A strong economy is sustained by the consuming power of the population. The more money people have, the more they shop and the more profits the sales companies have. Food industry is a merchandise that sells by itself. There are other types of products in the market that need a serious and constant effort for promotion. Sales managers opt for such profiles.
They work in advertising, media, insurances, banks, IT and so on. Their job is to recruit potential clients and convince them to give a chance to their products. There are thousands and thousands of books pretending to teach you the secrets of becoming a successful sales manager but the truth is that only practice can lead you to that.
Agent vs. manager
Becoming a manager will require you to accomplish some unusual requirements that are not related to sales. New duties regarding development and recruiting will take you a considerable time; administrative duties and meeting organizational tasks; and a high pressure because of the expectations that others have about you will also play a vital role. Difficulties may arise also because you because you'll be coordinating your employees and not just ordinary people.
Responsibilities
If you are expecting someone to tell you about your job tasks as a sales manager, you might be disappointed because there is no such thing. We know they have a lot of staff meetings, they must guide and give directions to the sales agents, they take care of a lot of organizational things regarding the team, recruit personnel and interview candidates. But they should also plan activities, coach agents, elaborate account plans, take measures regarding performances, establish goals and implement ways of reaching them.
Considerations
The manager interacts with agents who must be really confident and motivated. As a manager, you don't plan strategies for yourself but for a bunch of people with unique characteristics. You must have good strategies and plans in place.