Raj Alexander is an active new member of CFADA, and he is also the managing partner at two dealerships, Porsche South Orlando and Central Florida Lincoln. We recently talked with Raj about his life, his work and his experiences in the industry. GETTING TO KNOW RAJ ALEXANDER Please tell us about your childhood and education. I was born in Mumbai (formerly Bombay), India. I was an only child. My mom and I moved to the U.S. when I was 11 years old. We were very blessed to have a close family, which is normal in our Indian culture. My mother worked long hours in retail to provide for us, and I grew up in an extended household with my grandparents, uncle and aunt, who all had a hand in raising me. Growing up, I wanted to be a doctor; in our culture, it’s looked at favorably if one pursues a career in medicine, computer sciences or business. I had an affinity for math and sciences, so becoming a doctor seemed a natural choice. I played football and focused on my academics, which helped me attend Rutgers University to pursue my career in medicine. During my studies at Rutgers University, I lost my motivation to pursue medicine and steered my attention to pursuing Business Management/Finance. What interested you as a child and young man? I loved anything related to cars. I remember going for haircuts with my grandfather, and he would buy me matchbox cars to add to my collection each time. In my teens, I would love car shows and detailing cars. In my 20s, I loved tuning my cars and going to the race track. When did you become interested in the dealership industry? After Rutgers, I started a management training career path with Circuit City; I quickly realized I excelled at sales in each department I was assigned to. A friend working in a car dealership convinced me to try my sales talent in the automotive world. I started out as a Top Sales Rep in my first month, soon was selling 30+ cars a month and already was focused on moving to the finance manager position. I found it easy to make friends with prospects, and I quickly earned repeat and referral sales from customers who became clients for life. What happened next? I migrated to South Florida and started at Braman BMW in West Palm Beach, Florida. I spent the next 18 years there growing in responsibility. I held positions as a sales adviser, finance manager, sales manager, general sales manager and director of sales and ultimately became the general manager of Braman Porsche West Palm Beach. 6 Pub Yr 2 | Issue 3
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTU2Mjk4Mw==