As you’re probably already aware, this year marks the 25^th anniversary of Top Echelon Network.

During those 25 years, there have been a TON of great stories that have happened because of this Network and the people who have been a part of it.

Some of these stories have been collected and published in The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog (and before that, The Pinnacle hardcopy newsletter).  However, the majority of have NOT, and that’s something that needs to be rectified.

That’s why we want your Top Echelon Network stories!

Why?  We want to share these stories with other Network Members.  We want to showcase them on our (soon-to-be-new) website.  We want to share them with other recruiters to emphasize that there are great people and great recruiters in this Network.

Now, keep in mind that these can be any type of stories, just so long as they pertain to your Network Membership.  Some examples are as follows:

• A split placement you made under extraordinary circumstances
• The beginning of a Trading Partner relationship
• A memory from a Top Echelon networking event (National Convention, Fall Conference, etc.)

These are just some examples.  By no means does the story have to fall within these categories.  Our goal is to collect these stories and create a “scrapbook” of sorts, a collection of memories that emphasize the camaraderie and friendships that have transpired during the past 25 years.

How do you tell your story?  One of two ways:

1. Email your story to Marketing@TopEchelon.com.
2. Send an email to MDeutsch@TopEchelon.com indicating your desire to be interviewed for a story, and I’ll be glad to give you a call!

Recruiting is a “people business,” and there are many recruiters whose lives have been enriched by the relationships they’ve formed with other people in Top Echelon Network.

We want to hear—and tell—the story of those relationships!>

SURVEY QUESTION:

At Top Echelon Network, we’re always looking for the next location for our National Convention.  We’ve been to some great places down through the years—a variety of cities located all throughout the United States.

As always, we take our cue from you, the Preferred Member recruiters of Top Echelon Network.  We want to go where you want to go . . . and that’s why we’re always asking where you want to go.  So it might not surprise you to know that we asked again!

We recently conducted a survey of Network recruiters, and that survey was based upon the following question:

Which of the following locations would be best for a Top Echelon Network National Convention?

SURVEY RESULTS:

The choice of answers that were provided is listed below, along with the percentage of recruiters who selected each answer:

• Baltimore — 16.7%
• Atlanta — 10.3%
• Las Vegas — 34.6%
• New Orleans — 29.5%
• Denver — 9.0%

SURVEY ANALYSIS:

It was definitely a close race, but Las Vegas beat New Orleans by a margin of 34.6% to 29.5%.  Top Echelon Network has held a National Convention at both locations in the past, and both events were highly successful.  However, the current Membership currently craves a return trip to Las Vegas.

Baltimore was third at 16.7%, followed by Atlanta at 10.3% and Denver and 9.0%.  Top Echelon has never held a National Convention in any of those cities, although the Network has had a regional event in Baltimore before.

Clearly, the results of this Network survey show that Top Echelon recruiters wish to attend a National Convention at a venue with plenty of entertainment options.

FEEDBACK:

Where do YOU think we should go for a National Convention?  One of the destinations listed above . . . or some place that we didn’t even mention?

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THE SPLIT RECRUITERS:

Larry Radzely has made 62 placements as a Top Echelon Network recruiter.  His agency, Adel-Lawrence Associates, Inc., has been a Preferred Member since 1991.

Jim Strickland has made 98 placements as a Top Echelon Network recruiter.  His agency, BioSource International, has been a Preferred Member since 2003.

Bob Long has made 15 placements as a Top Echelon Network recruiter.  His agency, Executive Personnel Services, has been a Preferred Member since 2000.

Alex Roberts has made 3 placements as a Top Echelon Network recruiter.  His agency, Joseph Michaels International, has been a Preferred Member since 2012.

THE SPLIT PLACEMENTS:

Top Echelon Network is about more than split placements (although it IS a split placement network).  It’s also about forging relationships that can turn into long-term friendships . . . just like the one we’re highlighting between Larry Radzely and Jim Strickland.  Sure, these two Network recruiters have made 62 and 98 placements, respectively, during their tenures in Top Echelon, but as you can see by the recruiter comments below, they’re also good friends.  Their relationship and friendship came first and then, when they finally made their first split placement together, their friendship made the placement that much better.

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“Jim and I have been communicating regularly for years.  He always finds qualified people for our positions, but in the end the candidates seem to wind up in second place.  This is the first split between our agencies, and I personally want to thank Jim for his friendship and assistance over the years.”

Submitted by Larry Radzely of Adel-Lawrence Associates, Inc. regarding his Network split placement with Jim Strickland of BioSource International.

Position Title—FIELD SERVICE ENGINEER

Fee Percentage—20%

(Editor’s note: This is the first Network split that Radzely and Strickland have made together in Top Echelon.)

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“Alex provided an excellent candidate who followed all of the directions, was very responsive, and did an excellent job interviewing and getting the job.”

