We all make international calls at some point, especially in business. Communication is an important task when it comes to managing international business. If you don’t regularly call, being on the same page with your staff in different countries and continents can be tricky.
But there’s so much that you must know about international calls. You don’t just jump into them and get them right. You should know how to make an international call, how much it will cost, and the best platforms. This article will help you learn all these and get started.
Let’s get started.
How To Make International Phone Calls
The first question you might be asking is how you can make international calls. There are some bits of information that you must have to make international calls successfully. Otherwise, you might end up unsuccessful or spend more than you could have if you had paid attention.
The first and most essential thing to know is the international prefix you should use. Every country has a unique international prefix before someone’s phone number. Your call won’t go to the right country if you don’t enter the correct international prefix before calling.
For instance, if you want to call Ethiopia, the international prefix will be +251. Ensure you don’t miss this code if you want to call your family members or business associates in Ethiopia. This will ensure that the call goes to the right person and that you easily keep in touch with them.
Also, you will need to ensure that you find a suitable carrier as we’ll see later. You can talk to the carrier and inform them that you would like to call Ethiopia. They will let you know everything from how much it would cost you to the best times to call someone in the country.
It’ll also be worth noting that there are other codes you should know depending on the country you are calling. For instance, some countries require that you enter an area or city code. Adding this code will narrow your call to a specific area and make it easier to connect with someone.
How Much Do International Phone Calls Cost?
You might also wonder how much it would cost to make an international call. Of course, there is no uniform rate for international calls. But then, you need to look for companies or platforms that offer the best services at cheap international calling rates.
If you make regular international calls, cheap calling rates will save you a lot of money. Don’t settle on a company that offers cheap international calling rates but not excellent service. It is better to settle on platforms that charge affordable calling rates and are also available to offer support.
Don’t forget that companies that offer international calling price their services differently. But accepted market rates guide how various companies price their services. Also, a company might have different plans depending on the kind of services that it offers.
If you do international calls for business, you need premium services. This means there should be no buffering between calls because it could irritate a potential customer. You might pay more for premium-quality international calls and less for lower-quality calls that might buffer.
But it would be best to start by choosing the best service provider to get these benefits. The service providers who offer international calls do so in specific locations. Finding one that offers cheap premium quality calls to Ethiopia or any other country like Egypt, South Africa will help.
It will help to consider the company’s features on different plans. This will let you know if they have a plan that suits your needs. You can also check online reviews to know what previous company customers feel about it before making a final decision.
How to Save Money When You Make International Calls
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It will also help to know how you can save money while making international calls. The reality with international calls is that they can be a little expensive. This is especially if you make the wrong choice of carrier. Or it could be a result of picking an expensive calling plan.
So, how do you ensure that international calls don’t become expensive? Well, start by looking at the carrier you want to choose. Check how much it will cost to call with a specific carrier. It might be cheap to call Ethiopia from the carrier but be expensive to call Kenya from the same carrier.
In short, using only one carrier might not be a good idea. This is because the calling rates might differ from one country to another, as stated before. Working with more than one carrier will help you save money because you can choose which carrier to use for every call you make.
You can also save significant money using the international call-back method. Now you might wonder how this method works. Well, a provider gives you a unique access number. You then call them and hang up almost immediately, and they will call you back.
They will then help you select the carrier offering the most affordable rates to the country you want to call at that time. Also, they will link you up with the person you want to call. You might end up saving upto 80% of the total cost if you use the international call back method for all your calls.
Before we close, here’s how international roaming and calling differ since they can be confusing. International calling happens when you call an international number. International roaming happens when you’re traveling and call back to your country from an international number.
Conclusion
This article has discussed everything you need to know about international calls. The reality with business is that you cannot overlook communication. It is a crucial ingredient to the success of any business. This is especially when running a business overseas; you need to get regular briefs.
Also, you need international calls if your family is abroad. Keeping in touch with them will help you have peace of mind. Now you know how international calls work and how to make them. It is also clear what the difference between international calling and roaming is to avoid confusion.