Most agents write the same messages over and over. These seven templates are short, warm and specific, and each does one job.
Short answer: Keep seven messages ready: a first reply, discovery questions, a proposal cover note, a follow-up, a reply to a price objection, a deposit request and an after-trip message. Each should do one job, be short, mention something specific to the client, and end with a clear next step. Always change the opening before sending.
Updated October 2026. Replace the bracketed parts with your own details.
A template is a skeleton, not a script. Copy the structure, then change the first line and at least one detail so the message is plainly for that person. Clients can tell a pasted message in seconds, and a warm, specific one in a sentence.
Job: be fast, show you listened, move the conversation forward.
Hi [Name], thank you for getting in touch, and what a lovely idea: [one specific thing they said, e.g. a fortieth birthday in Sicily]. I would love to help plan it. To start well, could I ask three quick things: roughly when you would like to go, how many of you are travelling, and whether you have a budget in mind? If it is easier to talk, I am free [times] for a ten-minute call.
Job: collect what you need without an interrogation. See the full discovery question list.
Thanks, [Name]. A few things will help me make this feel right for you: what has been your favourite trip so far and why, what would you hate to do on holiday, and is there anything that has to be part of this trip? One or two lines each is plenty.
Job: get the link opened and invite questions.
Hi [Name], your [destination] proposal is ready: [link]. It opens on your phone. I built the days around [one thing they asked for], and you will find the prices and payment dates at the end. If anything is not quite right, tell me and I will change it. I will check in on [day] to hear your thoughts.
Job: a gentle nudge that adds something. See the follow-up strategy guide.
Hi [Name], hope you are well. I wanted to check the proposal link reached you and opened properly. One thing worth mentioning: [a genuine reason, such as the hotel's availability for those dates, or a change that might suit them]. Happy to adjust anything, or to talk it through for a few minutes.
Avoid "just checking in" with nothing else. Give a reason to reply.
Job: understand before you discount. See how to handle the price objection.
Thank you for being straight with me, [Name]. Could you tell me which part feels out of range: the overall total, or something specific like the hotels or the flights? I can show you two or three ways to bring it down, and what each one changes, so you can choose what matters most.
Job: make the next step easy and clear. See the deposit policy guide.
Wonderful, [Name], I am so pleased you would like to go ahead. To secure everything, the deposit is [amount], and you can pay it securely here: [payment link]. The rest is due on [date], and the schedule is also in your proposal. Once the deposit arrives, I will confirm your bookings and send you a clear summary.
Job: close well, and ask for the thing that grows the business.
Welcome home, [Name]! I hope [a specific memory you know about] was everything you hoped. I would love to hear how it went. If you were happy, a short review or an introduction to a friend planning a trip would mean a great deal to me. And if you are already dreaming about the next one, I am ready when you are.
| Do | Avoid |
|---|---|
| Change the first sentence every time | Sending the template untouched |
| Refer to something they said | Generic enthusiasm |
| Ask one or two clear questions | Asking ten at once |
| End with a specific next step and time | "Let me know if you have any questions" |
Keep templates where you write: in your email app as saved replies, in WhatsApp Business as quick replies, or in your proposal tool. Story of a Trip lets you draft messages for yourself to review before they go out; nothing is sent in your name automatically. For chat, see how to use WhatsApp with clients.
An enquiry arrives: "Hi, we're thinking about Japan next spring for two weeks, my husband and I, not too touristy." A pasted template would say "Thank you for your enquiry, please fill in our form". A better reply, still built on the first template, is: "Hi Anna, thank you for writing, and Japan in spring is a lovely choice. 'Not too touristy' is exactly the kind of brief I enjoy. To start, could you tell me roughly which dates in spring you have in mind, whether you'd like to see cities, countryside or both, and whether you have a budget in mind? If it's easier to chat, I'm free Tuesday or Wednesday for ten minutes."
It is the same skeleton: thanks, a specific echo, three questions, and an offer. It takes about two minutes to adapt and signals that a real person read the message. Compare that with the form, which asks the client to do work before they know anything about you.
| Moment | Message | Suggested timing |
|---|---|---|
| Enquiry arrives | First reply | Within a few working hours |
| After the call | Summary and next step | Same day |
| Proposal sent | Cover note | With the link |
| Not opened | Check the link works | After 2 to 3 days |
| Opened, no reply | Follow-up with a reason | After 4 to 5 days |
| Accepted | Deposit request and next steps | Immediately |
The timings are starting points. Adjust them to your market and to how your clients tend to behave.
Write the way you would speak to a client who walked into your office: warm, direct and unhurried. Most first replies work best at around eighty to one hundred and twenty words. Longer messages feel like a brochure. Shorter ones can feel cold. Use the client's name and one detail only they could have given you. Avoid unexplained jargon such as net rates, fam trip or FIT, and avoid stacking exclamation marks.
Read each message aloud before sending. If it sounds like a form letter, change the first line. If it asks more than three questions, cut it down to the ones that will really change the proposal. If it has no clear next step, add one.
Reply quickly, thank them by name, show you read their message by referring to something specific, ask two or three useful questions, and offer a clear next step such as a short call. Keep it brief and warm.
Say that the proposal is ready, give the link, mention one thing you designed around their wishes, say how to ask questions or request changes, and say when you will check in. Do not repeat the whole itinerary in the message.
Two or three, spaced out, each adding something useful, is reasonable. After that, send a polite closing message that leaves the door open. Persistent repeated chasing hurts more than it helps.
No. Use templates for structure and save time, but always change the opening and one detail so each message is clearly written for that person.
Reply on the channel the client used, and move to email or a proposal link for anything involving price, dates or terms.
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