Submitted by Bob Long of Executive Personnel Services regarding his Network split placement with Alex Roberts of Joseph Michaels International

Position Title—ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS MANAGER

Fee Percentage—20%

(Editor’s note: This is the first Network split that Long and Roberts have made together in Top Echelon.)

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Recruiter Ron Sunshine’s encore performance in Top Echelon Network has become a highly successful one.

Sunshine of Ron Sunshine Associates was once a Preferred Member of the Network back when it was called Nationwide Interchange Services (NIS).  He rejoined in August of 2007, and since then he’s been slowly building momentum.

Ron Sunshine

That momentum culminated with seven Network split placements in 2012.  So far in 2013, Sunshine has made four split placements, putting him squarely on pace to enjoying his best year in Top Echelon since returning nearly six years ago.

Needless to say, we’re glad that Sunshine is back in the fold, and his success is just one reason that we wanted to feature him in our “Recruiter’s Resume” segment in The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog.

Another reason is that he’s been in the recruiting business for over 30 years.  He’s compiled an impressive amount of recruiting experience, knowledge, and wisdom during that time, all of which we’d like to tap into . . .

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What have been the keys to your success in Top Echelon Network?

“The people who are successful are the people who work the Network.  I’m usually a job order recruiter, but if I see a job posted that I know I have somebody for, I’ll send that person out.  But I post every job [to the Network] as soon as I get it!  People call me for information about the job, and that’s been the key to my success.”

Who are the Trading Partners you’ve been working with?

“I’ve worked with and are working with Bob Gabor, Ken Nunley, Eric Berg, David Smith, Art Rogrove, Chris Ramsay, Frank Gregg, and some others.  I’ve developed relationships with these people beyond just ‘tell me about the candidate and send me the resume.’  I know them as people, and I’ve let them know me as a person.  I’m not calling an affiliate, I’m calling a friend, and that’s why it works.  I’ve made a lot of friends in the Network.

“Develop relationships and it will come.  Don’t be afraid to put your jobs or candidates on [the Network].  You have to trust in the system.  A lot of people look at it sideways, like they’re going to get screwed.  Every day, when Wal-Mart opens its doors, somebody walks out with a hair dryer or something else.  People are people.  Don’t let that 1% taint your relationship with the other 99%.  You have to trust the people you work with.”

How would you describe the activity level in your niche?  (Sunshine places Manufacturing and Engineering professionals.)

“My niche is going very well.  It’s come back.  This is my 33rd year in recruiting.  I’ve been through five recessions, and this one was by far the worst one.”

What are your goals for future production in the Network?

“I just want to keep it going.  I had a good year [in 2012].  I don’t look at the size of the check, I just look at the check.  I know it’s going to even out in the end.  A $10,000 split placement is as dear to me as a $17,000 non-split placement.  The money will be there; you just have to keep working the system.”

What other advice would you give to a new Preferred Member recruiter just starting out?

“You have to stick to the basics: plan your day, get on the phone, and speak to people.  Action begats action, and that leads to placements.

“When I started in this business, Tony Bruno was the corporate trainer for the firm I worked for, Professional Career Development.  He also lived down the block from me, and we became good friends.  Tony taught me the fundamentals of the business, and every time I try to get fancy or find a shortcut that goes against what I learned 33 years ago, I fall on my butt.”

Let’s just face the hard facts: winter is NEVER going to end!  It’s just going to keep snowing and snowing and snowing . . .

That’s why you must go to the 2013 Top Echelon Network National Convention in Florida next month!  So you can enjoy the warm weather and sandy beaches.  So you can wear shorts and flip-flops.  So you can stop worrying about slipping on the sidewalk and breaking something you might need.

And yes, there could be a pile of money waiting for you in Florida.

But more importantly, winter is NEVER going to end!  (Did we mention that already?)

Did we also mention:

• That industry legend Danny Cahill is the main speaker for the convention?
• That Bob Marshall and Amy Bingham are also going to present sessions?
• That this is our 25th anniversary convention?
• That the cost of registration is just $560 per person?
• That the Gala Event is going to “blow the roof” off the convention (NOT literally . . . we hope)?
• That we will probably enter into a period of deep introspection and self-analysis if you don’t attend?

Well, if we didn’t, we’re mentioning all of that right now.  We’re also mentioning the fact that we recently posted photos from the last time we were at the TradeWinds Resort in St. Petersburg.  That was the 2000 National Convention, and there are quite a few current Network recruiters who also attended that event.

This year’s National Convention is scheduled for Thursday, April 25, through Saturday, April 27.  It will probably still be snowing wherever you are on those dates . . . or it will be 30 degrees . . . or both.

You owe yourself a break.  You owe yourself a trip to sunny and warm Florida.  You owe it to yourself to make more money.  You owe it yourself to attend the convention!

So register for the 2013 National Convention!

And snowing and snowing and snowing . . .