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Executive Summary
An executive summary is a written section that plays a key part in many business documents. People want information in a quick and condensed manner. Managers are busy, pressed for time and aren’t generally free to read large amounts of material, and so the executive summary exists with the aim of presenting of a business idea in as concise a way as possible.
The executive summary is an aid to decision makers. Therefore, it needs to be written in a clear, readable and interesting fashion, with a minimum of technical terminology.
Even though the term summary implies a kind of 'summing up' at the end, the executive summary is normally used as the opening section of a document. However, it is usually prepared only after the main body of the document has been written.
The executive summary is, to a large degree, marketing oriented; only, instead of marketing the product or service at the root of the idea, it markets something broader and more strategic such as business potential, return on investment, feasibility, worthiness and vision. The task at hand is to be direct, to the point and convincing, and to do it in no more than two or three pages.
Below are a few examples of business documents that incorporate executive summaries.
While normally part of a larger item, the executive summary can also be a document in its own right. Sometimes it is required as a brief to receive preliminary feedback from consultants, investors and other professionals about a concept that has still not been fully formulated. The feedback received from the executive summary can constitute important input for developing the idea in the right direction and a valuable aid in writing a full business plan.
Executive summaries and business plans tend to be written at the stage where startups or established companies are seeking capital investment for the purpose of advancing their business idea.
The executive summary presents the main points of the business plan on two or three pages, something that requires identification of the most important points for the reader. The executive summary's paragraphs must present a convincing argument to the investor and lay the foundation towards raising the capital required. Its purpose is to convince the investor to read more of the business plan or to encourage him that there are good reasons to go ahead even without reading it all. Either way, the executive summary will have achieved its purpose of generating the necessary interest.
The executive summary appears in a variety of information documents that are not business plans, such as research publications, white papers or analyses. The summary in these cases takes on a more matter-of-fact and less marketing oriented tone and may include paragraphs such as test sample population and recommendations as opposed to the business plan executive summary which has a clear marketing role where the document is expected to openly 'sell' its idea.
Highwrite writes a range of business documents and presentations in English. For more information on executive summaries and business plans and on the writing of other English business materials, contact us now.
Even though the term summary implies a kind of 'summing up' at the end, the executive summary is normally used as the opening section of a document. However, it is usually prepared only after the main body of the document has been written.
Aims of the Executive Summary
The executive summary is, to a large degree, marketing oriented; only, instead of marketing the product or service at the root of the idea, it markets something broader and more strategic such as business potential, return on investment, feasibility, worthiness and vision. The task at hand is to be direct, to the point and convincing, and to do it in no more than two or three pages.
Below are a few examples of business documents that incorporate executive summaries.
- Business plans
- Project plans and system definitions
- Proposals
- Articles and research results
'Stand-Alone' Executive Summaries
While normally part of a larger item, the executive summary can also be a document in its own right. Sometimes it is required as a brief to receive preliminary feedback from consultants, investors and other professionals about a concept that has still not been fully formulated. The feedback received from the executive summary can constitute important input for developing the idea in the right direction and a valuable aid in writing a full business plan.
Executive Summaries for Business Plans
Executive summaries and business plans tend to be written at the stage where startups or established companies are seeking capital investment for the purpose of advancing their business idea.
The executive summary presents the main points of the business plan on two or three pages, something that requires identification of the most important points for the reader. The executive summary's paragraphs must present a convincing argument to the investor and lay the foundation towards raising the capital required. Its purpose is to convince the investor to read more of the business plan or to encourage him that there are good reasons to go ahead even without reading it all. Either way, the executive summary will have achieved its purpose of generating the necessary interest.
The Executive Summary in a Project Proposal or Research Publication
The executive summary appears in a variety of information documents that are not business plans, such as research publications, white papers or analyses. The summary in these cases takes on a more matter-of-fact and less marketing oriented tone and may include paragraphs such as test sample population and recommendations as opposed to the business plan executive summary which has a clear marketing role where the document is expected to openly 'sell' its idea.
Highwrite writes a range of business documents and presentations in English. For more information on executive summaries and business plans and on the writing of other English business materials, contact us now.
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