Since taking on the role of general manager at JCT600’s Mazda Leeds dealership, Chris Cole has been working hard to boost sales performance.

Cole has restructured his sales team in order to achieve new and used car sales targets of 326 and 720 respectively for 2007, up from 234 new and 646 used cars sold last year.

“Last year we had a sales manager and a sales controller but looking through the accounts I realized that there was a weakness in F&I performance,” he says. “Now we have a sales manager Paul Callaghan, a sales controller Abu Khayer and a business manager Paul Szwarc.”

Cole believes the targets are achievable with the new team, helped by his belief in the Mazda brand and JCT600’s reputation for representing the franchise.

“The dealership is in a fantastic position on the ring road and the support we receive from the Mazda brand provides us with some great ways of improving and enhancing our business,” he says.

This is Cole’s first role as general manager, having previously worked as sales manager for the group’s Vauxhall dealership in Bradford.

Khayer previously worked as sales controller at Vauxhall Bradford and was the group’s top salesman last year, while Callaghan was promoted to the role of sales manager from sales controller. Szwarc previously worked for JCT600 but left the group in 2003, returning earlier this year.

“This is an exciting challenge for me. I have responsibilities that I didn’t have before as I was focused on just sales. Now I look after parts, service and new and used car sales,” says Cole.