Richmond native, business owner, and sales extraordinaire Sarah Paxton has been a long-time member of InUnison, dating back to our Retail Merchants Association days. A University of Virginia grad with a degree in Classics, Paxton joined the then Charlottesville-based furniture retailer LaDifférence as the assistant manager of the housewares department a few years after graduation.

Paxton quickly worked her way up to partner at the modern furniture store, a role that gave her involvement in every aspect of the business, from bookkeeping and finance to marketing and sales. Today, LaDiff is based just outside of the City of Richmond in Manchester, and the furniture store continues to achieve sales success under the leadership of Paxton, who now serves as the business’s co-owner and president.

Her sales expertise was in the spotlight when she joined a panel of sales experts at the recent InUnison Sales 101 event, where she shared her best advice for creating a repeatable customer sales journey. We were so impressed by Sarah’s sales knowledge that we are sharing a few more of her tips and takeaways from the event to help you improve your customer sales experience.

“Don’t be afraid to ask the hard questions.”

A strong proponent of viewing sales as more than a transaction, Paxton treats sales holistically as an ongoing relationship rather than a one-time exchange. She believes that the key to building this relationship is communication. She recommends having conversations with clients about their budget, expectations, timing, and where they have previously shopped and gotten ideas. These details will provide insights into customers’ shopping behaviors, helping you tailor your sales approach more effectively. “Don’t be afraid to ask the hard questions and get to know your customer as a person,” said Paxton.

When building these relationships, she recommends truly getting to know your prospective buyers. “I think (sales is) about listening to people. And once you know them as a person, you can be a lot more empathetic,” Paxton added. She also explained that this empathy helps you better understand how your business can best serve a specific client.

Paxton has found that people tend to complete a purchase when they feel understood. By fostering a relationship built on empathy, understanding, and trust, you can resonate with potential customers on a deeper level, leading to sales grounded in consistency rather than persuasion.

“Reach customers in a way that is convenient for them.”

Although Paxton views the relationship as one of the most important aspects of a sale, she divulged a few other industry insights that may aid in the customer sales journey. Some of her wisdom was around technology and sales. She shared that although technology can be tricky, it’s essential to ensure everything is seamless. She recommends using technology as a key part of the relationship, leveraging digital channels to follow up with customers as well as keep track of them in customer relationship management software. One key tip she shared was to ask customers for their preferred communication method before adding them to your digital system, so you can reach them in a way that is convenient for them.

Although LaDiff does not use cold calls as a sales tactic, Paxton remains diligent about building connections with potential customers through alternative methods. She recommends going to networking events and connecting with businesses in industries that may support your own. For her, that’s realtors, builders, and people who can send her potential furniture shoppers. Although this target networking group looks different for every industry, the importance of building a community of people who can refer customers to you remains vital across sectors.

Key Takeaways

Throughout the Sales 101 panel discussion, Paxton shared advice she has gathered through a 35-year career in furniture sales. Throughout the panel discussion, Paxton emphasized:

• Sales is a relationship, not a transaction: The strongest sales outcomes come from ongoing relationships built over time, not one-off exchanges.
• Communication drives trust: Getting to know the client on a deeper level by asking tough questions helps you better serve them and build connections that last.
• Technology and community fuel growth: Expanding and connecting with your network through technology and in-person events helps create relationships that lead to a consistent pipeline of potential sales.

If you are looking to learn more about sales, make sure to register for the Sales 102: Strategic Insights for Smarter Sales event on March 4, 2026. 

Want even more sales insights? Check out our new Local Business Benchmarking Tool to learn how your business is comparing to other independent businesses across the region.