We discuss two processes, the \pi N \rightarrow e⁺e^- N and the \gamma N \rightarrow e⁺e^- N reactions, below and close to the vector meson production threshold (1.40<\sqrt s <1.75 GeV). The aim is to gain understanding of the coupling of vector fields (associated with \rho ⁰- and \omega -mesons) to low-lying baryon resonances. These couplings are not well-known and important for baryon structure studies and for dynamical descriptions of vector meson propagation in the nuclear medium. The e⁺e^- pair production amplitudes are determined by the \pi N \rightarrow \rho ⁰ N, \pi N \rightarrow \omega N, \gamma N\rightarrow \rho ⁰ N and \gamma N\rightarrow \omega N amplitudes supplemented by the Vector Meson Dominance assumption. The vector meson production amplitudes are calculated consistently using a relativistic and unitary coupled-channel approach to meson--nucleon scattering. We display results showing the importance of the quantum interference between \rho ⁰- and \omega -mesons in the e⁺e^- channel to unravel the strength of the coupling of \rho ⁰- and \omega -mesons to specific baryon excitations. The \pi N \rightarrow e⁺e^- N and \gamma N \rightarrow e⁺e^- N reactions underlie the more complex \pi A \rightarrow e⁺e^- X and \gamma A \rightarrow e⁺e^- X nuclear processes whose measurement is planned at GSI (with the HADES detector) and under analysis at JLab (with the CLAS detector).

PACS numbers: 13.20.Jf, 14.20.Gk