How to Write an Executive Summary

An executive summary is that part of a business report which usually people read and so it is placed at the beginning of the actual document. It is a summary of the original document and is written to entice the readers to read the whole document.

Usually top-level executives and professionals do not have time to read the whole document and so they read only the executive summary that would give the gist of the rest of the text. If they find it beneficial, they will read or ask someone else to read the rest of the document. If the actual document has lot of technical information, then a person with a non-technical background may not be able to understand it. Executive document is also written for such people, so that they understand the main purpose of the actual document. People go through the executive summary, so that they can understand the main document easily. However, writing an executive summary is not just about taking out the main sentences from the text and clubbing them together. The summary should be clear, concise and compact. One should take out only the main ideas and create a new document that is easy to read.

As an executive summary is such a crucial document, the person writing it should take utmost care while creating one. After a person completes writing a report or plan, he or she must re-read it to jot down important points and ideas. One must remember that an executive summary should only be 1/10th of the whole document. One should start with a statement that is compelling and attracts the reader to read more. The person has to make the main document not only shorter but also simpler for the reader. One can maintain the structure of the original document, like introduction, main body and conclusion.

The main purpose of an executive summary is to give an overview of the original document, so that the reader can read it quickly. One should only include the important information in a concise manner. The document should not have any generalized statements and whatever one writes should be direct and precise. However, one should avoid unnecessary details, and even, technical terms. If a person is talking about a particular problem in the main report, he or she must give out his or her recommendations and opinions in the conclusion.

Along with the content, the language used also matters, while writing an executive summary. One must use simple language and also simple sentences, but it should be strong and effective.

After one writes an executive summary, proofread it well. Check whether there is consistency in one's writing and whether one has covered the main points of the entire document. One can also ask a person who has no knowledge about the subject to read the summary, to know whether he or she understands it. According to their feedback, you can make significant changes to make it more efficient. An executive summary should be a reader-friendly document that does not contain the difficulties and complexities of the original report.