Frankly, the right answer depends a lot on the nature of the business, and the people involved.
Being in the tech business, I would never even consider hearing someone out on the phone, simply because >99% of the unsolicited phone calls we get are scams or completely inappropriate for what we do.
If you were to send me a personal email, OTOH, you'd be guaranteed a reply. And it'd be much more likely to be positive if I've had the chance to check out your offering at my own pace.
Invest in relationships. Appreciate people who bring value to you and your network. At the same time, ensure you're surrounded by people who also appreciate you. It's how you'll get to where you're going whether solo or with a little help from your friends.
1) Embrace technology to lead it rather than react to it.
2) Build meaningful relationships, don't just network to work your way upward.
3) Become part of the community, invest in it and don't just take from it.
4) Give freely because you want to...because it's where you can add value.
