An executive summary needs to be clear and concise (usually one to two pages long); the main points should be presented in a formal tone.
The purpose of this is to pique the curiosity of the reader by giving facts from the content. The Executive Summary may be either part of a business document or lengthy articles and records related to research-driven communities.
When correctly crafted, the Executive Summary gives an overview of the larger document’s information and objectives. It stands alone from the papers and should include the essential information, guidelines, conclusions, and conclusion.
The Benefits of a Well Written Executive Summary
A well-planned, well-written summary is a valuable because it prioritizes the time of the reader; besides, it reduces the effort needed to learn the critical aspects of the content.
Further, the summary can communicate the objective of your business plan, project proposal, presentation of product launch; or sales pitch to keep the reader engaged and further reading, or empowered to act.
Even if it’s the only thing, a robust executive summary creates value for the reader as a first impression. Use the Executive Summary to make a business case, to support a position, or to tell a story.
After reading the Executive Summary, the reader should know how the subject of your content affects them; they should know how it affect their work, company and projects.
Several industries use executive summaries as a communication tool; the most common of them are healthcare, education, government, law, the non-profit sector, and more. One of the advantages of using the Executive Summary is that it is not exclusive to one type of communication.
Executive summaries appear in a variety of cases:
- Business plans
- College campus surveys
- Environmental studies
- Hospital planning and evaluation
- Legal briefs
- Market research reports
- Product launch plans
- Project proposals
How to Write an Executive Summary
Creating a useful summary requires more than cutting and pasting information out of the body of your report or proposal. This may be the only part of the report that your target audience reads; so you should spend time to make it valuable.
It doesn’t have to be an intimidating process, but before you start writing, you should ask the following critical questions:
- Who depends on the information? When you write it, decide who you are targeting and what essential information the audience needs. What do they need to know about making a decision? What would they know? Do you have a specific customer that you would like to reach with your message or story? Writing an executive summary with that audience will make your story about business, project, or proposal worth.
- What is the objective of this? The essential information from the body of content, it summarizes, that is its function, not its purpose. Write a summary to your intended audience and include the crucial information that supports your objective of creating a document. What do you need to understand from the reader? Is it meant to recommend change based on the results of your research? What needs to happen if a project plan is to succeed based on your proposal? Allow your objectives to determine the content and context of your summary.
- What do you recommend? Use it to draw conclusions and to make recommendations to the reader. If your report indicates the need for change, recommend the actions that the body of your document supports in summary. State the benefits of your product or service or the solutions that you provide in more detail in the proposal. At the end of the day, don’t let the reader find what action they need to take; make your recommendations clear in the Executive Summary.
- How are you going to make an impression? The “executive” summary has earned its name from the need to get the upper management’s attention. Executives had no time to read every word of every document. The summary had to make an impression because it might be the only part of the material to be read. Irrespective of its origins, the principle of using the summary to make an impression on the reader is sound; these impression encourage readers to continue reading or to take action.
Consider how you shape the message, organize the sections and present your research to stand out in a short space.
This blog was written by Linda Rawson, who is the founder of DynaGrace Enterprises (dynagrace.com) and the inventor of WeatherEgg (weatheregg.com). She, along with her daughter, Jennifer Remund make up the mother-daughter duo of 2BizChicks (2Bizchicks.com). For further information, please connect with Linda on LinkedIn, or contact her at (800) 676-0058 ext 101.
Please reach out to us at GovCon-Biz should you have any questions.
