There’s no doubt that networking is essential to business success. But what do you do if you feel like you’re struggling with your networking efforts? You could use some help, and that’s where the Networking Top 100 List comes in. Thomas McMillan created this list to create a plan to improve 100 relationships by learning more about each contact and taking steps to strengthen the relationship and develop this process.
Whether you’re just starting your career or have been in business for many years, the Networking Top 100 List can help you get better results from your networking activities. So what are you waiting for? Start improving your networking skills today.
Why networking is important.
Networking is essential to business success because you don’t have all the time and resources to do everything yourself.
Networking can also provide you with opportunities you might not have otherwise thought of. Networking opens the door to serendipitous meetings where you can explore new ideas, find new customers, or discover ways to save time or money.
Establishing relationships with other people for mutual benefit is networking.
As you network, it’s crucial to build relationships over time and find ways to help others. Networking is a two-way street, and the more you give, the more you’ll get.
This can be challenging due to the sheer number of contacts that business people have these days.
Networking Top 100 List makes it easier for you to focus on expanding your professional network by helping you stay organized and develop multiple relationships over time with old friends, former coworkers, prospective clients, and acquaintances.
What is the Networking Top 100 List?
Networking Top 100 List is a list of important contacts you want to improve relationships with over time over different areas of your life.
This list will help you focus on how you plan to strengthen these relationships and establish a frequency of contact and the date of previous discussions and notes. You’ll also keep track of what’s important to each relationship so that if an opportunity arises, you can help – whether that be an introduction, referral, or some other action to help this individual and add value to their life.
Without a Networking Top 100 List, relationships are easy to lose sight of. That’s why by having this list, you can maintain an active network with less effort and more results.
How can it help you improve your relationships?
The Networking Top 100 List can help you improve your networking efforts by listing important contacts and steps to strengthen those relationships. Networking is all about building and maintaining relationships over time, so Networking Top 100 List will help you do just that.
By using Networking Top 100 List to track your progress over six months or one year, you’ll ensure you aren’t losing touch because you are actively thinking about and giving yourself action steps to improve the relationship.
How do you create a Networking Top 100 List?
Determine whom to include in the Networking Top 100 List.
Creating your Networking Top 100 list starts with setting aside time to think about the people you know that are important to you.
I like to think about individuals whom I might have enjoyed being around. Still, the relationship has gone stale for some reason. This often includes previous coworkers, other business owners, people from church, former bosses, college friends, old neighbors, and really anyone you’ve enjoyed knowing but maybe you’ve just lost touch. I also like to include some people I barely know, but I’d like to get to know them better.
The point is to document 100 people you want to strengthen relationships with.
Document the contact information for each individual in your Networking Top 100.
Spend time placing important contact information such as name, email, phone, company, title, and social profiles in one place, so it’s easily accessible. You’ll use this when you start planning networking meetings and checking in on each individual.
Determine the frequency you’ll meet up with or contact each person on your list.
You’ll want to determine specific days and times where you can meet with each person on your Network Networking Top 100 List. For example, I might set aside coffee with a former coworker once per week or plan monthly dinners with old friends. You could even schedule phone calls if the frequency feels right.
Don’t overthink this – plan a frequency that betters the relationship over time. You’ll want to track your last contact and indicate your next planned connection.
What action steps will you take to improve each relationship?
For each individual in your Networking Top 100 List, you’ll want to give yourself an action step for improving the relationship in the next year. This can include setting up regular coffee meetings, inviting them over for dinner, and checking in every few weeks or months. You’ll want to track these action steps so you can follow up and remain accountable.
Understand what is essential to each individual on your Networking Top 100 List.
Networking is a two-way street, and when you focus on both adding value to others’ lives and building your Networking Top 100 List, you’ll find yourself prioritizing relationships positively.
Suppose you understand what’s important to every individual on your list. In that case, you can find ways to connect with them deeper. For example, if you know someone who loves dogs, plan your next get-together at the dog park so he or she can enjoy themselves while allowing you to further your Networking Top 100 List. Come up with ideas for each individual that will enable you to create memorable moments.
This will also allow you to find ways to help them. Suppose you know what is important to them and discover opportunities to help them out. In that case, chances are they will be more inclined to strengthen the relationship further. Perhaps you can make an introduction to someone at a company they want to join, maybe a customer referral. Please do whatever you can to help them. This is a win-win for everyone involved. Keep good notes on these, so it’s fresh and in front of you when you review your list regularly.
Why not start improving your relationships today by creating your very own Networking Top 100 List!
The Networking Top 100 List is an excellent way to start building and improving your relationships. It’s a list of the people you know, care about, or want to get closer with so that by the end of this year, you will have improved 100 relationships in some form.
You can download our free Networking Top 100 List Template in Google Sheets by clicking here.
It should only take a few minutes to put together and start improving your relationships today!
