Mazda dealers have been asked to sign up to a new scheme that involves an outsourced specialist sales force being used to attract business from sub-50 fleet operators.

The new programme, which begins on May 1, will see participating Mazda dealers work with Magma Services (part of Magma Group) to win business from thousands of small businesses that are already held on dealer databases.

Mazda has employed Magma to provide a sales team that will focus on sub-50 fleet operators, while Mazda’s own team will continue to work with larger fleets.

“It will be a referral process that complements the activity our own team does with larger fleets,” explained Mazda fleet and remarketing director Peter Allibon.

“We will effectively have two sales forces. Our new team will spend at least 50% of their time working with dealers, although they may also go direct to customers.”

Allibon said dealers have a database of thousands of small fleet customers which will be used by the new sales force.

Sites that are already set up to deal with business customers and other dealers, who may have business sales specialists working at another franchise within the group, will also be encouraged to participate.

He said the programme would not be suitable for all sites, particularly smaller dealers that had a strong retail focus.

“We will invite any dealers that are interested in joining the programme,” he said, “And those that want to can come and speak to us about it and we will review the plan with them.”

Allibon said 20 dealers will be involved in the first phase covering 32 ‘areas of influence’ with a further 12 planned for the second phase covering 40 areas.

He added that prospects found through the programme that already have relationships with contract hire companies would be able to continue that relationship, or could take out Mazda’s own contract hire scheme.