I try to never call unless I have something good to offer an affiliate, such as a flat fee to increase exposure, or an exclusive bonus to offer to their players.
I can understand the frustration that affiliates have with regards to calls, but being on the on the other side of the planet (the good side 
), it’s sometimes (and with sometimes, I mean always) quicker to pick up the phone and get in touch with someone.
We do have targets, and even targets of number of calls made in a week, but I have also come to learn that no means NO.
No amount of nagging is going to “build a relationship”.