HOW TO WRITE AN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

What is an Executive Summary?

An executive summary is a vital section in a business proposal or report, which is mostly situated at the beginning of that document. It contains the complete overview or ‘summary’ of all the contents stipulated in the previously written document.

Similarly, an executive summary can be defined as a brief or concise introduction and summary of a business plan. The aim of the executive summary is to provide the readers with a summarised description of a business, the problems which this business may face, solutions to these problems, as well as the target customers, financial goals and standing of the company.

An ideal business plan should contain all these objectives; this implies that, despite being the first part of the business plan, an executive summary should be drafted after the plan has been completed.

Why is an Executive Summary Important?

The executive summary of a business plan can be regarded as the ‘first impression’ of the business plan. This is so because it tells the reader(s) who are almost always investors, prospective sponsors or buyers for the company.

These people may not have the time or the patience to go through the business plan at once; most of them settle on the executive summary first in order to decide whether or not to go through the entire business plan.

Hence, the importance of a carefully drafted business plan can never be overemphasised. This is why it is important for writers to employ different methods of convincing readers during the entire executive writing process.

How to Properly Structure an Executive Summary.

An executive summary can either be short(a minimum of one paragraph) or long(that is, a maximum of four to five pages). Regardless of its length, the core aim of an executive summary is to provide a condensed version of the business plan or report. In other words, the executive summary contains a brief version of all the main points in a business plan.

Hence, a standard five-paragraph executive summary ought to be arranged or organised as follows;

Paragraph One: Give an in-depth and brief description of the business or company:

An ideal executive summary ought to start with a hook or a sentence that will attract and hold the interest of the readers till the end.

In this regard, the best way to create such hook is by providing the reader with an overview of the business, how the business or company works, the goods or services offered and supplied by the company, the gross amount of income or profits generated by the company yearly or annually, the goals and benefits attached to the company or business and so on.

This will prove to be most effective in a situation where the reader was or is actively searching for the products or benefits offered by the company or business.

Paragraph Two: Provide a description of the problem which the company or business wishes to eradicate and a solution to the proposed problem:

In the second paragraph of the summary, the writer ought to provide a detailed and brief version of the issue at hand and the reason why that particular issue needs to be resolved. For example, if the problem which the company or business wishes to solve is the inability of patrons in a particular area or geographical region, the summary also has to provide a reason why that particular issue needs to be solved by the company.

Deducing from the instance provided, it could be that the people in that particular area once patronised the business but are currently hindered by different issues, which can be resolved with a certain amount of money.

Paragraph Three: Provide an overview of the ways in which the company has tried to solve that particular problem.

After stating the problem and the plausible solutions to that problem, the next step will be to provide brief measures which has been taken by the company in the bid to eradicate or ameliorate that particular problem or issue. Similarly, this paragraph ought to also contain a reason why the measures provided have not led to the proper achievement of the company’s goals.

For instance, deducing from the previously stated example, after providing the problem and possible solution, the writer can go further to state that the company has tried to raise awareness of that particular issue and/or the company has served as an aid to different people in that particular region.

After that, the writer can provide the leaky areas revolving around the measures taken by the company and the ways in which such leakage can be sealed.

Paragraph Four: Provide benefits which may be gained from a proper solution to the problem.

In the previous paragraph, the summary may have provided ways in which the problem may be solved. This will almost always include a particular demand or indirect call to action from the reader. Hence, the next paragraph will provide the benefits which the reader and the company may enjoy.

However, since the aim of the entire report is to appeal to the interests of the reader, it will be better to dwell on the benefits which the reader alone may get from lending such aid.

Paragraph Five: State the ways in which the reader can help.

The last paragraph will be to provide the reader with ways in which he/she can help to solve the problem and partake in the proposed benefits. Oftentimes, the company may provide a variety of options and the level of demands attached to these options.

This way, the reader will be able to pick the option that suits his/her pockets and tastes. While writing the executive summary of a business plan, it is important to note that it is merely an introduction to the main contents of the plan. Hence, the reader needs to try to be as concise or brief as possible.

Similarly, the writer needs to make good use of unambiguous English; this way, the reader can understand the plan fully and decide whether or not he/she will be able to partner to invest in the company’s idea.

Conclusion 

Now that you know how to write an executive summary.  It is also important to note that an executive summary must have a purpose, problem, solution, value, conclusion, and clarity to aid easy understanding.

An executive summary is what will show that your business stands out. Making the executive summary as concise as possible is important for easy comprehension.