Have you ever wondered why so many people are travelling to Turkey for cosmetic surgery? If you’ve been losing prospective patients to Turkish competitors, you might be asking yourself—what makes them so competitive in medical tourism?
In today’s episode, we’ll explore four key reasons why Turkish clinics are so good at selling and, more importantly, what you can do to stay competitive and avoid losing ground to them.
Welcome to another episode of Online Marketing For Doctors TV & Podcast—your go-to resource for growing and scaling your practice. I’m Huyen Truong, a Strategic Marketing Consultant for medical clinics. Over the past decade, my team and I have helped clinics across Australia, the UK, the US, Singapore, India, Canada, New Zealand, and beyond to thrive using our proven patient generation system.
1. They Focus on One Thing & Make Their Whole Nation Known for It
When I arrived at the airport in Turkey, one of the first things I saw was an advertisement for hair transplants—right there in the exit tunnel. The entire world knows that Turkey is a global hub for medical tourism, particularly for cosmetic surgery and hair transplants.
Being good at something is one thing, but making sure the world knows about it requires excellent marketing. Before my trip, I assumed their success came down to competitive pricing, impressive results, and a strong online presence with thousands of reviews.
But after experiencing their sales techniques and customer service firsthand—both before and after procedures—I realised that they have a well-rounded marketing and sales system in place, promoting their entire industry at an exceptional level.
In the well-known marketing book The Competitive Advantage of Nations, Michael Porter explains how countries make themselves known for a particular industry and market it exceptionally well. Think about Japan and Germany—you immediately associate them with high-quality engineering and world-class car brands. Switzerland? Private banking. India? IT and customer service support. China? Mass low cost production.
In my book Fully Booked – Top Marketing Secrets Revealed to Dominate & Own Your Cosmetic Surgery Market, I discuss one of the most effective strategies for positioning yourself as an expert and charging premium prices: being known for one thing. There are facelift surgeons who charge £100,000 for a deep-plane facelift, and people from all over the world fly in to see them because they’ve established themselves as the go-to expert.
2. They Are Hard Sellers & Masters of Customer Service
If you’ve ever walked through the streets of Istanbul, you’ll notice that everyone is selling. And they sell hard. The moment you show even the slightest interest—whether by glancing at a shop or trying a sample—you’re hooked. More often than not, you’ll find yourself making a purchase before you even realise it.
Turkish salespeople are highly knowledgeable about their products and services. They take their time to explain how things work, how they’re made, and they happily let you sample as much as you like. Even if, after a long discussion and several trials, you decide not to buy anything, they’ll still smile and thank you warmly.
In other words, they are true professionals. Salesmanship is deeply ingrained in their culture—dating back thousands of years, as Turkey has always been a major trading hub.
Let me share a personal experience. I stayed at a boutique hotel in Istanbul—not a five-star hotel, but the service was better than any five-star hotel I’ve ever stayed in.
When I visited Istanbul, I stayed in a small boutique hotel in the city centre. It wasn’t a five-star hotel, yet the service and attention to detail surpassed many of the luxury hotels I’ve stayed at in the past.
For example, the staff always addressed me by my first name. My name—Huyen—isn’t the easiest to pronounce, and most people need several attempts to get it right. But the hotel manager got it spot on the first time. That level of attentiveness was truly impressive.
On the morning of our departure, we had an early flight, and without us even asking, they prepared takeaway breakfast bags for us. As we left, the manager personally walked us to the car, while his staff carefully loaded our luggage.
Before I left, he handed me a small souvenir—a handmade local bracelet. It was a thoughtful gesture that truly stood out.
Most luxury hotels welcome you with a drink, chocolates, or a bottle of wine upon arrival. But how many give you a thoughtful goodbye gift—something that makes you remember them?
This simple yet meaningful souvenir serves as a lasting reminder of the exceptional experience we had.
3. They Excel at Consultations & Follow-Ups
Consultations are the most critical stage of the sales process. Unlike selling a physical product, medical services are invisible until after the procedure, so consultations play a vital role in converting leads into bookings.
Turkish clinics are exceptionally thorough with their consultations. They typically offer two obligation-free consultations with the doctor or lead technician. They always schedule the second consultation immediately after the first, giving prospective patients time to think things over and return with further questions.
From our experience working with numerous clinics, the most successful consultations are those that last at least 45 minutes. This allows enough time to explore detailed questions and conduct thorough examinations to determine whether the patient is mentally, psychologically, and physically prepared for the procedure.
My team and I have developed a structured sales process specifically for hair transplant clinics. It includes a consultation framework, key questions to ask during phone and in-person consultations, indicators of patient readiness, and techniques to increase their likelihood of signing up.
In my sales guide, The 7-Figure Samurai Sword Sales Guide, published on Amazon and Audible, I emphasise that “the fortune is in the follow-up”. 80% of salespeople or clinics give up after just five follow-up attempts. I outline a multi-modal follow-up approach to ensure you maintain engagement without becoming a nuisance, keeping warm leads hot.
Turkish clinics understand this principle well—once a prospect expresses interest, they persistently follow up until they receive a definitive yes or no.
