How to Write an Executive Summary Successfully

As the owner of a small business or startup, you might have to prepare several types of documents. Some company documents, like business plans, can be dozens to hundreds of pages long. Business leaders and investors simply don’t have the time to read that many pages.

Some documents require a brief overview that encapsulates the information contained in them. That’s where an executive summary comes in. A great executive summary will touch on all the core points of your business document while putting your company’s best foot forward.

An executive summary is a crucial tool for setting the tone of the rest of your business document. It lets your audience know what to expect. Your summary functions as both a preview and an advertisement of your document.

This guide will help you write an effective executive summary that will show your audience who your business is, what it does, and why they should get behind it.

What is an executive summary?

An executive summary is a brief outline or overview of a larger document. You can use it for business plans, marketing plans, and other full reports. They’re persuasive and are often presented to decision-makers, like CEOs or investors, to get them to fund a business or support a project.

You’ll find the executive summary at the beginning of the entire document. Time is money, and business leaders don’t have time to read every document in its entirety. The executive summary lets them preview the core aspects quickly. If their interest is piqued, they can read on. Some summaries even use bullet points. A bulleted list helps readers skim the information and subheadings faster.

Some angel investors and venture capitalists make it a rule not to read an entire report. Instead, they only read the executive summary. That’s why a great summary should explain your business and convince readers of its value and potential.

Common reasons to write an executive summary

• You’re writing a proposal. Quickly explain what problems are facing a company and how your proposal will solve them.
• You’re presenting research. Introduce the key points, key findings, or trends in your data.
• You’re fundraising. Briefly show investors the benefit of funding your business or community service project.
• You’re writing a performance report. Present the broad strokes of a company’s or an individual’s performance metrics.

7 tips to consider when writing an executive summary

It’s important to keep several things in mind when writing the executive summary of a longer document. While you want to make sure you give your audience enough context to understand your business, you don’t want to bore them with too many details. The shorter your summary, the better.

Try to keep it under two pages in length. If you can explain everything in one page, that’s even better. Remember that the whole idea is to make it an easy and quick read for decision-makers..

Here’s a list of things you may want to include in your executive summary. The order in which you include these can vary. For instance, if you’re writing a summary for a business plan, you’ll want to include the most impressive facts about your product first. You might even try finding a template online that can help you get all the important information in your summary.

• Your company’s general information (name, location, owners)
• Research information trends
• Your business’s history (any past sales or evidence of future success)
• A mission statement
• Your project or solution and what problem it solves (for project proposals)
• How your product fits into the target market and what competition you’ll face (for business plans)
• An inventory of what you need to be successful (additional funding, workers, or materials)
• A call to action (request for support, money, or anything else)
  

In the next few sections, we’ll list some keys that can help you write a clear, short,  and persuasive executive summary, no matter what business document you’re creating.

If you’re not a professional writer, putting together business documents and executive summaries can be a bit complicated. Upwork can help you find skilled independent writers who can help strike the right tone.

1. Write it after the rest of the document

Writing your executive summary will be much easier after completing the rest of your document. When you’ve taken the time to research and organize your content, it’s much simpler to create an outline for it. How can you summarize material that you haven’t created yet?

If you try to put together your executive summary first, it will take longer, and you might have to alter it as you complete new research for your document. Save yourself a headache and write your summary last.

2. Start with a compelling introduction

While your executive summary serves as an outline for the rest of your presentation, it should also aim to persuade your audience to take action. But before you can get your reader moving, you’ll have to get your reader’s attention. That’s why it’s important to start your summary with a compelling introduction.

You might start with an industry tidbit or story. The important thing is that your introduction needs to be interesting to your particular audience, and different audiences find different things appealing.

3. Tailor your tone to your target audience

While your tone should always be professional and polite, it also needs to account for your target audience’s backgrounds and needs. Adjust the tone of your executive summary so that it’s just right for your readers.

For example, if you’re presenting research to medical experts, you’ll likely use industry-specific terms to build credibility. However, if you’re presenting a business plan to venture capitalists, you’ll want to use simple language to avoid anything being misunderstood.  

4. Cite specific benefits to avoid vague cliches

Always cite the specific benefits of your product or project and let those benefits speak for themselves. For example, if you’re writing a business plan, don’t compare your company to other businesses or make claims like, “We sell the highest-quality lawn mowers in the world.”

These types of comparisons and statements can’t typically be proven, and they’ll give the wrong impression about your business. Let your audience make their own judgments about your project or service. Compliments will mean much more coming from them anyway. All you need to do is present the problem your product solves and how it manages to do so.  ‍

5. Set expectations for the rest of the document

The point of your executive summary is to get your readers excited about the rest of your document. However, many management teams won’t even read past the outline. That’s why an effective summary should show its audience what to expect from the rest of a document while also being a strong stand-alone document.

Briefly go over all the important points of your business without going into too much depth. You can use the rest of your business document to explain any particulars.

6. Emphasize solutions and positive potential

Remember that your executive summary is supposed to promote your company. Include everything that’s going to paint your business in a positive light. If you’re writing a summary of your business plan, you want to focus on the business’s potential to make money. If you’re writing a proposal, you want to focus on your project’s solutions.

In the rest of the document, you’ll have space to bring up any risks or hurdles you may face in your operations. While the executive summary should be honest, it should also make your company look good.

7. Request trusted feedback and edit rigorously

Some audiences won’t read past your executive summary, so it needs to be perfect. You should proofread it multiple times for clarity, wording, and organization.

Any errors in your summary can make you look unprofessional. If you’re not an expert writer, it might be wise to have an experienced writer or editor take a look at your work. They can also make sure your summary flows and is organized in a way that makes it easy to understand.

Hire top independent writers to summarize your next project

An executive summary is an important part of a business document. It summarizes all the main points you wish to present to your audience. Sometimes, your audience will read your executive summary to see if they want to read the rest of your business document, but other times, they’ll only read the summary.

Your executive summary is vital in getting your project or product funded or supported. It has to be quality. With a great executive summary, you’ll have a much better chance of being successful in your business.

If you’re having trouble summarizing your next project, Upwork can help you find the best independent writers who can handle executive summaries or other top talent who can contribute to creating key reports.