Erica: Tell us about yourself Vaesly.
V: My name is V. It's short for Vaesly Vega. I was born and raised in Puerto Rico and speak Spanish. I love Soccer (Football) and I’ve been training in Brazilian Jui Jitsu/MMA Fighting. I build Legos. I like reading. I like working & helping people. I try to build myself everyday and try to beat the person I was yesterday.
Erica: How did you get into the Automotive Industry?
V: It’s a really funny story because Tianna started at the dealership first and I was working in factory jobs. I was like “I want a serious job that I can have a career in”. So, I started looking on Indeed for BDC Rep Jobs. There was one that was really close to where we used to live so I applied. They gave me an interview the next day. I feel like Tianna was my inspiration to enter, build a career and help our community too. DealerSynergy came about when she started working with her family and I was like “I have to be apart of this”.
Erica: What's the greatest career lesson you've learned that you wish someone had prepared you for?
V: I think it’s the constant of learning every single day. I feel like I have grown so much from working in a dealership and working for this company. You can go through many jobs, and they don’t teach you the basics that you need in life. I feel like my career has molded me into the person I am today. Things like Manifestation and planning on what you want for your future. It must be something that, unless you’re passionate about it, you can’t just find in any job. It’s the people that I’ve surrounded myself with that have helped me get to where I am.
Erica: What piece of advice would you give to someone entering the Automotive Industry?
V: The first thing is to look for the best training curriculum. Anyone can go in and start selling cars but what are the tools you can use/skills you can gain. Like the CRM, knowing how to leverage it will help you understand not only what you’re doing but also how you’re going to be effective and make money for yourself. You have to be a person who learns how to care – care for yourself, your customers. When I moved here from Puerto Rico, I didn’t really know what a dealership was because we didn’t really have them down there nor was it affordable to get a brand-new vehicle. Coming to America, you got to see so many more opportunities and surround yourself with the right people. Be open to learning.
Erica: What keeps you going in this industry of so many ups & downs? What keeps you passionate about it?
V: I’ve been in the industry since 2019. Helping People keeps me passionate about this industry. I work Customer Support/service here at DealerSynergy – making sure to bring the values we have and that they are taken care of is important to me. I also want to keep growing and be able to reach my Hispanic community – if you look at when they enter a dealership, they aren’t always given the same opportunities. “Oh, my credit isn’t great/Oh, I won’t be able to afford this/Oh, I won’t be treated well” – I’ve seen it in my dad’s experience. I try to help people because I don’t want them to feel that way. I am working on making this industry fairer for everyone.
Erica: If you weren’t in the car business, what would it be? What has stopped you from making the change?
V: I’m not sure – I’ve always been the kind of person that I’ve been moved by the decisions that I’ve made and if I made that decision because it was right for me. If I could choose – I would love to be a professional MMA fighter. I’m starting to train, and I would love to compete. Even if I couldn’t do that, I love being able to learn and experience new things.
Erica: What’s your least favorite part of the Automotive Industry?
V: I don’t like how someone can be treated differently because of how they look, speak, and who you are. Just because someone is Black, Hispanic, or Gay doesn't mean they don't deserve the same respect and experience as someone else. I wish people would treat each other with more kindness all around. People must care for each other regardless of our differences.
Erica: What’s the biggest flattery/moment where you felt like you made a difference in your career?
V: Every single day when I am working with clients and helping a customer in Spanish and communicating with them as that middle person, is great. I’m able to help both a customer and my client. I love helping people and everyone I can. Some dealerships don’t understand that it’ll make everyone more comfortable if you have different options – like paperwork in Spanish – that will make someone more comfortable when purchasing a vehicle.
Erica: What new technologies would you like to see incorporated into our industry?
V: AI is a really big thing right now – if you can find a better way to communicate with your customers and have AI help with that, like translations or something, it can be effective for your business! AI is growing across the world so why not use it to your advantage to make it better for your customers & your business.
Erica: What are you doing to help curb the “misinterpretations” about our industry when attracting new talent?
V: In my eyes, I try to see everyone equally. I’m trying to bring you a good experience and I hope you can build the rapport. Don’t listen to all the negatives. You get to create a new experience. How you market yourself to whoever you’re trying to reach, that’s the type of people who will be buying from you. So, you can help create your own experience.
Erica: Where do you see yourself in the next 10 years? Where do you see the industry in the next 10 years?
V: In the next 10 years, I want to be a big Spanish trainer here at DealerSynergy. I’m going little by little right now, but I want to be able to reach dealers all over the world and give them training/support. I want to grow as a person and be able to reach out to my own community and help them out. How I see the industry, I want to see the dealerships grow more and teach more of their people to be more empathetic, more understanding and connect with the clients. It’s not just about the money. Everything starts with a good relationship. We have to focus more on humans – because then I think the world and your workplace can be a better place. If you do that, you’ll connect with the customer and bring you more value, more connected for a lifelong relationship.
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