What do executive summaries include

People who read only the executive summary should get the essence of the document without fine details. The executive summary of your 4-page, page, or page report is the version you would relate to the VP of your division while taking the elevator to the 30th floor or walking to the parking lot with him or her.

The abundance of books, as well as various professional speakers, training course and seminars agree that the standard length should generally be somewhere between five and ten percent of the length of the original report. When putting together an executive summary, you need to be keenly aware of your audience and understand who it is that you are addressing.

The language you will use for a group of financiers will differ significantly from when writing for a group of computer programmers or engineers. This does not only relate to which words you use but also affects the content and depth of explanation. Keep in mind that this is a summary, and people will read it in order to easily and quickly grasp the main points.

How can I possibly summarize a page report in a second summary? It can be challenging! But people do it all the time. Here is a word executive summary of an internal audit report written for company executives :. Scope and objective: Internal Audit performed a review of business activities at the Blue River Plant to determine the level of compliance with established policies and procedures.

Findings and recommendations: The audit identified two areas that require improvement: 1 the level of documentation for inventory adjustments, cycle counts, and credit memos; and 2 the use of existing forms and reports that support business processes.

The report contains two high-priority and three medium-priority recommendations. See Table 1, page 2. Management response: Management accepted the findings and has developed action plans to implement the recommendations.

Internal Audit will track the implementations. Getting started is hard enough. How can I write a summary before I begin? Even though it appears at the beginning of the document, the executive summary is normally written last, when you are certain about the contents of the document. Repeating the content of the executive summary almost verbatim near the beginning of the report.

Repetition loses readers. Providing too much background in the summary. Background belongs in a background section or an introduction—not in the summary. Using different terms in the executive summary from those in the report. If the summary mentions findings, the report should include findings—not observations. If the summary cites results, the report should describe results—not outcomes.

Having a mismatch in content. Whatever the executive summary highlights must be included in the report. Likewise, the report should not contain major points that did not appear in the summary. Repeating the executive summary almost verbatim in the conclusion.

If a report contains a conclusion, it should be a wrap-up that drives home the main points—not an executive summary that highlights them. Here is a fictional, one-page summary of a report on the participation in the newly-implemented recycling program by the city of Bloomington, IN:.

Read full report here. Lynn Syntax Training. If you are lucky enough to be writing mainly for one executive, know your executive and what they want to see. Have someone who cares a lot less than you write the summary — one thing I see hurting summaries is having people including me! A little distance can give a lot of perspective.

The executive summary is not the table of contents but you still might put the page number next to each of your main points. A CEO might want to go directly to the recommendations, for example.

I advise people to put what matters most into their executive summaries. Writers should highlight only the most interesting, startling, unique or important points in the paper. Identify the top three findings and hit them hard in the executive summary. This way, the writer most likely will compel the reader to read on. I agree that important points belong in the executive summary. I can think of situations, though, where interesting, startling, or unique points might pull the summary in an unusual direction.

I like your closing sentence. We definitely want the reader to get the major points from our executive summary. Hi Lynn, thanks for the article. I would evaluate an executive summary the same way I would evaluate any type of business writing. For example, I would ask:. The one topic that I have read consistently on various websites, is that the Executive Summary should never contain numbers or figures for the desired budget.

What I read is that the CEO or potential investor sees that number and it sticks in their minds throughout the presentation; sometimes a decision has already been formed before the presentation has been completed, based on the dollar figure, and not on the positive qualities and potentials of what is being proposed.

Hope this helps. Please review the common mistakes in my article above. They include a couple of examples of things that do not belong in executive summaries. That means the executive summary is an essential gateway for your business plan to get read. Think about it this way: If you had an endless list of things to do, and someone handed you an page document and said, "Read this!

According to Bonjour, investors will read the executive summary to decide if they will even bother reading the rest of the business plan. It's rare for an investor or lender to read an entire business plan, at least in the initial stages of analysis and consideration for funding, so having a strong executive summary is key. When you're writing your business plan, your goal is to get your foot in the door and face time with the investor.

Just as a movie might begin with a fight scene or a magazine article open with a funny anecdote, you'll need a strong hook for your executive summary. One way to think about it, says Hirai, is that your executive summary needs an executive summary. The first paragraph needs to compel the reader to read the rest of the summary.

Perhaps you have a compelling aha! If you've identified a problem in the marketplace that isn't being adequately serviced, you might start with that. There is no set structure for an executive summary, but there are guidelines you must follow to ensure your business plan or investment proposal gets the attention it deserves. First, think about your core strengths. Use bullet points to present your ideas, and make sure you always use concise language.

Ask yourself what's unique and exciting about your company. After you've explained what your company does, it's time to sell why you believe you're uniquely qualified to succeed. Depending on your audience, you can also try a more rigid approach to the executive summary. After the first paragraph, Bonjour says one effective structure is to summarize each section in the same order in which the items are presented within the full business plan. To make the structure as relevant as possible for the reader, typically an investor or a lender, he suggests considering these categories:.

The Why Now category is one of the most important questions to answer, because it makes your executive summary timely. The last thing you want is to leave the reader feeling like there's plenty of time to act.

Chances are, if there isn't any urgency to your executive summary, your business plan won't get read. After describing the elements above, the executive summary should also have a brief financial summary. For your financials, Bonjour suggests including the valuation of the deal, so that the reader knows right away what the risks are, and what the returns can be.

This depends on who your readers are. Do your research. You should condense your summary as much as possible, with the goal of getting all of the vital information onto one page.

The more succinct you are, the clearer your message will be, and the more confidence your readers will have in your plan. Your executive summary should focus only on the positive elements of your research and business plan. Leave the discussion of risks, obstacles, and challenges for the body section of your plan.

Keep a positive tone and use upbeat language in your summary. This first paragraph is also where you should provide the name and nature of your business, and relevant insights about your industry. Your second paragraph should include a clear and concise definition of your target market, and the need or pain point that your business will aim to solve. Next, outline the competitive landscape of your industry, and the advantage that your particular business possesses. Your marketing strategy should hinge on the three primary ways that you plan on reaching your target market.

Focusing on just the three strongest points of your marketing strategy will maintain precision, and get your readers excited to explore the rest of your plan. The third paragraph of your executive summary should provide operational highlights such as where your company offices will be located, whether or not you will incorporate or remain a sole proprietor, or whether you will serve as a brick and mortar or online business.

Here you should make sales forecasting projections for one and two years after your business plan has been implemented. Calculate your break even point, and inform your audience of when you project to turn a profit.

If your business requires financing, this is where you should go into detail about the investment needs of your business. The number you include here should be clear, and should align with your projections from the previous paragraph. You should now have the tools and knowledge to draft an effective executive summary to back up your online survey findings. Hopefully, this article has alleviated some of the overwhelming feelings that come with getting the ball rolling.

We use cookies to track how our visitors are browsing and engaging with our website in order to understand and improve the user experience. Review our Privacy Policy to learn more. What is an Executive Summary? As such, an executive summary quickly becomes the most important element of any business plan.