If Wang Lei’s the only name that comes to mind when you think about famous Singaporean live streamers, that’s probably going to change very soon.
Recently, it seems like well-known local actor, comedian and host Mark Lee has entered the realm of live streaming as well.
Initially Travelled to the Netherlands Just for Holiday
When speaking to Shin Min Daily News, Lee recounted how his live stream career started out of coincidence.
He had initially travelled to the Netherlands for ten days just to accompany his wife for a holiday, but ended up holding his first live stream there.
His friend, a tour guide, asked if he wanted to hold a live stream, which he initially declined due to how he wanted to relax while on holiday.
However, after giving it some thought, he decided to give it a shot just to see how things would work out.
He also added that he did not set any high expectations and chose to only focus on a small range of products while conducting the live streams.
After holding a pre-arranged live stream for Burberry, he went next door to Longchamp to ask if they were interested in hosting him for a live stream session.
Longchamp agreed, and they held the live stream promptly on the next day.
Lee later shared a post thanking the Longchamp team in the Netherlands for their hospitality.
During his time in the Netherlands, Lee, 53, also sold skincare products during his live streams twice.
Gassan Diamonds Asked to Collaborate
Amidst all the live streams he held, Lee recalled the one that excited him the most: the collaboration with Gassan, a well-established diamond brand in the Netherlands.
Lee mentioned how his wife wanted to purchase some jewellery when their tour group visited the company’s store.
After the manager of the store saw that Lee had experience in holding live streamers, he called the tour guide to ask if Lee was interested in collaborating with them for a live stream as the store had not conducted one before.
He also revealed that although he did not earn much profit, it was still a unique experience.
According to him, the most expensive diamond he sold during that live stream was a seven-carat diamond worth over $500,000.
Lee also revealed that live streamers often earn around 3-5% of the sales, but he does not mind the “little” profit as it is already an honour to work together with such a prestigious brand.
During his live streams, even viewers from Malaysia, Taiwan and Hong Kong can place their orders, allowing his business to expand internationally.
He also expressed such hopes for his business, and aims to attract more international buyers.
A netizen experienced in shipping international items offered to help Lee as well to ship the items for a cheap price.
Preparation Prior to Live Streams
And if you think that all Lee has to do is open his mouth and go on about the products that he’s selling during live streams, you couldn’t be more wrong.
He told Shin Min that live streamers need to prepare prior to the live streams, such as by checking the prices of products in comparison to how much they are sold online.
He said that although it may not seem like a large difference in price to some, it is to others and he will not sell such products to netizens just to earn money.
Lee also said that he is alright with netizens not buying products during live streams, and even encourages them to watch the live streams to be entertained by him.
Apart from that, he encouraged netizens to be alert when purchasing items through live streams, and that he is mindful of making sure that his clients are satisfied with their purchases.
When asked if he and his wife had a fruitful trip themselves, he answered that they were still sorting out all the products a day before they returned to Singapore.
He only bought a bag, a pair of shoes, three shirts and a pair of pants, while his wife bought a pair of diamond earrings.
Future Travel Plans
Like many Singaporeans, Lee started making plans to travel once the border restrictions started to become more relaxed.
He revealed that he will be taking his children on a cruise during the June holidays.
As for the December holidays, his family is deciding between travelling to Korea or Japan, with Lee personally preferring Japan.
With regards to travelling for live streams, Lee emphasised that acting is still his favourite job.
He also explained that he will still hold live streams from time to time as it is a decent source of income, but that he is definitely still more qualified as an actor and host.
He will be filming a movie from July to September, and will be hosting four variety shows from May to July and in November as well.
When talking about his success thus far after encountering many difficulties, Lee said that he will take things as they come.
He touched on how he is able to face life in such a light due to the many relatives he lost when he was younger, and that he will not try to force things if they do not happen naturally.
Lee then referred to the time when he and his wife wanted to have children, but were unable to conceive for a long time at first.
After confirming with the doctor that they were healthy, he told his wife to not be stressed out, and that the right time will come.
And it definitely worked out, for the couple share three children now.
Lee then concluded by saying that such an attitude can be applied to anything in life.
Featured Image: Facebook (Mark Lee Kok Huang)