The moment the light goes on

I always record my coaching sessions. And I transcribe them too.

Not out of paranoia, but because I’m listening for something specific: the moment a client’s voice changes.

It happens in every session. Someone will be talking about their business in that careful, measured way people use when they’re trying to sound professional. Then I’ll ask the right question.

And suddenly, there it is. The spark. The energy shift. The moment they forget to be careful and just… talk.

That’s when their real voice comes out. And that’s what I transcribe and show back to them.

Because most people have no idea what their voice actually sounds like until someone holds up a mirror.

The questions that unlock your voice

Here’s what a typical coaching session looks like with me:

I don’t ask surface-level questions. I don’t say ‘tell me about your business’ and take notes while you recite your website copy back to me.

I probe. I dig. I ask ‘why?’ about five times until we get past the rehearsed answers to the real stuff.

You see, you don’t spent 20 years in education without learning how to ask the questions that matter. The ones that get past ‘we offer boutique accommodation’ to ‘I started this because…’

And I keep asking until I see that light in your eye. That’s when I know we’ve hit it.

What this  looks like

Let me give you two real examples.

The sheep story

I’ve been working with a client recently who runs a rural property. Her pre-coaching homework was pretty bland: describing the area, talking about the scenery, mentioning sheep.

Just standard ‘escape to the countryside’ stuff. Could’ve been anywhere.

But then I started asking questions. Not about the area but about HER. What she loves. What makes her laugh. What she notices that other people don’t.

It turns out that she’s completely obsessed with her sheep. Not in a farming way. In a ‘they all have names and personalities and I could tell you stories about them for hours’ way.

The things she came out with were brilliant. Funny. Vivid. Full of personality.

One sheep is grumpy. Another is an escape artist. There’s drama. There’s comedy. There are characters.

We transcribed all of it. Showed it back to her. And suddenly she could see: THIS is your voice. This warmth. This humour. This is what makes people want to stay with you.

Not ‘peaceful countryside setting with local wildlife.’

But ‘meet Derek the sheep, who has opinions about everything.’

The sisters story

Another client I worked with manages a property with her sister. From the initial pre-coaching task, you’d hardly know the sister existed. It was all very straight, very sensible, very bland.

Then I asked about how they  run the place together.

And oh my goodness, the stories that came out.

She’s the straight man. Her sister is chaos. They have this hilarious dynamic where things constantly go slightly wrong and they’re both trying to fix it in completely different ways.

The WhatsApp exchanges when something breaks. The debates about décor. 

It’s a storytelling gift.

People don’t just want a place to stay. They want to know who’s on the other end of that booking confirmation. They want to feel like ‘yes, these are my kind of people.’

And THAT voice (the one that comes out when you’re talking about the real stuff) is what creates connection.

Why you can’t do this alone

Here’s the problem with finding your own voice: you can’t see it.

It feels normal to you. You don’t realise what’s unique because it’s just how you talk.

You might even actively hide it because you think it’s not ‘professional’ enough.

That client with the sheep  thought that stuff wasn’t appropriate for her website. Too silly. Too personal.

The sisters thought the chaos was something to hide, not highlight.

But that’s exactly what makes them bookable. That’s what makes people choose them over all the other rural cottages and city apartments.

To find your voice you need someone who can:

• Ask the right questions to draw your voice out
• Recognise it when it appears (because you won’t)
• Show it back to you so you can see what I’m seeing
• Give you permission to use it
• Help you apply it consistently across everything you write

That’s what I do. And after 20 years as a teacher and 15+ years as a writer, I’ve got quite good at it.

What happens when you find your voice 

Finding your voice is only the beginning.

Once you can hear it (i.e. once you understand what makes your voice YOUR voice) you need to use it.

In your About page. Your welcome emails. Your tour descriptions. Your booking confirmations. Everywhere.

That’s the work. And it’s the work most people put off because they’re busy, overwhelmed, don’t know where to start, or are scared of getting it wrong.

You’re attracting the wrong kind of guests

Maybe you’re getting the ones who question your prices. Grumble about things that don’t matter. Leave lukewarm reviews. Worst of all, don’t see what’s special about the experiences you create.

You’ve poured so much thought and care into your place, your tours, your guest experience. So why isn’t your copy showing that?

Maybe it’s because you’re trying to speak to everyone and appealing to no one. Maybe your voice wobbles between too formal and too chatty. Maybe you’re attracting interest but not bookings.

Here’s what happens when your copy isn’t working

You get fewer bookings, or bookings from guests who don’t appreciate your authentic approach. You start to second-guess your pricing. You feel like you’re slipping into the mainstream tourism trap instead of offering something meaningful.

Worse still, the work you once loved becomes a headache. Instead of building relationships with guests who get it, you’re fielding complaints and feeling like your business is stuck.

But imagine the opposite

What if your copy attracted guests who became genuine advocates for your business? What if you had a clear voice and a steady stream of guests who aligned with your values, returned year after year, and recommended you to their friends?

That’s what working together can unlock.

How I can help

I work with travel business owners in two ways:

Done-for-you copywriting I write your website, emails, tour descriptions, booking communications, whatever you need. You get copy that sounds like you without having to write it yourself.

Copy coaching We work together over several sessions. I help you find your voice, then guide you through writing your own copy with confidence. You get the skills to keep writing in your voice long after our work together ends.

Both approaches start with the same thing: those probing questions that unlock your real voice. The sessions where that light goes on and you realise what makes you different.

Then we either write it together, or I write it for you.

Winter is the perfect time for this work. Things slow down and you have space to think. And by spring, when travellers are planning their holidays, you’re ready with copy that connects with the right people.

Want to talk about working together?

Emaill me at genevieve @campioncopy.com and we’ll set up an initial chat. 

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