Marketing is all about communication, but what happens when you have a voice disorder that makes it difficult to speak clearly? It was a daunting challenge, but through years of treatments and support I've made it!
Understanding Your Voice Disorder
This process took me over 2 years!
It took a year for a real diagnosis followed by LOTS of doctors and therapists.... then I found support groups and VOILA it clicked, and I finally started to heal mentally!
There are many different voice disorders including:
Spasmodic dysphonia
Vocal cord paralysis
Laryngitis
Muscle tension dysphonia
Hoarseness
I suffer from vocal cord paralysis and muscle tension dysphonia...watch me tell some of my story here:
Using Technology to Your Advantage
If you have a voice disorder - technology can be your friend!
There are many tools available to help people with voice disorders communicate more effectively. For example, text-to-speech software can convert written text into spoken words, allowing you to communicate without speaking. There are also apps available that can help you communicate with others, such as speech-to-text apps that allow you to type out what you want to say.
Finding Your Voice
Just because you have a voice disorder doesn't mean you can't still find your voice - it took me a good while to totally 'get' this. My life was very vocal, I'm in marketing, very outgoing and you always knew when I was in the room. Now I don't have that! (well, I didn't for a while, it's back now but I cannot use my voice the way I used to). This caused a great deal of self-reflection. Who am I? Do I need to talk so much? Why did I talk so much? How will I communicate my emotions when sharing thoughts?
It can be done - finding our groove can take time but boy oh boy it's worth it - mine became a refreshing awakening and new chapter of life to start.
Embracing Your Differences
At the end of the day, the most important thing is to embrace our differences and use them to our advantage. People are drawn to authenticity, and if you can find a way to communicate in a way that's true to who you are, you'll be able to connect with your audience on a deeper level. Don't be afraid to be yourself, even if that means communicating in a way that's different from what's considered "normal."
Marketing with a voice disorder can be challenging, but it's not impossible. I've figured out what works best for me and my clients. At the end of the day my goal is to help others grow and I will get that done no matter what gets in my way!
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