Pros and Cons of Being a Sales and Marketing Manager
Even if you love the so-called “art of the sale” and adore the science of marketing, you may not be ready for a job as a sales and marketing manager. After all, those in sales marketing management aren’t out selling all day, nor are they expected to do nothing but sit in their offices and create marketing materials.
To help you decide if the sales marketing path is one down which you should stroll, we’ve compiled a list of facts about the sales marketing industry and the pros and cons of taking on a leadership position within it.
FACT 1: Sales and Marketing Managers are in Charge of Others
Pro: If you like leading people, then becoming a supervisor is a natural development in your career. As a sales marketing manager, you’ll be given plenty of opportunities to encourage, educate and, when necessary, discipline individuals under your influence.
Con: Sure, being a manager is exciting… during the good times. But it can be quite demanding when drama runs high in the office or numbers don’t meet expectations. The challenges can easily outweigh the benefits for a supervisor who isn’t prepared to deal with the rough seas.
FACT 2: Sales and Marketing Managers Still Have to Sell and Market
Pros: For the person who loves selling and marketing, this isn’t a problem. Not only is he or she able to have constant interaction with clients, but he or she will also be able to simultaneously inspire others to follow suit.
Con: It can be enormously difficult to juggle both being a leader and having to bring in business. For those unaccustomed to this style of leading by example, the pressures can overshadow the perks of the job.
FACT 3: Sales and Marketing Managers Often Have to Travel
Pro: Who wouldn’t want to get the chance to travel a bit more? If you’re someone who loves to visit new places and meet new people, sales marketing management could be your ticket to destinations heretofore unknown.
Con: If you characterise yourself as a “homebody”, you may find travelling gruelling instead of inspiring. Combine being on the road for days at a time with coming back to a pile of paperwork at the office, and sales marketing management might not be all you imagined.
FACT 4: Sales and Marketing Managers tend to Command Decent Starting Salaries
Pro: Who wouldn’t want a raise? More money is more money to those who want to continuously challenge themselves and climb the proverbial corporate ladder of financial success.
Con: With a salary boost comes an increase in expectations. Those expectations can come in a variety of forms – budgetary, personnel changes, corporate innovations. For those individuals unable to modulate their stress levels, supervision can begin to feel like a prison sentence despite the lucrative benefits.
FACT 5: Sales and Marketing Managers are Found in Practically Every Industry
Pro: This fact means that it’s possible for an excellent sales marketing manager with a measurable track record to find a better-paying or more challenging job without much problem.
Con: The exact way that products and services are marketed and sold varies widely from sector to sector. Thus, a manager’s options may be severely limited if he or she is looking to leave one employer for another in a radically different field.
