Frank Hurtte claims to have always been involved in marketing. Although he did not begin his career there, he soon made his avocation his vocation. His deep understanding of strategy can be seen in his creative responses to people starting new businesses. Read on to learn more about this active participant.

Where are you based?

Davenport, Iowa USA For those who are not from the US - Davenport is on the Mississippi River, just across the river from Illinois. We are 160 Miles west of Chicago and 950 miles north of New Orleans (and the Gulf Coast).

What do you do in real-life?

I am the founder of River Heights Consulting.

Tell us about your company.

River Heights Consulting serves as a resource to the systems integrators, value added resellers, distributors and manufacturers who chose to go to market through this channel. We provide sales and marketing training, automation technology updates, and executive coaching.

My personal experience is in moving high technology products to industrial based users; so much is focused on that segment.

How did you find KHE?

I was researching a question for a client and discovered KHE and was hooked.

Explain your Community Name and why you selected it.

I use my own name. I guess I wasn’t as worried about the paparazzi and marketing groupies stalking me as I should have been.

What kinds of KHE questions do you enjoy most?

I love strategy… I like the creative ideas… I like to help those starting up a new business.

Describe a specific KHE discussion you learned something from.

I am finishing a book on Telesales Prospecting in a technical distribution world. I continue to get great ideas from those who share their experience in customer calls – especially those related to prospecting.

What is your favorite marketing book? Why?

I loved Guerrilla Marketing because so many people find themselves limited on marketing funds and in my mind that is not an excuse to not market.

I also love books on the power of the human mind. And while they aren’t specifically focused on marketing, I heartily recommend Daniel Pink’s book A Whole New Mind and Malcolm Gladwell’s book Blink. These books empower the kind of thought that is needed to be successful in just about anything.

What networking or professional organizations do you belong to?

I was the first lifetime member of the Association for High Technology Distribution. I am actively involved in a number of Iowa Based not for profit organizations.

How did you get started in marketing?

I have been involved in sales and marketing all my life. I grew up in a small family owned business, where I learned from my father who had a marketing background and it just seemed to be “in my blood”.

Did you study marketing in college? 

I graduated from College with a degree in Computer Engineering. It was the 1970’s and computer technology was such an exciting place to be… but the draw of working with real people was more than I could stand. My first job out of school was to be a sales engineer for the company that would later become Rockwell Automation. Marketing was my hobby… but it soon changed from advocation to vocation.

Have you had a mentor? 

Yes, I have had a number of mentors. The biggest thing they taught me was to think big, act small, and do something even if it was only a little thing in life.

What is your next career objective?

I would like to grow River Heights into a company capable of allowing others to grow personally and professionally long after I leave this planet.

Do you have a favorite gadget/tool that helps you do your job?

I am addicted to my Dell laptop – I hardly go anywhere without it. I love Wi-Fi technology. Even though we have all used it for many years now some days I just “pinch myself” to make certain the Internet is real. What a wonderful learning and information tool.

Describe one of your non-marketing hobbies or interests. I

 love music. Without music all of our lives would be pretty plain. I serve on the Board of Directors for the River Music Experience promoting America’s Roots Music to the world.

What is the value KHE provides to you personally?

It is a portal into the minds of hundreds of very intelligent people. I often refer to questions and answers posted by many. I love the insight into the points of view of people from around the world.

Have you made any offline connections with people you met in KHE?

I haven’t had an opportunity to meet anyone from KHE in person, but I regularly exchange ideas off line with others.

Do you have any advice for new members of KHE?

Get involved… Share your ideas… Mine KHE for new ideas in your own world.

Do you have a favorite quote you want to share?

“Plans are nothing; planning is everything” …. General and President Dwight Eisenhower

“A good plan violently executed today is better than a perfect plan carried out in two weeks” … Gen. George Patton

“I was born for the storm; the calm does not suit me.” … President Andrew Jackson

Is there anything else you would like to say to the community?

I love hearing from those who work in the Automation Business. It is a small brotherhood and the more we know one another the better.