How I Started Connecting Dental Clinics to My Medical Tourism System: First Steps and Unexpected Challenges in Turkey
Hello Steemit community! 👋 Today, I want to share a recent chapter of my entrepreneurial journey: how I began business development to connect dental clinics to my medical tourism platform here in Turkey. It’s been an eye-opening experience, full of unexpected turns!
My Mission: Onboarding the First Clinics
My primary goal was to onboard the very first clinics. Why? To truly understand their needs, challenges, and the optimal terms for collaboration. Let’s be real, I can’t do this alone in the long run. By my rough calculations, contacting every single relevant clinic in Turkey would take me around 36 months. That's why a systematic approach is absolutely critical.
Why Dentistry?
I chose to start with dentistry for a simple reason: it's a field I know well. Unfortunately, I've had plenty of personal experience with dental medical tourism, giving me unique insights into what patients look for and what challenges they face.
My Clinic Selection Criteria: Beyond Surface-Level Reviews
When I started reaching out, my main criterion was good reviews on Google Maps. Seems straightforward, right? But it's not that simple.
Negative reviews are normal, but there's a difference between a few isolated complaints and a systemic issue. If I saw a ratio of 1 negative review for every 10 positives, that was an immediate red flag.
In my experience, this usually points to one of two problems: either clinics treat patients merely as cash cows, rushing them through and providing impersonal service, or the doctors themselves simply lack competence. The latter, in my opinion, is far worse.
The Shocking Reality: "Too Good to Be True" Clinics
I encountered some clinics that initially seemed like a dream come true. Imagine: zirconia crowns for just 100 euros or implants for 250 euros, all while boasting high Google ratings and aggressive advertising across social media and search engines. Sounds amazing, right?
But this was only on the surface. Digging deeper, it became clear:
Many of those "glowing" reviews were bought and fake (often just one review per account).
Where real patients dared to leave comments, they revealed terrible negative experiences and disastrous treatment outcomes.
The doctors' qualifications were often questionable, making you wonder if they even graduated from medical school or simply bought their diplomas.
Let me be clear: I would NEVER trust such "specialists" with my health, even if it meant significant savings. For me, the entire system must be built on trust and quality, ensuring that as a patient, I would be genuinely happy and confident to use it.
My First Breakthrough (and a Naive Hope)
So, with my strict selection process, I began my journey. It all kicked off during my latest visit to Alanya. Naturally, I started with the clinic where I'd had my teeth treated twice before. To my delight, they responded positively and welcomed my proposal warmly!
Riding high on that success, I naively thought: "Great! Everyone will greet me with open arms and be just as enthusiastic." Oh, how wrong I was...
The Harsh Reality Check
The truth? Most clinics simply didn't respond to my inquiries. And even those who did respond had a multitude of questions for me, demanding extensive explanations and details. It was a far cry from the easy acceptance I'd hoped for.
What's Next? A Glimpse into the Obstacles Ahead
In my next post, I'll dive deeper into these interactions and share some of the unexpected and even shocking obstacles I faced along the way. Believe me, it was far from as easy as I initially expected. Stay tuned!
What are your thoughts on starting a new venture in a competitive market like medical tourism? Have you faced similar challenges? Share your experiences in the comments below! 👇