From selling mops at markets to fan meets: How salesman became million-dollar live streamer

Local live streamer Patrick Low has something in common with movie stars, K-pop groups, celebrity chefs and award-winning novelists. They have all held fan meets.

The 47-year-old runs an import business selling household products, health supplements and skincare but is more well-known these days as the face and voice behind Facebook Live platform 88 Home, which has a following of 35,000 viewers. 

He is online every day at 9.30am for an hour and commands about 1,200 viewers every session. It is a vast improvement from when he garnered only about 50 to 200 views per live streaming session when he first started his live streaming career in 2020. 

In June 2022, to thank his followers for their support and purchases, Mr Low bought 100 of them dinner at Royal Dragon restaurant, owned by getai singer-turned-live streamer Wang Lei. 

This is just one way in which Mr Low treats his customers as friends. He believes they flock to 88 Home because he keeps them entertained – with stories inspired by newspaper reports – for at least 45 minutes before introducing the latest products to them.

The items that he chooses are another pull factor. He gets suggestions from business contacts around the region who tell him what’s trending in their countries. One of the weirdest products that he has tried selling online was a feminine hygiene product. 

“We are professional because we import a wide range of products that work and we always try them first. We have a lot of experience as we have been doing counter sales for 20 to 30 years.”

Doing sales has been in Mr Low’s blood for as long as he can recall. When he was 16, the secondary school dropout sold Christmas cards to undergraduates at a local university here. He later became a sales promoter at the now-defunct Japanese department store Yaohan and also helped his brother in the latter’s wholesale business, selling everything from electronics products to hair gels.

In 2001 when he was 25, he set up an import business and gathered two of his friends – one of them is Mr Sam Lim, now a live streamer on MrHome Live Mall, another Facebook platform run by his son Ryan – to sell mops in HDB estates. 

He kept at this for 20 years before chancing upon someone selling clothing on Facebook one day. It inspired him to follow suit and he started live streaming two years before the Covid-19 pandemic struck. 

And while most people would think that it was his 29-year-old son Ryan who introduced him to live streaming, Mr Low reveals that it was the other way round. 

The pandemic restrictions meant that the duo could no longer sell their items in person at department stores or at shopping centre atriums. To move the merchandise lying around in their warehouse, the older Mr Low encouraged his son to go online. 

During the pandemic, Mr Low was worried about keeping his business afloat and paying his team of about 80 employees. He knew that he had to pivot to something entirely new… quickly. 

He recalls now that while he has spent two decades selling at counters, he was initially shy and “stressed” about moving his operations online and speaking before the camera. “But the only way to lead my staff at that time was to show them that even I had to live stream. It was scary but if I don’t make it online, it’s hard for me to lead.”

It’s a family affair now: his wife manages finances and his daughter-in-law helps Ryan with administrative matters. 

Mr Low takes charge of sourcing products and their packaging, which is why he is always on the phone. He also makes sure to test-drive samples before selling them on 88 Home. 

“Out of 10 samples, we may choose only two. It’s a very time-consuming process,” he says. 

The thing he likes most about live streaming is he can do it anywhere with just his phone. “There is no 9am to 5pm schedule and I can work in an air-conditioned room, rain or shine! It’s definitely more comfortable than selling at wet markets.”

But he reckons selling online feels “more like selling to friends” because the same viewers log on every day. This is why he takes pains to showcase different products so his audience doesn’t feel bored. “I mean, how many mops or woks do you really need in a year?”

So, what’s the difference between 88 Home and Ryan’s MrHome? “My audience is older and can be in their 70s or 80s. They like to listen to my life stories and tune in to my morning slot as they don’t wake up late.”

This is why he also chooses celebrity collaborations based on how popular they will be with this target group. He has invited local celebrities like Terence Cao, Chen Xiu Huan and Wang Lei to co-host previous live streams. 

His next celebrity collaboration is with Taiwan talkshow celebrity Hsu Nai Ling, a contact of one of his viewers. Mr Low will be in Tapei to live stream with the veteran host because he knows his audience will like it. 

“We cannot look for young celebrities as age does matter here. Even if pop singer Jay Chou agrees to live stream with us, he may not be suitable because people know him to be a singer, not a talkshow host," he says. 
    
Watch Mr Patrick Low and Taiwan talkshow celebrity Hsu Nai Ling on 88 Home at 10pm on April 8 and 9.