4. They Don’t Treat You as a One-Off Customer – They’re Experts at Cross-Selling and Upselling
Although many patients travel to Turkey for a one-time procedure, Turkish clinics don’t see them as one-off customers. This long-term mindset has helped them build a strong reputation over the years. They always think about the next step—whether that’s encouraging patients to return for a different procedure or referring friends and family.
I’ve experienced this first-hand while shopping in Turkey. While walking past a fur coat shop, I noticed they had a presence in North America, which piqued my interest. I went in to ask about their expansion, and before I knew it, I had bought a fur coat—something I hadn’t even intended to purchase!
Once they had made the sale, they didn’t stop there. They knew I was in a buying mindset, so they directed me to their other stores, offering bags and jewellery. They even personally walked me to these shops to cross-sell their other products. In sales, we call this cross-selling, and in Turkey, even street shop salespeople are masters at it.
When I picked up the coat, the original salesperson was unwell, but he still followed up the next day to ensure I was happy with the size adjustment. He wanted to make sure I was 100% satisfied—hoping that I’d either return for another coat or recommend them to my friends.
In other words, for them, the sale doesn’t end when the product or service is delivered—it’s the beginning of a long-term relationship leading to future sales.
How Can You Compete with Them?
With strong, professional competitors excelling at every stage of the sales process, you need to analyse their strengths and weaknesses and position yourself as the logical, safe choice for potential patients.
Here are three key areas to focus on to enhance your competitive edge:
1. Review Your Consultation Process
Start by measuring your conversion rates:
- Enquiry → Consultation
- Consultation → Procedure Booking
At Online Marketing for Doctors, we track sales conversion rates for our clients as part of our account management process. If your consultation-to-booking rate is below 20%, there’s likely an issue with your consultation and follow-up approach. Some of our clients achieve conversion rates of up to 50% for cold enquiries (from online searches) and as high as 90% for warm leads (such as social media followers or patient referrals).
One of the biggest mistakes clinics make—based on our mystery phone consultations—is not spending enough time on the initial phone call. This first conversation, often called a discovery call, is crucial for assessing whether the prospect is a good fit and if they’re ready for the procedure. Unfortunately, many clinics underestimate this stage and miss the opportunity to build rapport and trust.
A good discovery call should last at least 30 minutes, with some of my best sales calls running for up to an hour. If a prospect is willing to spend that much time speaking with you, you’ve successfully engaged them. The next step will naturally be a video consultation or in-person meeting, where you can present the treatment plan and discuss pricing.
2. Review the Customer Journey: From Enquiry to Consultation, Pre-Procedure, and Aftercare
Look at top-performing clinics in your field and analyse how they manage their customer journey, particularly their pre-procedure and aftercare services.
Patients don’t just remember their results—they remember their experience. The way they feel throughout the process plays a major role in whether they become an advocate for your clinic.
Ask yourself:
- How do you welcome patients to your clinic?
- What is their experience during the procedure?
- How do you support them afterwards?
- Do you offer transport or recommend accommodation?
- Do you follow up with a care package and a check-in call from the doctor?
Take inspiration from Turkish clinics—they organise airport pickups, book hotels, and provide local recommendations. Patients receive VIP treatment, and naturally, they’ll tell their friends about the amazing experience. Word-of-mouth referrals then drive more business.
Even though offering extras like transport or accommodation costs about the same in Australia as in Turkey, Turkish clinics are willing to invest in enhancing the patient experience. This small investment leads to higher patient referrals, which is crucial given that acquiring a new patient for a hair transplant or cosmetic surgery can cost up to $1,000.
If you track your patient referral rate, you can determine whether improving the patient experience is a worthwhile investment.
3. Educate Patients on the Benefits of Choosing Your Clinic Over Turkey
To compete effectively, educate your prospects about the potential downsides of travelling to Turkey for treatment. If you run a hair transplant clinic, for example, highlight key concerns such as:
- Limited follow-up care – Since it’s a one-off procedure, patients won’t return to Turkey for a second or third transplant if needed. Overharvesting donor hair can cause long-term damage.
- Enhanced aftercare – Offer post-procedure treatments such as red light therapy and PRP to improve results.
- Peace of mind & risk reversal – Provide a satisfaction guarantee. If something goes wrong, patients can return for adjustments. In contrast, fixing issues from a procedure done abroad can be twice as expensive.
- Total trip costs – While the procedure itself may be cheaper, other expenses in Turkey—such as food, accommodation, and transport—are rising. With an influx of immigrants increasing demand, Istanbul is becoming more expensive for tourists. When factoring in the full cost of the trip, the savings may not be as significant as they first seem.
By educating your prospects, you shift the conversation from just price to overall value. This helps them see the benefits of staying local for their treatment.
If you’d like personalised strategies to compete with both local and international clinics, book a discovery call with my team at Online Marketing For Doctors. We’ll help you develop a winning strategy that maximises your sales and conversions. Simply email us at [email protected] or visit www.onlinemarketingfordoctors.com.
That wraps up another episode of OMD TV & Podcast. If you found this helpful, don’t forget to subscribe and share it with your team. Thanks for tuning in, and I hope to speak with you soon on a discovery call! 🚀🏥💻
📧 Email us at [email protected]
🌍 Visit www.onlinemarketingfordoctors.com to book a call
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