I was traveling in France and Spain last month and, of course, the day I got lost in Paris was the same day my phone service went down.

Suddenly, as I wandered along cobblestone streets, I was forced to rely on my French skills, dipping into hotels to ask to borrow WIFI. (Pronounced “wee-fee!”)

Nothing brushes up your language skills faster than desperation.

When that didn’t work, I turned to something most of us haven’t used in years - a paper map.

Eventually, with the help of friendly locals, my willingness to embrace getting lost, and a quick pain au chocolat, I found my way.

Afterwards, I couldn’t help thinking that doing your marketing is a lot like traveling in a foreign country. There are several things you have to embrace that you’re not used to.

For example:

1. You must embrace the reality that you’re new here and you don’t know how things work.

This can be tough if you’ve been at the top of your game in any profession. Marketing is a different game. It’s OK to be new.

2. You need to embrace getting lost.

Getting lost in Paris can be fun, with kind locals and bakeries for moral support. And getting lost in marketing can be fun, too, with the right attitude (see #3 below) and support from fellow creatives.

3. You need to have a “back-up plan attitude.”

That is, you need to be ready to think on your feet and not give up when things don’t go as planned. When something isn’t working, try something else. Ask other creatives what they would do. Be willing to break out your paper map (or send a postcard in the mail).

And finally…

4. Understand that marketing is like learning another language – your client’s language.

One of the best ways to attract your ideal clients is to infuse your communications with their language. That includes in LinkedIn messages or emails directly to them as well as in your High-Quality Content.

Watch me expand on these in this month’s Office Hours Best Bits video:

Always be thinking about your clients’ pain points and speaking about them in language that they understand.

And if you start to feel lost in the world of marketing, just stop and ask for directions from friendly "locals" - other creatives in your community.

Need a community of fellow creatives? My Simplest Marketing Plan comes with monthly live Office Hours gatherings. Marketing newbies are more than welcome! Grab it here and join us next month.

And speaking of Office Hours, here’s something fun...

Antonio Meza, who sketches our Office Hours sessions, perfectly summed up my experience getting lost in Paris with his drawing:

Isn't it adorable? Antonio knows exactly what I'm talking about - he was who I was going to meet when I got lost!

Here we are at a Parisian co-working space after I found my way:

Until next time, à bientôt!