between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.

As part of the meeting, Preferred Member recruiter Bob Wylan of R.A. Wylan & Co., Inc. will give a Power Point presentation, and there will be other speakers, as well.  There’s a $5 per person charge for a beverage table during the meeting, and those in attendance will also share a $50 room set-up fee.  Leawood South Country Club is located at 12700 Overbrook Road in Leawood.

If you’re interested in attending this meeting or if you want more information about it, contact Wylan.

We want to “light the fuse” on Regional Core Groups in Top Echelon Network in 2012, and that starts with you!  If you’d like to be part of one of these Core Groups, part of another Core Group, or if you’d like to start your own, please contact me so that we can discuss it.

Recruiters who attend Regional Core Group meetings give themselves more of an opportunity to make split placements . . . and that’s exactly what we want you to do in 2012: make more split placements!

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Drea@TopEchelon.com
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Do you want to enjoy your best year ever as a Preferred Member recruiter in Top Echelon Network in 2012?  Do you want to make more split placements than you’ve ever made and increase the revenue on your recruiting desk or in your recruiting firm?

Then one of the things you should absolutely do is participate in the Network’s Virtual Core Groups meetings.

Virtual Core Group meetings are regularly scheduled conference calls for Preferred Member recruiters who work in the same industry or niche.  During these calls, the recruiters share information about the activity that they’re seeing and bounce ideas off each other.

The best part about the conference calls—the “meat and potatoes,” so to speak—is the fact that these recruiters share hot job orders and candidates.  Why is this so great?  The sharing of such information is what leads most directly to recruiters making split placements together.

With that in mind, below is the current Virtual Core Group conference call schedule for the month of January:

You’ll notice that the first two Thursdays of the month are filled with conference calls and that the third and fourth Thursdays are wide open.  That doesn’t mean I want those days to remain wide open.  Quite the contrary—what I really want is to fill those two dates with even more Virtual Core Group conference calls.

If you don’t see your industry or niche represented in the chart above, please remember that I’m always open to starting a new group.  If you think you’d like to start one, contact me as soon as you can.  We’ll discuss what’s involved and get your group up and running in time for the New Year.

— — —

330.455.1433, x156
Drea@TopEchelon.com
Connect with Drea on LinkedIn.
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Top Echelon Network offers a number of different tools to its Preferred Member recruiters, all of which are designed to help them make more split placements.

One of these tools is the Virtual Core Group meeting.

Virtual Core Group meetings are regularly scheduled conference calls for recruiters who work in the same industry or niche.  During these calls, the recruiters share information about the activity that they’re seeing, bounce ideas off one another, and share hot job orders and candidates.

The real value in these calls is the presenting and sharing of hot job orders and hot candidates.  That’s because these are the things that lead most directly to recruiters making split placements together.

If you’re not part of a VCG, then you need to be part of one!  Preferred Member recruiters who participate in Virtual Core Group meetings give themselves more of a chance to make split placements than those who don’t.

Below is the VCG schedule for the remainder of October and also for the month of November.

Yours truly will conduct each of these conference calls.  If you’d like to attend any of these VCG meetings, call or email me and I’ll send you the appropriate conference call information.

If you don’t see your industry or niche represented in the chart above, I’m always open to starting a new group.  If you think you’d like to start one, I encourage you to contact me so we can discuss it.

Virtual Core Groups can help you make split placements.  Get in the game and get going.  I’ll talk with you soon.

— — —

330.455.1433, x156
Drea@TopEchelon.com
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For those of you who plan to attend the upcoming 2011 Fall Conference in Chicago, we have an important announcement:

The Embassy Suites O’Hare/Rosemont is currently SOLD OUT for the dates of the conference.

Those dates are Thursday, October 20, and Friday, October 21.  We had a limited number of rooms blocked at the Embassy Suites, and those rooms are now gone.  We were hopeful that if the Embassy Suites did sell out, it would be after the end of our Early Bird Registration period.  Alas, that is not the case.

So . . . what does this mean?

