7:30 – 8:30 AM
Convention Check-In and Breakfast
The Street Car Buffet Breakfast
- BREAKFAST ENTREES
- Scrambled Eggs, Applewood Smoked Bacon, Pork Sausage Links
- BREAKFAST SIDES
- Southern-Style Grits, Hash Brown Casserole
- Baker’s Selection of Freshly Baked Pastries
- DRINKS
- Coffee, Tea, Orange Juice, Grapefruit Juice, Cranberry Juice
- Individual Plain and Flavored Yogurts
- Fruit Preserves, Housemade Granola
- Seasonal Market Fruit
8:30 - 9:00 AM
Top Echelon Network Convention Kick-Off
Top Echelon President/CEO Mark Demaree welcomes you to Chicago for the return to the Top Echelon Fall Conferences where networking is done at its finest. Mark will give an review of what has happened over the last two years with the company, the software and what changes we have to look forward to; all for the best interest of you.
Drea Codispoti, Network Director will then guide you through the Convention Events and help everyone understand how to maximize their networking efforts at the convention.
9:00 - 10:00 AM
The Psychology of Attracting Candidates
Stacy Napoles
When it comes to recruiting candidates, we should consider the aspect of attraction. This is because we absolutely must attract first before anything else can happen. We do this to establish preliminary interest and then qualify later. Do not try to screen before you know if you candidate is attracted to the opportunity. In this session we will discuss how to get candidates interested or at the very least curious about new opportunities. We have to get them to the dance before we ask them to waltz.
This interactive session includes the following:
- Understanding the psychology behind what attracts candidates
- The four types of candidates and how to communicate effectively with each
- Identify components of an attraction-based job description
- Develop your recruiting story
10:15 - 11:15 AM
Break-Out 1: Four Great Truths: How Clients and Candidates Make Important Decisions
Rob Mosley
This dynamic and interactive business development workshop includes the following:
- Explore the underlying 4 Great Truths of Our Industry that Drive Client and Candidate Decisions
- Gain Insight Into How Your Client Thinks During The 8 Stages of The Decision Process
- Learn that where you enter the Decision Process determines How your Candidates and Clients perceive you.
- Make Better Guiding Suggestions which ensures your Value Proposition throughout the Sales Process.
10:15 - 11:15 AM
Break-Out 2: Winning The Battle of Counter-Offers
Stacy Napoles
Winning the Battle of Counteroffers - There is nothing worse than working for weeks and weeks to close a deal only to have it fall apart at the last minute because your candidate accepted a counteroffer. How can we minimize the chance that our candidates will be tempted by the counteroffer? This session will explore five emotional responses that candidates can expect from coworker, bosses, and friends when they announce their resignation. We will discuss how to help your candidate navigate these discussions while keeping them excited and interested in the new opportunity. This minimizes the chance they will accept a counteroffer.
This interactive session includes the following:
- Identify 5 emotional responses candidates should be prepared to handle
- The driving force behind the financial counteroffer
- Responding to the emotional counteroffer
- Understanding the pit falls of accepting a counteroffer
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Networking Session: Lightning Rounds
Networking Session
Lightning Rounds Description
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Top Echelon Software Mastery Session I
Todd Bossler
12:30 - 1:30 PM
Networking Lunch
- SALAD
- Chicken & Andouille Sausage Gumbo and New Orleans Style Potato Salad
- LUNCH ENTRÉES
- Local Roasted Pork Loin with Red Beans and Rice and Green Onion
- Southern Fried Local Catfish with Smoked, Paprika Remoulade and Charred Lemon, Creole-Style Jambalaya with Andouille, Sausage and Roasted Chicken
- SIDES
- Chef’s Selection of Local Seasonal Vegetables, Roasted with Homemade Pesto
- DESSERT
Warm New Orleans Bread Pudding
1:30 - 2:30 PM
Business-Building Discussion Groups
Networking Session
1:30 - 2:30 PM
Top Echelon Software Mastery II
Todd Bossler
Top Echelon Software Mastery II: Desc
2:45 - 3:45 PM
Fierce Conversations that Help Us Succeed in Work and Life.
Stacy Napoles
This dynamic, interactive session includes the following:
- Explore the four pillars in developing Trusted Relationships
- Probe with Techniques for effective and impactful conversations
- Craft a More Powerful Message of Value
- Navigate through Resistance leveraging the LACES Model
- Recommend the Most Effective next steps for both Candidates and Clients
4:00 - 4:45 PM
Top Producer / Power User Panel
Hearing from your peers is always vital. In this session, Drea Codispoti will moderate a discussion with some of Top Echelon Network’s successful producers on what they have done with their partners in order to have successful relationships that have produced steady Top Echelon Network split placements.
This will be followed by a Q&A.
Members participating in the panel: Kristy Fangman, Scott Krepps, Amylyn Kyler,Vicki Richards
5:45 - 9:30 PM
Gala Event: The Bayou Barn
At 5:45 PM at the South Peter Street Entrance to Harrah's, Alert Transportation will have 3 buses take us to The Bayou Barn is a beautiful, unique rustic event venue located just 20 minutes from New Orleans situated right on the bayou. Enjoy world famous Cajun cooking on the bayou with your peers and make memories dancing the night away and celebrating being away from your desk...while helping strengthen your desk.
