Sales are perhaps the most important aspect of running a successful business. Without a steady flow of revenue, your business doesn’t have a leg to stand on. Of course, every company has its own way of doing business, and every salesperson has his or her own sales strategy.

But for startups and first-time entrepreneurs with limited sales experience, how does one go about developing an effective sales plan? To start, think about your customers. What makes them tick? To engage your customers and prospects, you’ll need to begin thinking more about psychology, namely how it influences their behavior.

“The more you study people, the more adept you will become at identifying the ways they think and behave,” writes Geil Browning for Inc. magazine. “When you make the effort to see the world through the eyes of others, you will know how to engage their interests and how to help them achieve their ultimate goals.”

Here are some tips for approaching your sales strategy from a psychological angle:

1.) Be mild-mannered and reserved at the beginning

If you notice that you are generally excited about your pitch but the other person is restrained, try to tone yourself down. It’s understandable that you get amped up about the business you created, but remember that your prospects are not going to be as enthused as you. Ever. Instead of assuming interest, focus on a strategy that will build their enthusiasm organically.

2.) Determine your prospect’s influencers

When it comes to business-to-business sales, the people you interact with may not be the big shots at their company. They may not even be present at a sales pitch or presentation. For that reason, consider asking prospects if you may correspond with others at their company or at least include them in various email chains or conference calls.

3.) Determine what type of thinker you’re pitching to

You can’t know what kind of mind your buyer has, so it makes sense to deliver a presentation that appeals to all four types of minds.

“People who are analytical thinkers want to know the ‘ROI’ right up front,” explains Browning for the source. “Those who are structural thinkers want to improve on processes. Social thinkers, meanwhile, want to make an impact on a relationship or on the welfare of others. Conceptual ones are interested in connecting the dots.”

Aside from these four types of thinkers, there are two types of brains to consider as well: left-brained and right-brained. The brain’s right hemisphere relates to creative and conceptual concerns, while the left deals with logical and analytical demands. Salespeople often search for clues to determine how their prospects are psychologically oriented and mold their presentation accordingly.

“Using an innovative, intuitive, emotional approach on an analytical, logical, practical person would be a disaster. And vice versa,” Browning explains.

4.) Keep all parties focused on the end solution

If a buyer gets caught up in the nitty-gritty details of cost analysis, market dynamics, revenue projections and other data-intensive concerns, they fail to recognize the overarching benefit of the product or service you are trying to sell.

“Remember that some buyers have several preferences and it takes them a long time to make a decision,” Browning writes. “They are weighing rationality, processes, people and vision all at the same time.”

While it’s important to give prospects time to analyze and think about their purchase, remember that you know more about it. That being said, be diligent, always follow up and make yourself available as they weigh the decision