Click here for a full list of student-run organizations, and contact the clubs’ officers for more information. For details about MBA activities and networking opportunities, visit the Graziadio School’s event calendar.

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• Friday, February 10, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Hertz On Campus Interviews
• Friday, February 10, 3 – 7 p.m. NAWMBA & Finance Club Day of Service. Join NAWMBA and the Finance Club as they come together to serve the community. The Boys & Girls Club of Santa Monica is a new facility that offers tutoring, coaching, and recreational activities for youth in the area. All volunteer hours performed will qualify for C4C hours towards Sports Weekend. If you are interested please contact Nicole Warner in order to fill out a volunteer form that is required of all volunteers at the Boys & Girls Club.
• Monday, February 13, 5:15 – 6:15 p.m. - International Student Workshop. Conducting a job search in the U.S. presents unique challenges for international students.  Topics will include: How to utilize Going Global and Uniworld, Job Search Overview, Presentation skills (Communication and Grammar skills), and U.S. Culture realities/expectations.
• Monday, February 13, 5:15 – 7:15 p.m. – PricewaterhouseCoopers – Entertainment Media Communication – Supply Chain Consulting.
• Tuesday, February 14, 12 – 1 p.m.- Wellness Lunch. Elizabeth Watson will be here to speak on the topic of “Diet Less, Live More”. Lunch will be provided for attendees. Looking forward to seeing all of you!
• Wednesday, February 15, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. – Mosaic Capital On-campus Interviews.
• Wednesday, February 15, 5:15 – 6:15 p.m. – Jobs in Finance. For those students desiring an internship or job in Corporate Finance or Financial Services.  What /internships jobs are predominant in Finance?  How to target companies and positions? Resume/Cover Letter Finance Keywords, On-line internship/job search networking and much more!
• Wednesday, February 15, 6:30 – 9 p.m. – Mergers and Acquisitions Forum.

Coming up later this month:

• Tuesday, February 21, 5:15 – 6:15 p.m. - Job Search during Spring Break. Learn winning techniques of the job/internship search during the Spring break. This is a great opportunity to network with alums and target companies when your competition is relaxing. Discover what network errors are attempted, how to best approach contacts in determining on /off-line opportunities, while projecting a positive MBA profile.
• Thursday, February 23, 7:30 – 9 a.m. - Small Business Breakfast Series: Essential Tips on Managing Day-to-Day Operations, hosted by GAN LA. This workshop is the first in the Small Business Breakfast Series (SBBS), coordinated by Pepperdine’s Graziadio Alumni Network of Los Angeles (GAN LA), in association with the Los Angeles Small Business Development Center (SBDC), and sponsored by Identify Solutions. The goal of these events is to provide valuable and relevant information for local small business owners, managers, or entrepreneurs in a workshop-like setting.
• Wednesday, February 29, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. – Dean’s Executive Leadership Series (DELS): Blake Irving, Yahoo! As Executive Vice President and Chief Products Officer at Yahoo!, Blake Irving leads Yahoo!’s Products organization, which is responsible for the vision, strategy, design and development of Yahoo!’s global consumer and advertiser product portfolio. Register early!

From creating and revising proposals to completing a request for proposal (RFP), wooing a business prospect can be costly and time-consuming. How can you streamline the process while increasing your chances of success? SBDC Business Advisors Monica Rayes and Trevor Shickman offer expert insights.

When a prospect asks you to complete an RFP or create a proposal, what factors should you consider in deciding whether to pursue the job?

Sometimes, these requests are purely formalities, because the prospect already has a vendor in mind. Before you respond to such a request, Schickman says, “understand your relationship with the prospect, their current working partners and the prospect’s history.” Does the company currently have a vendor filling this need? If so, how can you compete? If you don’t have a current relationship with this company, have they ever purchased from a business like yours in the past? Answering these questions can help determine whether your proposal has a fair chance of being considered.

If you think you stand a chance, how can you craft a winning proposal?

Reviewing an RFP will require you to examine not only the project’s feasibility, but also your business’s overall health, Rayes notes. Be sure you understand the project’s run time and the elements essential to meeting its objectives. If you uncover limits to your resources, showcase your company’s proactive management capabilities. “Hiring out specific skills and evaluating costs will demonstrate that your company is capable of taking on the project,” Rayes says. And remember, your written proposal isn’t the only factor in the decision. “Find those internal personal connections,” advises Schickman, “and leverage relationships to further offer a competitive advantage.”

It’s easy to spend a lot of time creating proposals that never lead anywhere. How can you decide how much time should be spent on a particular proposal?

Once you decide your proposal has a fair chance of being evaluated, the time spent should be based on its overall potential, says Schickman. However, “potential” means more than just money. For example, Schickman’s company recently completed a project that didn’t produce enough revenue to justify the time invested, but was necessary to break into a new business category.

Landing a big client can take a year or more. What steps should business owners take to stay top of mind with these prospects without becoming a pest?

