More than who you know

There’s something special about North Idaho. 

It’s not only in the mountains or the lakes, but in the people who live here.

Few people know that better than Linda Coppess, Coeur d’Alene Regional Chamber President and CEO. She interfaces with hundreds of local business and nonprofit leaders and knows what makes them tick.

“This is a town of people who do business with people who are engaged with the community,” Coppess said.

Understanding that element of North Idaho’s culture is key to succeeding in business here, Coppess said. Learning how to network and connect with people in business and nonprofit spaces is the first step. 

“People are so passionate about the way of life in North Idaho, protecting and investing in that way of life,” Coppess said. 

Connecting with a local chamber of commerce or other business network is a straightforward way to get a foot in the door. But don’t discount the value of networking in volunteer and nonprofit spaces. 

Nonprofits enjoy a great deal of community support in North Idaho. In fact, Coppess said, upon returning to her hometown of Coeur d’Alene, she quickly discovered that fundraising for charity is both a pastime and a passion for many in the local business community. 

Connecting with nonprofits is a great way to meet likeminded people who are active and engaged in their communities. Coppess, for example, lost her mother to cancer and found a sense of connection with other businesspeople who support local nonprofits dedicated to cancer research or supporting people living with the disease. 

Once a connection is made, how can it be maintained and nurtured? 

Most people assume talking is the most important part of networking, Coppess said. But in her experience, that isn’t true. 

“I think the secret to being a great networker is to listen more than you speak,” she said. “People want to feel heard and valued. They light up when they do.” 

Coppess said open-ended questions are essential because they leave room for the conversation to grow.

For example, the difference between asking if someone had a nice weekend and asking someone to share about their weekend may seem small, but the questions will yield different responses. One cuts the conversation short, while the other invites further discussion.

Small talk is all well and good, Coppess said, but don’t be afraid to show some vulnerability and open up.

“When you get beyond the surface level, you feel a connection,” Coppess said. “That builds trust.” 

There’s science to back it up. A 2021 study by Michael Kardas, Amit Kumar and Nicholas Epley found that deep conversations are correlated with higher levels of happiness and make people feel more connected with each other. 

In an experiment, strangers talking for the first time reported feeling “more positive, less awkward and more connected to each other after a relatively deep conversation than they expected,” especially when they used “more intimate” voice-based communication compared to “less intimate” text-based communication. 

“If you don’t offer something of yourself, they won’t feel a connection with you,” Coppess said. 

Coppess noted that networking isn’t just for extroverted people. 

Believe it or not, she’s an introvert. She said walking into a room filled with a few hundred people is intimidating, but she’s developed coping strategies. 

Before plunging into a social situation, she pauses to close her eyes, take a few deep breaths and do some positive self-talk. It works wonders. 

But there’s no substitute for experience. She encourages those looking to build their networks to start by putting themselves out there and being open to what happens. 

“The more you practice, the better you get,” she said.