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Last Monday was about Stories. If you tried one this week, you may have a few replies waiting.
Now comes the harder question: which of those people has a real trip in mind?
Take two messages.
"Japan looks amazing."
"We are thinking about Japan next March for about ten days. We are trying to decide whether to include Kyoto and Hiroshima."
The first person is interested.
The second just handed you timing, trip length, and a planning question.
Both deserve a kind reply, but only one needs your closer attention right now.
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Here are six signals that a real trip sits behind the conversation.
They mention timing.
A month, a holiday, an anniversary, spring break. "Someday" is a wish. "Next May for our anniversary" is a plan taking shape.
They tell you who is traveling.
A spouse, the kids, parents, friends. "We want to take my parents and our two teenagers to Europe next June" tells you a lot before you ask a single question.
They are weighing a decision.
Tuscany or Piedmont. Villa or hotel. Cruise or land. When there's a choice on the table, the planning has already started.
They describe a problem.
"We cannot figure out how to make all of this fit." Frustration is often the loudest signal, because it gives your expertise a job to do. Understand the problem first. You don't have to solve it in a DM.
They ask how you work.
"Do you plan trips like this?" "How far ahead should we start?" This is the strongest one. They've stopped talking only about the destination and started thinking about working with an advisor. Answer clearly. There's no reason to hide the business side when they brought it up.
They talk about value.
"We want to do this properly, but we don't want to waste money on the wrong hotels." Don't guess their budget. Listen for what they want their money to do.
One signal is a hint. Several together are a pattern.
Someone asking about the best time to visit Greece could just be curious. Then you learn it's June, with another couple, twelve days, and two islands to choose between. Now the picture is clear.
Even a strong signal doesn't call for a pitch. If someone says "We are thinking about Spain next October," you still know very little. Ask something simple: "What kind of Spain trip are you starting to imagine?" Their answer will tell you more than any guess.
Some conversations will stay casual, and that's fine. Someone who loves Italy and shares a memory from their last visit may not be planning anything yet. They'll still remember the advisor who was easy to talk to when a trip does take shape.
When you're unsure, ask yourself one question: is this person talking about travel, or about their trip?
Next Monday: what to do once you know there's a real trip, and how to move the conversation forward without making it awkward.
Want 10 follow-up questions to use when you spot these signals? Reply CONTENT and I'll send them over.
If you'd rather hand the whole thing off, my team runs social media for luxury travel advisors full time. Reply SOCIAL and I'll tell you how it works.
See you next Monday.
Alex
The ice cream shop that makes money when it's cold
28 Wishes sells ice cream in Los Angeles. Below 70°F, sales fall about 20%. The weather is out of their hands. Rent isn't.
So the owners started putting about $20 a day into Kalshi weather markets, taking the cold side. The days that keep customers away now pay something back.
This is hedging. Big companies have done it for decades, buying protection against bad weather, fuel spikes and rising rates. It used to take a broker, a trading desk, and an order size no corner shop could meet.
Kalshi opens it up. Contracts on weather, fuel prices, inflation, tariffs and regulation, starting at a few dollars. Take a position on the outcome that would hurt you. If it hits, the payout softens it. If it doesn't, the contract expires and the good month was the point.
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