Brick by Brick

Not sure about you all, but the Easter Bunny made a stop at our house this week—and let’s just say, he brought more than just candy. A few new LEGO sets showed up, and we had an absolute blast putting them together. My kids are finally hitting that age where the LEGO aisle is fair game, and I’m not mad about it. It’s honestly become one of my favorite things we do together.

If you’ve been in my office, you already know—there’s a decent-sized LEGO collection hanging out on my shelves. Everyone needs something that helps them slow down and decompress after a long week. For me, it’s LEGO builds... or zoning out to a Marvel movie I’ve already seen 10 times.

I know there are other LEGO fans out there who get it. But if you’ve ever built one, you also know the panic when a piece goes missing. You’re digging through the pile, checking under the table, questioning your whole existence—because every LEGO person knows: if one piece is missing, the whole thing doesn’t work. (Also, serious question—where do you get replacement pieces?)

And honestly? That’s how I look at teams, too.

Some roles might seem small from the outside, but they’re foundational. Without them, things don’t come together the way they should. Same goes for sales. Just because someone’s behind the scenes or not client-facing doesn’t make their role any less critical to the bigger picture.

Every piece matters.

Sales is Like Building Without the Picture on the Box

Ever tried building a LEGO set without the box?

No instructions. No picture. Just a pile of colorful pieces and a vague idea of what it’s supposed to be. You’ve got everything you need—but no roadmap.

That’s what sales can feel like.

You come into a conversation with all the tools: your product, your pitch, your value prop. But every customer is different. Their needs, their pain points, their vision—it’s not always clear at first. You don’t get a neat little instruction booklet. So, you start doing what great salespeople do best: listening. Asking questions. Testing ideas. Flipping pieces around until something starts to click.

And brick by brick, the picture starts to come into focus.

Sales isn’t about delivering a pre-packaged solution. It’s about building with the customer—not just for them. You’ve got to adapt, shift your strategy, and sometimes scrap what you thought would work to create something that actually does.

It’s not always clean or quick. Sometimes the right piece isn’t where you thought it was. Sometimes you get it wrong and have to rebuild. But the magic happens when you’re willing to stay in it with the customer until the final piece locks into place.

So if you're in sales and it feels a little messy sometimes—good. That means you’re not just selling. You’re building.

And the best builds? They don’t need the box picture. They just need someone who’s willing to figure it out.

The Effective Syndicate is a family of brands dedicated to supporting U.S. manufacturing by addressing the industry's unique challenges:

• The Effective Syndicate: Delivering expert consulting services in Lean Six Sigma, leadership development, and operational improvement to help manufacturing companies achieve sustainable growth and operational excellence.

• TES Recruiting: Connecting manufacturing companies with top-tier talent, from the shop floor to the C-suite.

• Swiftemp: Providing fast, reliable staffing solutions, specializing in temporary-to-hire roles for manufacturing and metal fabrication.

• GSD Manager Training: Empowering managers with practical, no-nonsense training to lead confidently, enhance productivity, and build stronger teams.

Together, we help U.S. manufacturing businesses thrive. Want to learn more? Check out our website! www.tes.run