I’m not shy, but I am afraid — not for the same reason listed in the article: “Most of us are afraid of rejection.” Rather, I’m afraid that I won’t understand the other person. I’ve reported this before that lipreaders on average only catch one-third of what’s said. Read every third word and you’ll see how it can affect understanding the article. I tried to find the scientific article that reported this — but no such luck — although a doctor reports this fact, but he doesn’t say where the information comes from.
University of Wisconsin has a guide for working with students with various disabilities. It states, “Only about one third of all English words can be lip-read. Many of those words that can be lip-read are identical to other words. Students who lip-read pick up contextual clues to fill out their understanding of what is being said.” That’s true. For example, “mom, mop, pop” all look alike when you look at the mouth movements. My implant helps me distinguish the p and m.
I’ve attended conferences and networking meetings. I don’t believe I’ve picked up any business through these means. That’s why I rely on my web site, blog, and newsletters for marketing.