Sometimes people say that automation engineers can be too dry and colorless, even if their mechanistic mindset suits the demands of the engineering profession well. But a sales manger in the automation industry must become a kind of engineer with a human face. Working in sales means that you must put your best foot forward, and have a personality as well as a problem-solving work ethic. Of course, to be effective in the profession, a sales manager in automation must also be someone who enjoys the technical aspects of the work. He or she must understand and become comfortable with the industry's vocabulary. But it is almost equally as critical that he or she likes and is effective in face-to-face contact with people in the field and with non-technically oriented customers.
There are decided advantages to being in sales, rather than to being purely involved with the engineering aspect of the automation industry. One advantage, from my perspective and from my personal character orientation, is the ability for sales people to travel. I also have, on a daily basis, relatively...
I don't like the feeling that a manager is always looking over my shoulder and watching what I do. I also like the frequently higher compensation sales offers me.
Of course one of the downsides of my career path in sales, versus automation engineering, is well, frequent travel to less than desirable locations, and leaving the comforts of home and family. The fact that more of my salary compensation is based upon my personal performance also means that I am subject to the unstable whims of consumer demand and the market, and there is a much more cutthroat atmosphere between myself and my competitors, even within my own organization.
Some people in the industry say that the individual mission statement of someone in sales is sell and prosper, don't sell and flounder. I prefer to think of it as serve the customer and prosper, don't serve and fail. This better relates to the organizational mission of the company overall of solving problems -- a customer who feels taken care of is a satisfied customer, I believe.
