What message is your email address sending?
Are you missing out on opportunities because your professional credibility is questioned before people even read your message? In this episode I talk about why using a Gmail or generic email could be holding you back, why spam filters and clients see it as a red flag, and how just one easy change can help you look more established and trustworthy.
Listen to this new 8-minute episode for the steps you can take to instantly boost your professionalism and ensure your email stands out for all the right reasons.
If you have any questions about anything in this, or any of my podcasts, or have a suggestion for a topic or guest, please reach out directly to me at [email protected] or visit my website Podcast.AlanBerg.com
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View the full transcript on Alan’s site: https://alanberg.com/blog/
Summary
In this episode, I dig into what your email address is really saying about your business and how it can impact first impressions, professionalism, and even your ability to reach your clients. Inspired by a conversation within my certified speaking professionals group, I noticed that a significant number of business solicitations coming from Gmail addresses are immediately flagged as spam or as unprofessional. I talk about why having an email address at your own website, rather than at Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, or AOL, makes all the difference. When you use an email address like [email protected], you’re instantly providing your name, your website, and your email, giving credibility and making you verifiable. I share my own experience balancing multiple emails and point out how easy technology makes it to consolidate all your inboxes, so using a professional email doesn’t cause you to miss messages. I tell stories about nearly being fooled by headhunters and why even long-established businesses lose trust by sticking with a free generic email. I challenge listeners to consider how they view other professionals—like doctors or lawyers—using non-business email addresses and suggest it’s time for everyone in the wedding industry to step up. If you want to be seen as legitimate, reliable, and trustworthy, upgrading your email is one of the simplest steps you can take. I wrap up by offering actionable advice on how easy and affordable it is to make the switch, and why now is the time to stop giving clients a reason to question your business’s credibility.
Is your email address saying, listen to this episode, see where I’m going? Hey, it’s Alan Berg. Welcome back to another episode of the Wedding Business Solutions Podcast. This has happened a few times recently, but I saw this actually on an email group that I have with other certified speaking professionals, and it was solicitations that people were getting about their books from things that turned out to be spam. And somebody made the comment, The Gmail address gives it away as spam. So I started thinking about a third of my email list, and it’s about 8,000 people, are using Gmail addresses now. And I have a Gmail address. I actually have quite a few Gmail addresses for different things that we do. But for work, for my business, for people contacting me, I don’t.
It’s [email protected] or [email protected]. And then I have other email addresses. And the reason is, when you give someone your email address, you potentially give them 3 pieces of information: your name, your website, and your email address. If you give them Gmail or some other thing that’s not at your website, you’re only giving them 1 piece of information, and it may not even have your name in it. Some of you have info@ or things like that that doesn’t even tell them that. And spam filters They don’t like those. They don’t like them, right? Because seeing a person and your website, you are now verifiable. We can check you.
But if you send a Gmail, you’re not. And I know it’s easy, it’s free. But you know what? You know what’s also really easy is Gmail will power your website email, your name at your website for a few dollars a month, right? A matter of fact, I think it’s included in the whole plan that I have. I pay $18 a month for the whole Google system and I get Gemini AI now. Nano Banana, Notebook LM, all the Google Docs stuff, all that kind of stuff. And they do offer me to have an email. Now, I already had my email. I don’t need theirs, but that’s part of that.
So if you’re already doing those other things, you might already have this at no additional charge. But think about what you could be losing. Think about one email that goes to spam that didn’t get to the right person. Think about the message you’re sending that no matter how long you’ve been in business, that you’re not using an email with your name at your website, and therefore you don’t look as professional. You don’t look as established. And it really surprises me how many long-established businesses are using Gmail. And a lot of them say, well, you know, but I’ve been using it so long. Great.
So switch over now and then you can still see all of your emails together. I’m using Outlook and I have my Apple Mail, or my Mail app, I should say, on all my Apple devices. And there’s an inbox that can be all of the messages together. So you’re not going to miss anything, right? I have 7 different main emails and then the email addresses that we use for secret shopping. I know it’s a lot. It’s crazy. crazy. But I have my main inbox shows me all of it.
Now I can look at the individual ones if I want to say, hey, what came in on this one or this one or this one? And one of them is the leads that come through my website are separated. Stuff with somebody pays me on, on Square, that’s separated. One is for my travel stuff, so that’s separated. And this way I can filter it if I want to, but I can also see it all. So the excuse of I’m going to miss something does not hold water. I don’t care if you’re using Gmail or Yahoo or AOL or Hotmail or whatever, you can just still lump them in So that one just holds no water at all.
But this comment that was written, the Gmail address gives it away as spam, it’s absolutely true. I had somebody who inquired with me.
It was actually a headhunter. It was for a possible new, some sort of a wedding website thing, and they were looking for a COO and a director of sales and sales trainer or whatever. Very, very specific, very descriptive. They had salary ranges. They all— it looked real. And the only thing that caught me was— This headhunter had a Gmail address. So what, what was their company? Right? I don’t know their company name and their email signature didn’t have a company name. So now I’m like, all right, I’m a little bit leery here.
