To this day, when someone hears my name — Jolene — they almost always start singing that Dolly Parton song. Ha!
And while I don’t exactly love having my name forever linked to a redheaded hussy, I get it. I really do. There’s something irresistible about singing a stranger’s name at them like it’s karaoke night.
If your name is Sheri, Roxanne, Caroline, Josephine, Sandy…you know exactly what I’m talking about. When we’re young, we hate the attention. As adults? We roll our eyes, smile politely, and pretend we haven’t heard it a thousand times.
When we hear or see our name, we can’t help but pay attention. But in business email, attention isn’t the goal — connection is.
Think about the emails you open most often. They are usually from a real person you recognize, not a generic business name. That’s because seeing a real name first builds trust and reassures the reader there is a human behind the message. Your email display name does more than identify you. It sets expectations, signals professionalism, and shapes how your message is received before a single word is read.
What works best
First Name Last Name | Business Name
- Your name creates a personal connection
- The divider keeps things clean and easy to scan
- Your business name reinforces what you do without overpowering the message
What to avoid
- Business name only (Who’s emailing me?)
- Nicknames or casual names (Friendly, but not professional)
- Too much detail (Save it for your email signature)
Every email is a small branding moment.
Your display name (what shows in the inbox) and your email signature (what appears at the bottom of the email) should work together—but they don’t need to repeat the same information.
Think of the display name as your headline—and your signature as the details that support it.
Check your email display name
Take a moment today to see how your name appears when you send an email. The best way to do this is to send yourself an email.
Ask yourself:
- Is it clear who I am?
- Does it support my business name?
- Would I open an email from this sender?
A small adjustment here can make a strong first impression.
If you would like to give it a try, click here for step-by-step instructions — or reach out and I’ll walk you through it. No judgement, no jargon!
*Dolly Parton photo source: Wikimedia Commons*