In my entire career, I have never once heard a successful person say he or she regretted putting time and energy into building their relationships and contact management system (CMS).

That's why my interest was piqued when I recently saw a blog by my close friend Brandon Steiner, CEO and founder of Steiner Sports in New York. It addresses what Brandon calls "next-level networking."

What Brandon is referring to is: "If my contact at a company left, who would I still know there? Would I still be able to work with that company?" If the answers are "no one" and "maybe not," then you could be in trouble.

That's why it's always been my philosophy to get to know as many people as you can at the organizations you do business with. Always have your antennae up. Never pass up an opportunity to meet new people. Develop a relationship with the gatekeeper. Seek out introductions from your customer. Do your homework on the company. Learn about your customer's organizations and groups and possibly get involved.

I call this strategy "dig your well before you're thirsty," which happens to be the title of one of my books. You'll never know what kind of relationships, ideas or even deals can come out of these new contacts. Consider it a great networking insurance policy.

Also, don't forget your former contacts who flew the coop. Just because they've moved on is no reason to yank their entry in your CMS. In fact, there's a reasonably good chance they'll become even more valuable members of your network. For one thing, a former contact knows where the bodies are buried at his or her previous company. If your network is going to work, you have to stay plugged in and keep the wire humming.

Consider the Law of Large Numbers. An entire industry -- insurance -- is built on the principle of the Law of Large Numbers. There are over 315 million living Americans. Insurance people can tell you within one-fourth of one percent just how many of us are going to die within the next 12 months -- and how and where and in what age bracket, sex, color and creed. That's pretty amazing. The only thing they can't tell us is which ones!

The Law of Large Numbers can work for and against you in sales. First, when you are trying to break into accounts, strive to position yourself as No. 2 for every prospect on your list and keep adding to that list. I can promise you that if your list is long enough, there are going to be No. 1s who retire, die, jump to another company, are terminated and succumb to the Law of Large Numbers. What I can't tell you is which ones.

But fortunately, as in the insurance business, "which one" doesn't matter. All that matters is that you have the perseverance and patience to position yourself as No. two to enough different people, and the Law of Large Numbers will do for you what it has done for the insurance industry: You will be an extremely successful and wealthy salesperson.

But what if you are No. 1 and your contact leaves? Then you have to compete with the salesperson who is No. 2 and has a better relationship with the new decision maker. That's why you have to develop relationships with as many people in the company as possible. You know who, but does who know you?

If you want your CMS to produce a fruitful harvest, you have to be persistent and you have to keep on hoeing. An ancient Chinese proverb advises: "If you want one year of happiness, grow grain. If you want 10 years of happiness, grow trees. If you want 100 years of happiness, grow people."

Never underestimate the importance of people in your life. Next-level networking doesn't work unless you master first-level networking. With practice, using your CMS becomes more than a discipline; it's a way of life.

It all comes down to liking people. I get a real kick out of adding people to my CMS. I try to stay in touch with the bulk of my network every year, but I might not see someone for five or 10 years. Sooner or later they crop up again, and it's always fun to get reacquainted.

And that's how you take networking to the next level.

Mackay's Moral: People aren't strangers if you've already met them. The trick is to meet them before you need their help.

I went for a jog with two good friends the other day. A very long jog. A half-marathon, in fact.

Mark Paper, a friend since childhood, and Bobby Eldridge, both very successful businessmen, joined me for the second straight year of P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon in Phoenix in late January. These are two guys who know about going the distance. They push me when I need it, and I am grateful.

You've probably heard me repeat one of my favorite aphorisms: They don't pay off on effort; they pay off on results. Of course, there is no result without effort. A 13-mile jog takes plenty of effort. Finishing it is an awesome result.

And if I ever need more motivation, I think back to my first New York marathon, which I ran in 1986. Of the 20,000 runners who started, the most amazing was a Vietnam veteran, who finished last -- in 4 days, 2 hours and 47 minutes. He covered the 26.2 miles with no legs. He ran on his hands. When my daughter Mimi and I saw him in the early part of the marathon, his example convinced us that we could finish that grueling race.

Marathons, half-marathons, even 5K races are all great tests of accomplishing your goals. Who says you aren't tougher, smarter and harder-working than your competition? If you believe you can do it, and prepare yourself properly, you will have results you can be proud of.

I am committed to taking care of my physical health because I believe that it has a positive effect on every other facet of my life. I don't compete for money or medals. I participate because I win rewards that no outside organization can offer. I want to achieve my personal best.

I have been running for more than 40 years, and have completed 10 marathons, including the 100th Boston. Two hip replacements have meant a change to my regimen, but I can't give up trying. I even get a rush out of watching other runners compete. I've been attending the summer Olympic Games nearly as long as I have been running, and I always watch the marathon enviously. I know I will never match these athletes' superhuman times, but I admire their determination and dedication. They inspire me to keep pushing myself.