Persistence and visibility are the keys, says Rayes, and providing value-added resources keeps you top of mind. “During the decision-making process, it works to your benefit to demonstrate availability, offer your expertise and become a reliable adjunct member of your potential working team,” she explains.

What common mistakes do business owners make in pursuing long-term accounts?

The biggest error is not doing enough. “You never want to be seen as having even the remote potential of neglecting the project at hand,” warns Schickman. “Coordinate ways to be consistent and stay in the loop with your [prospect].”

If you have been pursuing a prospect for a long time with no results, is there a point at which you should move on?

Most government agencies or large corporations make major purchases on a schedule. Often, this business cycle is well underway by the time you learn about a possible client. Once you have been through the full cycle twice without success, Schickman says, move that prospect to the back burner–but don’t give up altogether: “Keeping relationships alive often results in opportunities with different projects, or as individuals move to different organizations.”

If the contact you’ve been nurturing at a prospective client company leaves, what should you do?

“Try to have the outgoing contact facilitate the introduction with the new client,” Rayes advises. If this isn’t an option, “approach the new contact with as much information as possible and attempt to be a resource for their new position.”

You’ve finally landed that elusive client, but servicing them is requiring more time, money and effort than you expected. What should you do?

Use diplomacy to find the best solution for all parties, advises Rayes, whose company recently encountered this situation. “We presented it as a cost-saving measure, and spent the additional resources necessary to teach the client how to handle this part of their business through their own website,” she explains. “While this created more short-term work for us, it allowed us to maintain the relationship for more profitable projects in the future.”

– By Rieva Lesonsky

How to Talk to Americans

Monday, February 6th
5:15 pm-5:45pm
Malibu Drescher Main Auditorium
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Last semester the workshop “How to Talk to Americans” was a big hit, attracting more than 50 attendees. We talked about how to sustain one on one conversations with someone from another culture.

The next installment in the workshop series is Monday!

This time we’re covering assertiveness. It’s absolutely crucial to know how to be assertive for informational interviews and group discussion. I guarantee anyone who comes on Monday will have greater success in setting up those informational interviews and working in groups. We have a great lineup on Monday with a guest speaker and a panel of domestic students to answer questions. We’re also going to talk about American culture and how it’s different from other cultures. Finally we’ll go over the religious tradition behind American culture which is essential to understand where America came from.

For updates visit our Facebook page

If you’re the kind of person who wants to be able to talk to someone new regardless of their cultural background…if you want to make friends and contacts from a different culture….if you want to have total confidence when talking with someone you meet for the first time. Wow, I have an event for you.

You will feel confident when speaking in groups of Americans in class, social parties, and job settings. You will be able to say you understand American culture and the religious tradition that American culture was founded on. You can be a part of something sponsored by the leaders of Asian Business Club, Toastmasters, Professional Christians Association, Graziadio Entertainment Club, Pepperdine Finance Club, and The Marketing Society. All of them are in on this event…and so can you.

This is a workshop series on How to Talk to Americans and How to Understand American Culture….and it’s Free.

Want to Come?

February 6 – 10 is Pepperdine Career Week. Contact Tina Ohmstede for information about the Graziadio School’s career resources that can help land you that dream job.

Click here for a full list of student-run organizations, and contact the clubs’ officers for more information. For details about MBA activities and networking opportunities, visit the Graziadio School’s event calendar.

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Friday, February 3 – Internship Fair Sponsored by Career Services

Saturday, February 4 – Pepperdine Business Plan Comeptition – Fast Pitch Round. Student teams of entrepreneurs face off for a chance to win cash prizes totaling $18,500 – including a $10,000 grand prize – in the Pepperdine University Business Plan Competition.

Monday, February 6, 12 – 1 p.m. - Using LinkedIn and Social Media to Network in Your Job Search – Live Webinar. As part of Pepperdine Career Week, the Graziadio School is proud to present Jason Alba, acclaimed social media and networking expert and author of I’m on LinkedIn – Now What??? Join us for an afternoon webinar in which Mr. Alba will share specific tactics that will help you move your job search forward. Register now!

Monday, February 6, 5:15 – 6:45 p.m. – How to Talk to Americans: A Workshop on Group Communication and Culture. An excellent opportunity for international students to learn skills in effectively communicating with Americans, an overview of U.S. culture, and the religious traditions rooted in American society.

Monday, February 6, 2012, 6:30 – 8 p.m – Career Week Kick-Off! Leading Through Lives of Purpose. The Career Week Kick-Off event will feature prominent alumni speakers from all fives schools who have worked and served to make a difference in the world. The panelists featured in Leading through Lives of Service, many of which are Waves of Services leaders, will offer thoughts, advice, and reflections, on how they’ve each found meaning and purpose in their professional lives.

Tuesday, February 7, 5:15 – 6:15 p.m. – M-Society Speaker Series: Marti Eulberg – Fisker Automotive. Marti Eulberg is an international leader in the automotive industry. She will discuss her recent work at Fisker as well as share insights from her years of experience at industry powerhouses such as Maserati, Volvo, Jaguar, BMW, and Ford.

