What are the pros and cons of working in Sales for a hardware vs. a software company?

PROS:

• getting exposure to and solving a wider range of problemsIn my experience, every customer is different and if your product is flexible, they will have different needs that they are trying to address with it.  Instead of focusing your talent on a limited set of features/functions/bugs, you get to implement solutions and write custom code or integrate your product in new environments.
• variety of work, especially if you end up as a hybrid sales engineer/solutions architectOn any given day I'm doing technical deep dives into our product's architecture, demoing the solution to potential customers, scripting to our API to support custom solutions, providing guidance to engineering (from real life scenarios) and creating add-ons to extend the tool
• compensation based on performance that is measured on a (more) quantitative baseline. Inherently, most sales roles will have some sort of compensation based upon sales activity.  If you make a ton of sales, you get rewarded for that.
• allows for a more sociable life (potentially)For me, I was heads down at my desk way more than I would have liked when I was in an engineering role.  While I'm not a full blown extrovert, I do enjoy speaking to groups and having a decent amount of human interaction.
• being a part of the bigger picture As a technical resource on a sales team, you have to not only know your product inside and out, but you must also be able to prove its worth in real life applications.  This requires intimate knowledge of the product internals as well as a strong handle on business use cases and implementation.

CONS:

• getting exposure to a wider range of problemsThis is both a pro and a con.  If you are supporting multiple customers, you will undoubtedly experience some tedious, mundane or flat out unbelievable problems - and you will have to solve them.  In an engineering role, you would have more focus within particular subject areas.
• variety of workSee above, this is a double edged sword - especially if you have trouble organizing and prioritizing tasks.  You will also be challenged and expected to get out of your comfort zone, frequently.
• compensation based on sales successA portion of your salary will be performance based and therefore is not guaranteed.  You can be the best sales engineer in the world, but if people aren't buying the product, your paycheck will reflect it.  Be smart at negotiation time and make sure that you don't go below a comfort point with your base salary.
• you have to be sociable and talk (sometimes all day long)This is a tough one for some engineers making the transition into a sales world.  Gone are the days of throwing on your headphones and disappearing in your code for a day or two.  Sales requires you to interact with people, take potential customers out for dinner and present to small and large groups.
• grasping the big pictureYou're no longer the expert who knows the messaging bus inside and out (for example).  Now, you need to know all of the nuts and bolts and how they make your potential customer's life easier.

Looking at the posts of others, I have nothing more to add

Now a days working for a hardware company has got a growing market because of the high consumption appetite created by the growing development in software that requires high specifications hardware.

However as the software is easily and more conveniently purchasable online working in selling software is becoming an obsolete activity.    

...........I agree with MR. Vinod..........

It's better to choose working in the sales department for Hardware than selling Software, nowadays softwares are mostly shopped online, this is becoming an obsolete job in most of the companies. sells for hardwares are foretasted o grow at an amazing pace due to the introduction of new technological era is on it's way, It's better to work hardware selling department...

Thanks for invitation,

I do support colleagues' specialized answers.

I agree with experts answers

Thanks for invitation

Answer Mr. Vinod

Excellent

Greetings

Pros and cons are arguments for or against a particular issue. Pros are arguments that aim to promote the issue, while cons suggest points against it. The term has been in use since the16th century and is a shortening of a Latin phrase, pro et contra, which means “for and against.” Considering the advantages and disadvantages of an issue is a very useful way to weigh it thoughtfully and reach an informed decision.

Many people find themselves considering pros and cons in daily life, although they may not be aware of it. For example, someone shopping at a supermarket might weigh the cost of an item and the quality to decide whether or not to purchase it. People making larger decisions, like purchasing a new car or home, often spend a great deal of time thinking about the effects of the purchase so that they can be sure that the right choice will be made.

• Many social media platforms make it very easy for users to share links to Internet-based stories, articles, photographs, and blog posts. The pros and cons of social networking information are once again deeply connected: While it is easy for someone to share and spread an important news story, such as one about a natural disaster or a significant health concern, it can be difficult to contain the spread of a story that includes misinformation.
• While the pros and cons of fiber-optic Ethernet are largely pros, the cons can be significant disadvantages