What does any of this have to do with business advice? Plenty.

There are obvious parallels to perseverance in tough business cycles, dedication to going the extra mile for customers and determination to seeing a job through to the end. Setting goals and doing what is necessary to achieve them, always trying to improve your performance, and a commitment to be your absolute best are always on the minds of top performers in business and marathons.

Around this time every year, all those New Year's resolutions about getting more exercise and taking better care of our bodies start to fade. Too often, we fall back into bad habits and decide it's just too hard to stay with a new routine.

But now it's time to refocus and recommit. A study by the National Academy of Sports Medicine finds that "Maintaining an active, healthy lifestyle helps increase productivity and diminishes health care costs. Employees involved in a corporate wellness program tend to miss fewer days and have fewer doctor visits. Exercise has many positive benefits, including reduced risk of heart disease, cancer and Type 2 diabetes. In addition, exercise improves cognitive function, reduces stress, and improves your mood."

I can't argue with any of that. I know that not everyone has access to a corporate wellness program. How about starting a walking club during your lunch hour or after work? Exercising with friends provides great motivation to continue.

Start with a reasonable goal of 15 minutes, and work your way up from there. If you break exercise into manageable segments, you are more likely to stick with it. You realize that you can make time to take care of your body without compromising your other responsibilities. But really, shouldn't one of your greatest responsibilities be taking care of yourself?

One of my favorite pleasures is hearing from readers about their successes in business after they have found some helpful advice in my columns or books. I would be thrilled to hear how exercise has improved your career progress and business ventures.

Mackay's Moral: Stop running around in circles -- take care of your health.

You have probably heard the term, "She is a class act." Of course, it's always a compliment. But exactly what does that mean?

Class is easy to recognize but much harder to define. Similarly, the absence of class is easy to detect -- and a serious flaw for anyone who aspires to be successful.

First of all, class is not an "act." It's a deep-seated way of life for those who possess it. Having class involves good manners, politeness, pride without showboating, empathy, humility and an abundance of self-control. The actions of classy people speak louder than their words. You can see it in their body language and the way they carry themselves. Class always shows without being announced.

People can tell if you have class by the way you interact with others. If you have class, you don't need much of anything else to be a winner. If you don't have it, no matter what you do, it won't make up the difference. Money, notoriety or success by themselves won't give you class. Class comes from within, not from external sources.

As an explanation, I've created an acronym of what it means to be a class act:

-- C is for calm, courteous and in control. People who have class carry themselves in a certain way. They stay calm under pressure and don't lose their temper. They are respectful and use good manners. They don't use crude language or criticize or complain in public. They don't interrupt others.

-- L is for living by high standards. Class acts set goals in both their career and personal life. They are not afraid to step out of their comfort zone and push themselves beyond their limits to see how successful they can become.

-- A is for above it all. Class acts take the high road and refuse to stoop to the level of their adversaries. They don't have to apologize for their unfortunate words because they know better than to give in to the heat of the moment.

-- S is for self-respect, and respect for others as well. They don't gossip or say mean and petty things about others. They take every opportunity to make others feel appreciated and good about themselves.

-- S is for self-confidence without being arrogant. Class acts understand their abilities and are not afraid to use them. You can develop confidence, just like any muscle or character trait, if you are willing to work hard. Class acts also increase the confidence of others.

-- A is for accountability. Class acts take responsibility for their actions and results, whether it's a success or failure.

-- C is for compassion. Classy people understand that helping someone up will never pull you down. Compassion is a vital part of class acts. Compassion feels and whispers, "I'll help." Class acts really care.

-- T is for trust. Truthfulness and integrity are the basis for trust. Classy people are trustworthy and understand the importance of maintaining confidentiality. To me the most important five-letter word in business is T-R-U-S-T.

In his book "The Success Principles," my friend Jack Canfield lists "Be a Class Act" as Principle No. 55. What I found most intriguing are some of the reasons he lists for why being a class act helps you succeed.

He writes: "People want to do business with you or become involved in your sphere of influence. They perceive you as successful and someone who can expand their possibilities. They trust you to act with responsibility, integrity and aplomb. Class acts tend to attract people who are at the top of their game."

That's true in the game of life or sports. Classy athletes have an edge over their opponents. Why? Their poise allows them to concentrate better. They exhibit better confidence to play to their potential. As a bonus: Classy athletes usually have the crowd behind them.

Take a close look at your network of friends, co-workers, customers and so on. Are they class acts? Whether you realize it or not, they are a reflection of you. The good news is that you can change.

Make a decision to recreate yourself as a class act and see what kind of people you start attracting. Do fewer things, but do them with excellence. Change your behavior for the better. Raise the quality of your attitude. When you have a higher level of personal standards, you get better treatment from everyone around you.

Mackay's Moral: A class act can say a lot without uttering a word.