Wednesday, February 8, 5:15 – 7 p.m. – Aon Hewitt – Meet the Company – Recruiting Session.

Wednesday, February 8, 5:15 – 6:15 p.m. - Computer Job Search. Is your computer ready for your upcoming job/internship search? Join us for a discussion onptimal job search engines, specific industry sites, job search agents, bookmarks, social media sites, on-line networking and applications. Bring your computer for a tune-up and obtain the tech advantage!

Thursday, February 9, 6 – 10 p.m. - ACG Cup Case Competition: Pepperdine Internal Round. The ACG Cup is a case study competition designed to give students real world experience and invaluable insights into mergers & acquisitions, investment banking, and financial advisory.

Friday, February 10, 3 – 7 p.m. - NAWMBA & Finance Club Day of Service. Join NAWMBA and the Finance Club as they come together to serve the community. The Boys & Girls Club of Santa Monica is a new facility that offers tutoring, coaching, and recreational activities for youth in the area. All volunteer hours performed will qualify for C4C hours towards Sports Weekend.

1. Get In the Game:
Pro hockey legend Wayne Gretzky is famous for saying, “You miss 100% of the shots you never take.” If you’re only watching from the sidelines how do expect anything good to happen? Step 1. Get in the game. Step 2. Take shots.

2. Get Noticed:
Start networking to get noticed but remember that (at first) no one cares about you. It’s a harsh reality but I’m willing to bet that aside from your family or significant other, no one–not your boss, colleagues or friends–are staying up late thinking, “I wonder how I can help Julie make more money, find new customers, grow her biz…”

If you want it, you have to make it happen. No one is going to hand it to you. No one cares about your brilliant idea or how great your services are as much as you, UNLESS it directly benefits THEM. Start networking to build relationships and get noticed.

3. You Get What You Give:
I would rather be at the DMV instead of at some of these “traditional” networking events and mixers I’ve attended. But there’s something different happening at Linked Orange County. Most of our events have a technology, digital or social business thread. We’re not a bunch of 20-something’s, we’re a diverse cross section of OC that wants to stay ahead of the curve. But don’t show up expecting to get without giving. The events are great when you help them to be great. Does that make sense?

Help keep this group special. Don’t be “that guy.” Some people at events look like they are going to explode unless they unload their awesome idea on you. They are dancing around with excitement and and won’t shut up for 20 minutes. Be respectful of others’ time. Remember what Steven Covey said in the classic book, 7 Habits of Highly Successful People, “Seek to understand before you are understood. Don’t dominate the conversation. Ask about the other person first. Listen. Then talk and build friendships. If you pitch, do it in 60 seconds. Then wait for a response. If you get asked more about it, then exchange ideas and keep asking about the other person.

4. Keep Your Connections Warm:
How do you feel about the friend who only shows up when he needs to borrow something or help moving furniture? My friend Chris Brogan said, “No one likes desperation in relationships, no one likes it in business either.” Keep your connections warm, don’t let them get cold.

If it’s been 6 months and your first contact with me is a desperation call because you need help, that’s not cool. Don’t be a fair-weather friend. Keep your connections warm so that when you need help or you can help others you have a strong support system.

5. The Person Who Can Help Most is the Person You Least Expect:
Sometimes you might not want to show up to an event because you don’t think the “right people” are there. In my experience the famous, notable, popular, wealthy–whatever people can’t help you or don’t care about helping. Don’t judge a book by its cover, you never know what someone can do for you or who they know that might make all the difference.

6. Pull Your Weight:
If you are a member of Linked Orange County, you have a responsibility. Remember the Little Red Hen? In the story of the Little Red Hen the Hen decides to make some delicious bread. All of her friends want to eat it but are not willing to help. There’s a lot of work to be done and moral of the story is about pulling your weight, not being selfish and earning rewards.

One of my favorite quotes and the #1 principle upon which Linked Orange County is founded is, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” If we really want to create something special, we all need to participate. What can we do when we do it together? The possibilities are endless…

Linked Orange County’s first networking event of the year had 200 of Orange County’s top biz peeps and influencer’s. Celebrity Apprentice star and Fortune 100 Chief Marketer Jeff Hayzlett energized the crowd with a great presentation on creating change in your organization. Check back here for the video recap coming soon.

What’s next? The Feb. 22 networking event features a keynote from best selling author Brian Solis. The event page is LIVE and the Early Bird pricing of $17 is up for a limited time before the pricing goes up to $79.

*Q: Why do these things cost money?
*A: Ticket sales and sponsorship underwrite 100% of our activities.

There are no member dues or additional fees so tickets help pay for talent fees, hotel and flights, operations and our web development, administration, and more. Sound fair?

What’s the event theme?
The End of Business As Usual: How to use digital and social technologies to evolve, grow and survive / thrive

The full 2012 schedule is published here.