I did respond because I was curious both from a, if it’s real, I’m curious, and if it’s not, I’m curious standpoint. And I got replies, but it kind of felt a little— it was done well, but it still felt like it might have been AI or something. And I even questioned it. I said, you know, I don’t see a company name. I need to know a company name. I need, you know, how do I see who you are? And they said, well, they’re independent or whatever. You know what? If you’re an independent headhunter, have a company name, have a website, have an email with that.
And the same thing if you’re a band or a DJ or photographer or a florist or a venue or a caterer or dresses or officiants or photo booths. I know I’m missing some of you here. Transportation, right? I know I’m missing somebody on here. There’s 22 possible things here. But if you’re still using something that is not your name at your website, this is what you’re missing out on. You’re looking less professional and you’re giving people one piece of information when you could be giving them 3.
So I would change this today because somebody said the quiet part out loud. The Gmail address gives it away as spam, right? That’s the quiet part being said out loud by someone. How many people are just bypassing and not doing business with you because they see that.
And again, Gmail is not the enemy. I have Gmail addresses. I have probably 7 or 8 of them between my own and the ones that we use for, for secret shopping. And some of them are just necessary. It’s just easier to do the Gmail login on certain things. I log into my Canva with a Gmail. I log into a couple of other things that way, but nobody sees that. Nobody is seeing that.
Any address you’re going to see from me is going to be that possible exception of my calendar stuff because it is a Gmail calendar. So it still comes through as Gmail stuff. there, but it’s gonna come through, but you’re not really seeing that. If you go look, you can find it, but you’re emailing me, [email protected] or [email protected].
But man, this really hit me when they said the quiet part out loud. The Gmail address gives it away as spam. And when a third of the people on my list are doing that, when it is so easy to change that, right? It, it’s gonna, it’ll take you 5 minutes to have that changed and you’re not gonna miss a single message.
But just think for yourself, if you were dealing with a, a doctor and they use Gmail instead of their practice, the lawyer, if they use that instead of their practice, what would you think about them? Right? I don’t even want my plumber or my electrician or HVAC company to be using them, but yet they do it all the time also.
And, you know, I kind of give them a pass, but I don’t. And I only give them a pass because I know the company already. But, but I don’t because it’s just too easy to do it the right way. And 2 companies side by side, both giving good service that way, and one of them has it. They just feel more professional than the other one feels like they’re working out of their garage.
And nothing wrong with working out of your garage. Like, I, I work from my home. I have my home office for over 30 years, right? But yet I have a website and I have email at my website and other emails that are not at my website but are not Gmails because it’s Wedding Business Solutions, which you’re listening to here, the podcast.
So I did that so the podcast had an email. There are reasons for this and it’s easy. I, I I have over 100 URLs, but my main emails are at the main website that you guys go to. So if, if, if this hurt a little bit, good, because I’ve been talking about this for years, probably for over 10 years I’ve been talking about that, and people are still doing this when it’s so easy not to.
I’m not asking you to spend thousands of dollars here. I’m asking you to make it look like you have an established business and that when people look at your email They know the 3 things. And if you personally have ever gone to someone’s website because of their email address, because you could see their website, you know exactly why it’s important for you to give that same thing to the next person.
So if, if it was a little bit like, oh, he’s talking about me, I didn’t call anybody out, out here on purpose, right? Any specifically, I should say.
No, I did call you out on purpose, but not specifically. But I’m telling you, it’s about a third of my email list, and that’s way too many people that could be looking significantly more professional and be giving better information at the same time.
So I’m getting off the soapbox right now. If you need help with that, it’s so easy. Just go online, go to AI and say— go to Gemini, which is Google, and say, how do I get an email address at my website using Google? And you can still go into your Gmail app and read them. All right, I’m off the soapbox. Thanks for listening.
I’m Alan Berg. Thanks for listening. If you have any questions about this or if you’d like to suggest other topics for “The Wedding Business Solutions Podcast” please let me know. My email is [email protected] or you can text, use the short form on this page, or call +1.732.422.6362, international 001 732 422 6362. I look forward to seeing you on the next episode. Thanks.
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©2026 Wedding Business Solutions LLC & AlanBerg.com
Question
Why is using a Gmail or free email address bad for business?
Tags:
#branding #professionalism #email
Answer
When you use a Gmail or free email address, people see you as less professional. Spam filters also flag these addresses more often. You miss the chance to show your name and your website, which helps people verify and trust you.
Takeaway: A custom domain email boosts your credibility instantly.
Question
What extra information does an email at my own domain give potential clients?
Tags:
#branding #trust #leadgeneration
Answer
With an email at your website, you give three things: your name, your website, and your email address. That makes you verifiable and lets people easily find your business online, which builds instant trust.
Takeaway: Custom emails make you easier to trust and find.
Question
Will using a personal Gmail account hurt my response rates?
Tags:
#email #sales #spam
Answer
Yes, emails from Gmail accounts are more likely to hit spam folders. Some people won’t even reply if they see a generic email address—they think it’s spam or you’re not established.
Takeaway: Free email accounts can cost you real business.
Question
Is switching to a branded email address complicated or expensive?
