Opening the Conversation: How Consultants Can Confidently Introduce Edge in Appointments
For many consultants, the biggest hurdle in adopting a new advisory platform isn’t the tool itself—it’s knowing how to talk about it.
Unfamiliarity with digital tools, deviation from traditional sales scripts, and uncertainty about when to introduce the platform during a conversation often hold back what could be a game-changing experience—for both the consultant and the client.
But in a fast-evolving landscape where technology is reshaping client expectations, adapting how we engage isn’t just helpful—it’s essential.
Adopting tools like Edge Smart Advisory isn't about replacing the human element; it's about enhancing it with data-driven clarity, personalization, and trust-building visuals.
Of course, to make the most of the platform, it helps to understand the features and flows. For a deep dive into navigating the tools and buttons, you can refer to the resource here:
👉 The Edge – Button Guide for Lifestyle Planning Summary Page — A-Think Lab
🧠 Conversation Starters
Whether your client is goal-driven, risk-averse, or simply curious, you'll have a conversational entry point ready to guide the dialogue with confidence.
Let’s explore these angles—designed to match real appointment dynamics.
During Appointment
1) Summary Table then Edge - For clients with existing portfolios, begin with the usual summary table, then use Edge to demonstrate how their portfolio performs under stress-tested scenarios. Here’s the link to that approach. - Sample Appointment Flow Using Edge Planner - Lifestyle Planning (Existing Client) — A-Think Lab
2) Edge to Present Immediately - Alternatively, consultants can use Edge directly to present the client’s portfolio summary—leveraging features like the insurance coverage table and the Notepad to highlight key points or share written insights.
For a more tactile approach, the client summary table can also be printed and presented alongside the Edge interface to enhance the overall discussion.
Consultant: “Now, allow me to share with you a planner to go through your portfolio summary. Here’s an overview of your projected income, alongside a summary of your current insurance coverage.”
Briefly explains the existing portfolio details.
Consultant: “This planner allows us to simulate different scenarios—so we can see how certain events might impact your portfolio and better understand how everything fits into your overall plan.”
💬 Talking Angles - Critical Illness
For Critical Illness Discussion - “Take a guess—at what age do you think most critical illness claims tend to happen?”
Prospect - “I don’t know / 60 years old?”
Consultant - “You’re close—it’s actually around age 50. Let’s take a look at what happens if a critical illness strikes at that point, and how it could impact your portfolio.”
*Navigate to the Scenario tab and input the relevant figures for income reduction or cessation. If the consultant wishes to highlight increased financial strain, additional caregiver expenses can be added under the 'Expenses (Infl)' section to reflect heightened risk exposure.
“When a critical illness happens, most people aren’t able to work for a long period—let’s say about four years. And even after recovery, many have to take a pay cut due to physical or mental limitations.
“Do you think your current coverage is strong enough to handle that kind of impact?”
Next, present the impact using the Scenario Summary and compare it against the Insurance Coverage Table. Use this comparison as an opportunity to open up a deeper discussion around protection gaps, leading into a critical illness planning proposal.
Consultant: “As you can see here, with your income projected to grow at just 3% annually, the potential loss of income in this scenario could reach close to $900,000. Right now, your critical illness coverage is around $200,000, so it might be worth reviewing.”
“Otherwise, there’s a real risk of a significant drop in your lifestyle and financial comfort if something unexpected happens.”
If the client brings up using savings or investment assets to manage the financial impact, the consultant can respond with:
Consultant: “That’s completely understandable, and of course, your savings and investments are there for a reason. But given a choice, most people would prefer to keep those funds untouched—especially if they’re set aside for longer-term goals.”
“And with investments, the timing might not always be right. If the market’s down, selling could mean realizing losses. So if there’s still a way to shift some of that financial risk to insurance, it might be worth considering—just to give yourself more flexibility and peace of mind.”
💬 Talking Angles - Disability / Caregiver Expenses
While this scenario is relevant for all clients, it is especially critical for single individuals. Without financial support from children or family members, they rely entirely on their own planning to manage care costs. Having the right instruments in place ensures they can maintain independence and dignity if illness or disability occurs.
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One of the most overlooked—but financially devastating—risks clients face is the additional expenses incurred due to illness or disability.
By showcasing the ongoing financial burden through recurring expense projections—especially during recovery years—consultants can introduce a larger disability coverage need in a way that feels grounded, not salesy.
Unlike hospital plans that only cover inpatient treatments and surgeries, the real financial pressure often comes from external expenses:
Caregiver support
Increased transportation costs for treatments
Daily living adjustments
These are rarely covered by medical plans, yet they accumulate quickly.
⚠️ The Hidden Gap in Traditional Policies
This is also where traditional term or whole life insurance policies fall short. Most term plans do not cover disability past age 70, and many whole life policies stop at around 65 to 70, unless upgraded to more modern structures.
