It can cost $1 per minute to call someone in another country.

Needless to say, calling overseas can be a huge company expense.

You may need to speak to someone in the UK, but you probably don't want to spend the money it costs to do so.

In this article, we'll go over some of the ways to speak to someone overseas so you can start calling the UK today.

Don't worry if you've never called out of the country before. It's relatively easy and there are several options to do so.

Read on to find out more.

Calling the UK On a Landline: The Basics

If you're calling the UK on a basic phone plan, it's relatively simple. You'll set up the conference call as you normally do, but will dial whomever you need to in the UK.

You've probably been given a British number that starts with +44, followed by a zero and then the rest of the number. But how the heck do you dial a plus sign on your phone?

If you're on a landline, this is how you do it. First, dial 011, which is the exit code for the United States. This is the equivalent of the plus symbol.

Then, dial the 44, the United Kingdom's country code.

If you've been given a zero after the +44, ignore it. That is only useful if you're in the UK.

Then, dial the rest of the number.

You will instantly be connected to the UK!

Calling the UK on a Mobile Phone

If you're running a conference call on a mobile phone, the process is similar to calling on a landline. You can use the same exact steps as with the landline to call the UK.

But, you can utilize another strategy as well.

You can open up your contacts and enter the UK number as is into the contacts. Your phone will allow you to enter a + symbol when you're creating a new contact in your phone.

Then, enter the 44 and the rest of the number.

You'll ignore the zero again in this instance, as you will only need that if you're in the UK.

Things to Consider

When making conference calls, there are a variety of things you will need to consider to ensure everything runs smoothly.

Firstly, you will want to send notice to everyone who will be attending the call. Conference calling does involve a little bit of scheduling, similar to how conferences work when you're meeting face-to-face.

You'll also want to consider the time difference if you're calling another country. The United Kingdom is 5 hours ahead of the east coast and 3 hours ahead of the west coast. This may mean that your staff will have to show up to work early in order to complete the call.

You may also want to choose a conference calling service that allows you to record the conversation you're having. This can be very important in case there are any misunderstandings or you're unsure about something that was said.

Before recording the call, you should make sure to let the other party know that you are recording. This is to avoid any liability, as in some states and countries, it is not legal to record someone is they are not aware of it.

Taking Notes

Even though conference calling allows you to speak to people across the globe in real time, and you may get a recording of it, you should still have someone take minutes.

In a face-to-face meeting, you would likely have someone take minutes anyway. The minutes are often for your own internal use, as well as to update the rest of your team about goings on in your company. This is important if the call concerns more people than just those who attended the meeting.

Aside from the assurance of the phone recording, the minutes provide a written record of your interaction with one another.

Conference Calling Sites

Our site, Conference Town, allows you to host old-fashioned dial-in conference calls directly through our website. It is free, and you can manage it all alone or via the phone. Our service is always crisp and clear.

As with conference calls of yore, users can call in and listen to what you're saying. You have full control over who is in your conference, and you can mute and unmute people as necessary. This is especially handy for relaying information or doing webinars.

With our site, individuals from the UK will receive a number to call to access the conference. This is a UK-based number, and they'll simply dial in to listen to the conference. This means you won't have to pay extra money to speak to them, and neither will they.

It's a great solution for speaking to people across the pond without having to rely on third-party apps that might be confusing for some. Our service is clear and straightforward, making it super simple to host multi-national conferences.

Conference Calling Solutions

Calling the UK doesn't have to be a huge drama or expensive. You don't need to feel intimidated if you need to speak to someone in another country. If you use the right kind of software, it becomes as comfortable as speaking to someone on the telephone who lives in your state or city.

Conference Town offers lag-free solutions for those who need to make conference calls to the UK. Click here to find out more about what we offer in terms of hassle-free conference calling.