Power Prompt: The Stranger Test

About the Power Prompt Series

Each month, I’ll share a new “Power Prompt” designed to help travel advisors harness the power of AI — without the tech overwhelm.

These bite-sized guides turn AI into a friendly creative partner, showing you how to use simple, strategic prompts to grow your business, save time and spark inspiration.

Whether you’re crafting social media content, refining client communication or uncovering travel trends, each Power Prompt makes AI fun, approachable and human. Think of it as your monthly master key to working smarter — not harder — with the help of smart tech.

The Stranger Test

Have you ever asked AI to review something you wrote and received feedback like, “This is already strong, warm and engaging…” followed by a handful of minor suggestions?

It feels good. But is it actually useful?

Here's an interesting experiment: stop telling AI the work belongs to you.

Instead of saying, “Review my About page,” tell it a copywriter submitted the page and you're deciding whether the work is good enough to pay for.

You haven't changed a single word of the copy. You've changed the context surrounding the critique — and that can produce a surprisingly different evaluation.

This month's Power Prompt uses that simple reframe to help you get beyond surface-level encouragement and uncover feedback you can actually use.

The Prompt (Human-Optimized Version)

“An outside copywriter created the following [About page / homepage / social post / newsletter / proposal / marketing piece] for a travel advisor, and I've been asked to evaluate it before the final invoice is paid.

Review it as an independent critic with no relationship to the writer or the business.

Evaluate it from the perspective of the traveler it's intended to attract.

Tell me:

1. What works and should remain untouched?
2. What feels generic, predictable, confusing or unnecessary?
3. Which lines could have been written by almost any travel advisor?
4. Within the first five seconds, can I tell exactly who this advisor serves and why I should care?
5. Where am I most likely to lose interest?
6. What important question would a prospective client still have after reading it?
7. What would make the message more distinctive, believable and memorable?
8. If you could change only three things, which changes would have the greatest impact?

Do not manufacture criticism simply to complete the exercise. If something genuinely works, say so and explain why. Finding nothing wrong with a particular section is an acceptable answer.

Finish with a simple verdict:

KEEP IT — strong enough as written
REFINE IT — good foundation, but important improvements are needed
RETHINK IT — the positioning or message needs substantial work

Here is the copy:

[PASTE COPY HERE]”

Why This Power Prompt Works

✅ Changes the perspective: AI evaluates the work as an independent piece rather than something you've presented as your own.

✅ Pushes past generic feedback: The prompt asks for specific weaknesses, lost attention, differentiation and business impact.

✅ Protects against over-criticism: Giving AI permission to say something is already good reduces the temptation to invent improvements simply because you asked for a critique.

✅ Works almost anywhere: Use the technique on your website, advisor bio, newsletters, social posts, proposals, lead magnets, advertisements or sales copy.

Follow-Up Power Move

The real fun starts when you change the scenario depending on what you're reviewing.

For a homepage:

“A colleague asked me to critique this travel advisor's homepage. If I knew nothing about the business, what would I believe they specialize in after five seconds — and what would still be unclear?”

For a proposal:

“Another advisor sent me this proposal before presenting it to a client considering a $30,000 honeymoon. Where could this proposal weaken the client's excitement or confidence in booking?”

For social content:

“A marketing agency created this post for a travel advisor. If it appeared in my feed without the advisor's name attached, would anything about it make me recognize who wrote it?”

One important trick: Start a new chat when you run the Stranger Test. Give AI the independent-review scenario from the beginning rather than first asking it to praise or critique the work as yours.

Takeaway Box

🧳 This Month's Power Lesson

Better prompting isn't always about adding more instructions.

Sometimes it's about changing the point of view.

When you need a fresh critique, remove yourself from the equation. Give AI an independent reason to evaluate the work; tell it that finding nothing wrong is perfectly acceptable, and see what changes.

Then ask yourself the question that matters:

Did AI just tell me what I wanted to hear — or did it tell me something I can use?