Only in recent years have some insurers started offering true lifetime disability coverage—meaning clients relying on older plans may be left exposed just when the risk peaks.
Without an income replacement plan or lump-sum disability payout, clients may face massive out-of-pocket expenses during retirement years.
This not only makes the case for a larger disability planning (i.e Careshield case size) conversation but does so visually, backed by logic and numbers—not just persuasion.
For Disability/Caregiver Discussion - After some rapport - “Anyway—have you upgraded your CareShield Life coverage yet?”
Prospect: “Not yet” / “I’m not sure what that is.”
Proceed to share briefly on how it works,
Consultant: “There are two main options: one lets you lock in XXXX monthly payout without using any cash at all—it’s fully paid with your MediSave. The other involves a small top-up to secure a much higher monthly benefit, which actually works out to be more cost-effective in the long run. Let me explain why.”
“Because CareShield Life is a government initiative, the cost is actually kept very affordable. And with statistics showing that about 1 in 2 people over the age of 65 may face severe disability, planning ahead becomes really important—especially since hospital plans doesn’t cover the expenses and many life insurance policies typically don’t provide disability coverage past a certain age.”
Source - https://www.careshieldlife.gov.sg/long-term-care/planning-ahead.html
“Let me show you what the cost of caregiving could look like for someone in our age group when we're older...”
Consultant: “Right now, the cost of hiring a caregiver or staying in a care facility averages around $1,500 per month. On top of that, let’s add about $300 monthly for transportation expenses—that brings the total to around $1,800 per month.
Now let’s take a look at what this could add up to if we assume this need starts at age 70 and continues until age 85.”
Sample Profile used in example is 35 years of age
Consultant: “If we factor in inflation, the annual cost of care could go up to nearly $50,000 a year, and by the time you reach age 85, you could be looking at close to a million dollars in total expenses.”
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“With that in mind, you might want to consider locking in a $2,500/month payout, which would guarantee at least $30,000 a year if disability occurs. The cash portion you'd need to top up is around $XXX, which is quite reasonable when you weigh it against the potential risk against.”
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Optional (Should life insurance able to pay out for disability) - “Now, if your intention is to keep your life insurance for legacy purposes, it makes sense to plan separately for this kind of situation. That’s where CareShield Life Supplements come in.
We can look to lock in something like $2,500/month which would guarantee at least $30,000 a year in income if disability happens.”
“And to do that, the cash component for your age is around $XXX, which is actually quite reasonable when you consider the potential risk we’re protecting against.”
💬 Talking Angles - Shield Plan Expenses During Retirement (Very Applicable for Singles)
As awareness grows around the rising cost of Shield Plan premiums, it creates a timely opportunity to introduce an often-overlooked area of financial planning—preparing for Shield premium expenses during retirement.
More in Singapore expected to downgrade private health insurance policies as premiums rise - CNA
Consultants can begin by highlighting key updates or changes to individual company Shield policies, then naturally transition into a broader conversation using the following flow - Using a starting example of a $100/month rider for Government A Ward coverage,
Consultant: “So, what do you think Shield Plan rider expenses might look like during retirement? Any guess on the annual cost?”
Client: “Maybe $2,000 per year?”
Consultant: “Let’s take a look together. Right now, for a Government A Ward rider, it’s about $100 a month. If we apply just a 5% annual inflation rate—much lower than the actual medical inflation—you’ll see how this cost can grow over time. Here’s what your future medical premium expenses might look like…”
Sample profile used in this example is based on a 35-year-old individual. You may adjust the inflation rate to increase or decrease the projected expenses accordingly.
Consultant: “If we assume just a 5% inflation rate, the annual Shield Plan cost could rise to around $5,000—and that’s being conservative. By age 85, the total cost could add up to about $200,000.”
“Now, while $5,000 a year may not seem huge, it’s definitely not something most people want to keep paying for during retirement—especially when every dollar counts!” (laughs)
“Remember that ‘pot of gold’ I mentioned earlier? One strategy to manage this is to build a simple $150,000 portfolio by the time you retire. If structured properly, we can help you generate a conservative 4% dividend yield, giving you around $6,000 a year—enough to comfortably cover your Shield Plan premiums and still have that capital available for other retirement needs.”
You can use the projected planning calculator under the Retirement tab to key in the required data and illustrate the portfolio value targeted by retirement, based on your earlier discussion.
In the example above, a 35-year-old profile is used. For a proposed 25-year ILP plan, the monthly commitment would be approximately $150–$200.
Consultant: “The good news? At your age, with time on your side, this could be as simple as setting aside about $150–$200 a month to build that pot. Let me know if you have any questions or if you’d like to explore what this could look like based on your current situation.”
Depending on your client's profile and goals, you can tailor the conversation—positioning it as a core retirement strategy that also helps offset Shield Plan expenses, or as a medically focused retirement enhancement with a strong healthcare cost planning angle.