Tags:
#operations #email #technology
Answer
It takes minutes to set up an email using your domain, and it’s cheap. If you already pay for Google Workspace or similar services, you may have this included already. Don’t let tech fears stop you.
Takeaway: Moving to a branded email is fast and affordable.
Question
What excuse do people give for not using a business email—and does it hold up?
Tags:
#mindset #operations #email
Answer
People say they’ll miss old emails or it’s too much hassle switching. But with most email apps, you can view all your accounts together in one inbox. You won’t miss a thing.
Takeaway: Email excuses don’t hold water—just make the switch.
Question
How do generic email addresses, like info@, affect perceptions of my business?
Tags:
#branding #trust #communication
Answer
Addresses like info@ don’t give clients your name or a personal touch. If your email doesn’t feel personal or professional, people may trust you less or ignore your message.
Takeaway: Personal, branded emails connect better with clients.
Question
Does it really matter what email address I use if I’m established?
Tags:
#professionalism #reputation #branding
Answer
Even if you’ve been in business for years, using a free or generic email hurts your image. You look less established compared to someone with a business email. It’s never too late to switch.
Takeaway: Professionalism is built on details—even your email address.
Question
Can I keep all my old emails if I switch to a new professional address?
Tags:
#operations #email #transition
Answer
Yes, you can pull all your accounts into one inbox. I do this myself with several addresses. Switching won’t make you lose past conversations or messages.
Takeaway: Changing email addresses doesn’t mean losing old emails.
Question
Are there stories of people distrusting businesses because of free email addresses?
Tags:
#trust #realstories #cautionarytales
Answer
I once got an offer from a headhunter that seemed perfect—until I saw their Gmail address and no company listed. It made me instantly question their legitimacy and hesitate to respond.
Takeaway: The wrong email can make you look like a scam.
Question
How does a professional email impact your reputation compared to competitors?
Tags:
#differentiation #brand #competition
Answer
When two businesses are equal in service, the one with a branded email feels more professional and trustworthy. The other seems less established, maybe even like they’re working out of their garage.
Takeaway: A custom email sets you apart from the competition.
Question
If I still need a Gmail address for certain tools, can I keep it private?
Tags:
#technology #email #privacy
Answer
Absolutely. I use Gmail for logging into services, but clients never see it. Use your branded email for all external communication and keep personal addresses hidden.
Takeaway: Use branded emails for business, keep the Gmail for logins.
Question
What impression does a Gmail address give in high-trust fields?
Tags:
#trust #credibility #firstimpressions
Answer
If your doctor or lawyer used a Gmail address instead of their practice’s domain, you’d wonder about their professionalism. That same perception hits your business too.
Takeaway: Your email address speaks volumes about your trustworthiness.
Question
If this advice stings, should I take it personally?
Tags:
#mindset #improvement #toughlove
Answer
If you feel called out, that’s a sign you need to act. I share this because I want you to look and be more professional. You can fix this in minutes.
Takeaway: Feeling uncomfortable means it’s time to level up.
Question
How do I actually set up a professional email address?
Tags:
#implementation #email #howto
Answer
Just search “how to set up business email with Google.” It’s simple and you can still check messages in your favorite email app. Don’t overcomplicate it.
Takeaway: There’s an easy, step-by-step guide for every platform.
Question
Does having a business email help with secret shopping or online tools?
Tags:
#technology #workflow #email
Answer
I use different emails for secret shopping and special purposes, but my main communication always comes from my branded address. Use separate accounts for internal tasks—not for clients.
Takeaway: Keep your business-facing email professional, no matter your workflow.
Question
Is Gmail the enemy for business?
Tags:
#email #mindset #tools
Answer
Gmail isn’t the villain—I use it myself for certain things. Just don’t make it the face of your business. Your clients should see your domain, not a generic address.
Takeaway: The tool isn’t bad—the impression it creates is.
Question
Why do some established businesses resist switching from free email addresses?
Tags:
#mindset #habits #change
Answer
Habits are hard to break and people worry about the hassle. But with today’s tools, integrating new addresses is painless, and you gain big credibility points overnight.
Takeaway: Credibility is worth changing habits.
Question
Does letting clients see your website in your email address help your marketing?
Tags:
#marketing #branding #trust
Answer
Absolutely. Every time you send an email with your domain in it, you’re marketing your business and making it easy for people to find and verify you.
Takeaway: Your email can quietly market your website every day.
Question
What’s the real risk in not updating my email address?
Tags:
#sales #trust #missedopportunity
Answer
You might never know who ignores you because your email looks unprofessional. People may just skip over your message or mark it as spam, costing you business you never see.
Takeaway: Lost trust means lost sales—often without your knowledge.
Question
Do free email addresses affect only new businesses?
Tags:
#perception #growth #branding
Answer
No, I see long-established companies using Gmail and losing credibility because of it. Professional impression matters at every stage of business.
Takeaway: Image counts no matter how long you’ve been around.
Question
What if I’ve been using my Gmail for years with clients?
Tags:
#change #habits #growth
Answer
It’s never too late. Switch your main communication to a branded email now. You can still collect all your messages in one inbox, but you’ll instantly look more established.
Takeaway: Professional first impressions start with your next email.
