Well, they attempted to copy the Spanish Empires strategy of setting up meetings with the chieftains and abducting them. They would then be tortured relentlessly until the tribe submitted all their wealth.
Britain tried this, amongst others, and Wahunsunacock didn't fall for it. Smith went back to plead for carpenters instead of soldiers, but it took so long that the entire colony perished. Poor Jamestown.
If the strategy worked for one empire but not another, I would call the attempt a failure. Learning from those failures is what allowed newer trade focused strategies to emerge. 

 I can't argue with that. But, mistakes were made on both sides. The high level of cultural intolerance and misunderstanding led to increasingly frequent periods of conflict. The First Anglo-Powhatan War for instance. The point I'm trying to make is that it wasn't just the Brits fault.