- Appetizers: Louisiana Celebration Salad Display (Hand mixed crisp romaine and baby spinach greens with mini cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and petite carrots. Served with our house buttermilk ranch and honey mustard dressings)
- Cajun Entrées: Savory Chicken & Sausage Jambalaya (Succulent mixture of chicken, seasoned smoked sausage, rice, sun dried tomatoes, celery, green peppers, roasted red peppers and sweet Vidalia onions blended with “Cajunburger” seasoning)
- Seafood Entree's: Kickin Shrimp Etouffee’ (Large tender shrimp locally procured, with onions, garlic, and peppers in a spicy sauce)
- Southern Vegetable Sides: Southern Green Beans with New Potatoes (Smothered Green Beans with new potatoes, slow cooked and seasoned)
- Cajun Corn Maque Choux: Creole dish of Sweet Yellow and White Corn kernels slow roasted with a trio of peppers
- Dessert: NOLA Food Festival Award Winner! Friloux’s Famous White Chocolate Bread Pudding Soufflé
Friday - March 10
Friday - March 10
7:30 - 8:30 AM
Networking Breakfast
The Street Car Buffet Breakfast
- BREAKFAST ENTREES
- Scrambled Eggs, Applewood Smoked Bacon, Pork Sausage Links
- BREAKFAST SIDES
- Southern-Style Grits, Hash Brown Casserole
- Baker’s Selection of Freshly Baked Pastries
- DRINKS
- Coffee, Tea, Orange Juice, Grapefruit Juice, Cranberry Juice
- Individual Plain and Flavored Yogurts
- Fruit Preserves, Housemade Granola
- Seasonal Market Fruit
8:30 - 9:30 AM
Productivity is Never an Accident - The Three Driving Forces for Success
Greg Doersching
Productivity is Never an Accident - The Three Driving Forces for Success
The recruiting landscape is changing fast these days and practices that were the core of how we conducted ourselves five years ago have begun to fade, and some may never return. So the big question is what you must do to ensure you are at the Top of the curve and not lagging behind.
Join Greg Doersching, recruiting expert and Top Echelon Super-Fan, as he walks you through 3 key elements to success in 2023 and beyond. He will talk you through new areas of excellence, strategies for intelligent planning in this candidate short market, and how to focus your efforts to get the most out of your desk and the network.
A session that should make you want to get up early on a Friday morning.
9:45 - 10:45 AM
Emotional Intelligence: Your Greatest Secret Skill
Stacy Napoles
Emotional Intelligence: True emotional intelligence is the key to effective communication. This course is designed for leaders, managers and individual contributors who are looking to better understand how to build personal relationships within a team and with clients/candidates. This series explores four components to EQ, identifies exercises to increase EQ and explores how EQ can be applied in various situations both personally and professionally.
This interactive session includes the following:
- Define and identify hallmarks for each component of emotional intelligence
- Tips and tricks for improving your EQ
- Best practices for communicating effectively with peers, prospects, bosses, and even family
11:00 AM-12:00 PM
Negotiating in a New Era…What’s Your Real Value?
Rob Mosley
This negotiation session is about maintaining our value proposition by elevating the client’s and candidate’s perception of us and our services. Selling is negotiating…negotiating is selling…Therefore, we are always negotiating. There is always a cause and effect: So goes the relationship, so goes the negotiation, so goes the sale…..If you fail to differentiate in your approach, you will always be forced to differentiate by your price!
This dynamic and interactive negotiation session includes the following:
- The Trigon: A tool to analyze how your clients and candidates see you
- How to better leverage the 7 Sources of Power in every relationship
- The 24 most common client and candidate tactics
- 6 Counteractions to keep the relationship in a more even balance
- The Framework for Negotiation to align all parties’ need
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Networking Lunch
SOUP & SALAD
• Tomato-Basil Bisque
• Classic Caprese with Aged Balsamic Reduction
• Caesar Salad with Focaccia Croutons
ENTRÉES
• Chicken Marsala with Local Mushrooms
• Pan Seared Fish with Roasted Fennel and Citrus Marinated Olives
• Grilled Skirt Steak with Sofrito Sauce and Coriander Scented Rice
SIDES
• Chef’s Selection of Local Seasonal Vegetables
DESSERT
• Tiramisu Parfait
• Almond Pear Tart
• Chocolate Crème Puff
1:00 - 2:00 PM
Business Building Discussion Groups
Networking Session
2:15- 3:00 PM
Speaker Panel: Stacy Napoles and Greg Doersching Tell All
Speaker Panel
Collectively Stacy and Greg have been in the recruiting business for more than 40 years, running a desk, coaching, and training. Drea will host the Grand Finale session to the week and they will answer questions attendees have sent in ahead of time...no holds barred in this session.
3:00 PM
Closing Ceremony
Top Echelon Closes the weeks events discussing the highlights of the week and announcing the dates of the next Top Echelon Connect User Event.