Most of the advice here seems to be pre-Internet vintage. IME very little of this stuff still works.
CDs? Don't make me laugh ... no LL is interested in settling down at 1am after cleaning up the pub to listen to your studio recording of Long Train Running.
Phone calls? Good luck with ever getting through to a decision maker in the first place, let alone convincing them to offer you a paid gig over the phone.
My approach?
1. LEGWORK: Find out which pubs actually do music, target the ones you really, really want to play, then go and spend time and money in that pub. Go there to see other bands. Go there for Sunday lunch. Pop in at funny times. Talk to the bar staff. Find out who controls the music. Don't forget to spend money in his pub - bizarrely, most people are more prepared to make time to talk to you if you put money in their pocket, can't imagine why.
2. SHOWTIME: Set up a website, make it look like you're a serious band, put some LIVE mp3 recordings on there - not studio stuff, LLs aren't as stupid as many musicians seem to want to paint them, get a competent person to video the band playing some live numbers and stick them on YouTube. Give the LL an honest representation of what you play, how you sound, how you look. Treat the LL like a grown-up and maybe he'll do the same to you ...