Training

David Lecours leads engaging training seminars for marketing and creative professionals. Seminar topics are below. These seminars are delivered privately at your location. E-mail David to book a private seminar for your organization.

Change The World Slide by Slide:
How To Develop, Design and Deliver Slide Presentations Like a Pro
You want to create great Powerpoint-style presentations, but you are not a graphic designer. You want to persuade, inform and entertain your audience with a presentation that changes the world. Or, maybe just your world. You will gain the knowledge to develop, design and deliver powerful slide presentations. Note that this is NOT a seminar about Powerpoint software. It is a seminar about timeless principles of effective visual storytelling to help you soar.

You Will Learn
+ How to Avoid Death by PowerPoint
+ The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs
+ Where to Find Great Photography and Illustration
+ Graphic Design 101: Color, Fonts, Backgrounds, Balance
+ How to Use a Confidence Monitor So You Don’t Have to Memorize Your Presentation
+ The Power of Multimedia+ Motion: How To Use Builds, Transitions and Video
+ Delivery Tools, Techniques and Stagecraft
+ How To Write Memorable Content That People Will Share
+ How To Make Sure Your Presentation Is The Right Length of Time

Instructor: David Lecours - David’s bio

BRAND YOU: Building Your Personal Brand Seminar
How do you consistently attract and retain great clients? How do you position yourself as a Thought Leader in your industry? By building Brand You. Most of us think of a brand as a product (Apple) or a service (Zappos), but savvy creative professionals think of themselves as a brand. An authentic personal brand is the epicenter from which all your marketing activity should reverberate. The benefit of establishing your personal brand is a steady flow of exciting and meaningful projects. If you want to attract great clients that value your brilliance, plan on attending. Business owners, employees and freelancers will all benefit from this seminar.

You Will Learn
1) How to Identify Your Core Genius (your unique contribution to the world)
2) Developing Your Personal Brand Positioning (why clients will be drawn to you)
3) How to Build Personal Brand Awareness and Promote Your Personal Brand

Agenda
Introductions/Networking, Today’s Goals
Brands: What and Why
Personal Brands vs. Traditional Brands
Identify Your Core Genius, enlightening exercise 1
The Aliveness Meter
Break – 15 min.
Promoting Brand You, helpful exercises 4 & 5
Brand You Positioning, rewarding exercises 2 & 3
Marketing Mix
The New Tools for Thought Leadership
Review (w/ Prizes)

Instructor: David Lecours – David’s bio

How To Become a Creative Superhero Seminar

We are entering The Conceptual Age where creativity is the new currency. Creative ideas are essential to Creative Professionals. But creative ideas don’t just magically appear like superheroes. Even if you consider yourself creative, you can learn to boost your creative output. Drawing upon lessons learned from archetypal superheroes, you will refine your own creative process to generate breakthrough ideas and “leap tall buildings in a single bound.” You will put theory into action by designing a superhero supersuit (no drawing skills necessary).

You Will Learn
+ Why right brainers will rule the future
+ To improve your creative process
+ To increase your creative output
+ Importance of ritual
+ Creative catalysts and overcoming creative kryptonite (blocks)
+ Brainstorming techniques
+ Tips on persuasive presenting

Agenda
Introduction, Today’s Goals
Why creativity matters now more than ever
Creativity is a learned habit, fun exercise 1
Why have a creative process
Investigate – The Creative Brief, rewarding exercise 2
Create – How to come up with ideas, dealing w/ creative blocks, creative exercise 3
Break – 15 min.
Incubate – Power of the subconscious, insightful exercise 4
Evaluate & Refine – How to narrow the choices, amazing exercises 5 & 6
Deliver – How to present your ideas persuasively, engaging exercise 7
Measure – How to continually improve your creative process, helpful exercise 8
Review (w/ Prizes)

Instructor: David Lecours- David’s bio

Seminar Testimonials
“David knows his stuff. I got much useful information from his “Brand You” seminar and he is a really good marketing contact to make. He will help you think of yourself as a unique brand and that may help you develop some more successful marketing strategies to get more clients. You are uniquely gifted to deliver your services in a way that you do and that’s what the seminar will address, how to internalize that message and then get it out to prospects.” –Doug Kinnear, Professional Speaker

“I attended one of David’s branding workshops, and it was outstanding! The coaching materials helped me gain much needed clarity for my new business. David is a phenomenal person to work with…kind, calm, organized, a great communicator, and more! Thanks for helping me soar!!!” –Hayley Isaacs, Zenthuze

“Your seminar was compelling and inspiring–exactly what we needed in these tough economic times. Thank you for your careful preparation. I came away from your presentation with a renewed excitement for branding.” –Kamala Kuresman, U.S. Green Building Council

“The Creative Superhero seminar was very good. You have a great way of looking at the topic and you express thoughts very well. Overall, it was inspiring. When I arrived back at the office, I was ready to tackle the sample project I started on during the session. Last night I had an idea come to me as I was making my way into bed. Thanks to your advise, a note pad was on the night stand and I made a note of the idea right away. Thanks for speaking to our SMPS chapter!”  –Kelly Michajlenko, Architects Moser Drew Watson Ferguson

“I wanted to thank you because your presentation was so relevant to what I have been going through at work. I am managing our firm’s website redesign process.  I had been struggling with all the decision making that’s involved, and I just couldn’t seem to get anything done. After attending your presentation I realized that the only way I could make any progress is if I was able to stop multitasking and really dedicate a full day to the creative process. I even put a bunch of print screens with ideas and task break downs up on one of our walls at the office! I wanted to let you know that you really made an impression.” –Rachel Emme, Research Facilities Design

About The Trainer
David Lecours has nearly 20 years of marketing expertise. From his marketing role at Reebok, to his current job as Creative Director at LecoursDesign, he has worked on hundreds of great brands. Leading seminars allows David to share his expertise. David learned from his Mom (an award-winning public school teacher for 25 years) that if learning is fun, retention increases dramatically. David taught graphic design for two years at UCLA Extension. As a catalyst for positive change, David is also a professional speaker, coach and designer. He is married and also loves pickleball, yoga and surfing in his hometown of Encinitas, CA.

Photos from recent How To Become a Creative Superhero Seminar. Click here for more.