Sales as Service

Soft Skills Sell: The Overlooked Advantage in Business Growth with Ryan O’Keeffe

Tamara Smith Season 1 Episode 24

As the year winds down, it’s easy to hit pause on your business development efforts. But what you do now will shape your Q1. This episode is your invitation to take inventory, revisit how you're showing up, and bring more intention into the way you lead and sell.

Ryan O’Keeffe is a founder, father, and people promoter. He leads Jago, the first and only BCorp-certified personal brand consultancy helping purpose-led leaders gain clarity on who they are and the value they bring to the world—so they can lead with more presence and impact.

We explore how emotional intelligence shows up in the sales process, and why soft skills are your most underrated business advantage.

In this episode, we cover:

  • Why your personal brand is already speaking for you—intentionally or not
  • How emotional triggers show up in sales (and what to do with them)
  • Why EQ matters more than polish when building trust
  • What most founders get wrong about visibility
  • How to assess your brand with one simple (free) tool

Sales as Service Challenge — Start Now!

This week’s challenge is simple but powerful:

Take 10 minutes to complete Jago’s free Personal Brand Health Check.

Whether you’re running solo or leading a full team, your personal brand shapes how people connect with you, refer you, and remember you. This tool helps you reflect on where you're aligned—and where your visibility might need a reset.

Links & Resources:

Have an episode idea? DM me on LinkedIn and let me know!


Tam Smith is a Sales Growth Strategist and founder of ST49 Sales Marketing, where she helps female founders and agency owners ditch feast-or-famine cycles with sales systems that actually feel good to use.

With 15+ years in sales leadership, Tam’s work focuses on building genuine relationships, crafting smart outreach strategies, and creating consistent client pipelines—no pressure tactics required.

When she’s not helping clients build reliable sales systems, you’ll likely find her rock climbing or mapping out her next adventure with her Supermutt, Ila, in Durham, NC.