Well, it means that those of you planning to attend the Fall Conference will have to book a room at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, which is basically located right next to the Embassy Suites O’Hare/Rosemont.  Below are some important points regarding this announcement:

• The rate for the DoubleTree is $169 per night.  With that in mind, if you have the opportunity to share the cost of a room with another Preferred Member recruiter, we encourage you to do so.
• We have blocked 10 room nights at the DoubleTree.  However, we expect those to get snatched up quickly, so book your rooms ASAP.
• Click here to visit the website for the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, where you can take a virtual tour and also book your room.

Remember, Early Bird Registration for the conference is still underway.  During Early Bird, you can register for the Fall Conference at the low price of $199 per person.  (This is still the lowest price we’ve ever offered for a full-blown Fall Conference, even after all these years.  We don’t raise the cost of attending our events, no matter what’s happening in the economy overall.  In fact, we’ve lowered them).

Once again, below is the registration schedule:

Early Bird Registration, from now until Monday, September 12—$199 per person

Regular Registration, from Tuesday, September 13, until Monday, October 10—$229 per person

Late Registration, from Tuesday, October 11, until the start of the conference—$249 per person

There are currently 39 recruiters signed up for the Fall Conference, and we expect many more to register before the end of Early Bird.  So don’t wait any longer—sign up now and do the things you need to do in order to make more money!

— — —

View the preliminary agenda.
Register for the Fall Conference.
See who’s already signed up.

The bottom line is that you want to make split placements as a Preferred Member recruiter in the Top Echelon Network of job placement recruiters.  But what’s the bottom line on THAT?

Preferred Member recruiters who participate in Virtual Core Group meetings give themselves more of a chance to make split placements than if they weren’t part of a VCG.  And that’s why we hold these meetings—because they work and they result in split placements.

Virtual Core Group meetings are regularly scheduled conference calls for recruiters who work in the same industry or niche.  During these calls, the recruiters share information about the activity that they’re seeing, bounce ideas off one another, and share hot job orders and candidates.  It’s the presenting and sharing of hot jobs and hot candidates that can provide the real value, since this is what most often results in split placements between recruiters.

Below is the Virtual Core Group meeting schedule in Top Echelon Network for the month of July.  Yours truly will conduct each of these conference calls, and they’ll take place on the dates and times indicated.  If you’d like to attend any of the VCG meetings outlined below, call or email me and I’ll set you up with the appropriate conference call information.

Here are two things to keep in mind about the VCG meeting schedule for July:

1. There are NO VCG conference calls scheduled for the last two weeks in July.  The last day of conference calls for the month is Thursday, July 14, which also happens to be “Bastille Day.”  I have no idea what that has to do with Virtual Core Group meetings in Top Echelon Network, but I thought you’d like to know, nonetheless.
2. As you can see above, there’s an open space for a new Virtual Core Group.  Actually, there’s always an open space, because we’re always looking to form a new group for recruiters in a certain industry or niche.  If you think you’d like to start one, I encourage you to contact me so we can discuss it.

I hope that you can attend one of the VCG conference calls this month, and if you’d made a split placement because of a Virtual Core Group meeting, let me know.  We’ll profile you (and your placement) in a future post in The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog.

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330.455.1433, Ext. 156
Drea@TopEchelon.com
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Whether you know it or not, if you’re a Preferred Member of Top Echelon Network, you’re branding yourself to other recruiters every day—through the things you do and the things you don’t do.  This is important, because how you brand yourself helps to determine which recruiters want to work with you and how often they want to work with you.

In this episode of “Top Echelon TV,” Membership Development Coordinator Drea Codispoti and Communications Coordinator Matt Deutsch discuss the three ways in which Preferred Members can brand themselves in a positive fashion and increase the chances that they’ll make split placements in the Network.

What are your thoughts?  What can recruiters do to brand themselves more effectively as Preferred Members of the Network?  What are things that recruiters do that brand them in a negative fashion, perhaps things they don’t even know they’re doing?

At Top Echelon, we’re looking for every way possible to help Preferred Member recruiters network with each other for the purpose of enjoying more success and making more placements.  One way in which we do this is through the Discussion Forum.

In this episode of “Top Echelon TV,” President Mark Demaree and Membership Development Coordinator Drea Codispoti discuss the Discussion Forum (no pun intended . . . really), pointing out the advantages and benefits that this valuable networking tool holds for Preferred Members. They also address Discussion Forum etiquette and how recruiters should conduct themselves.