Guide To Writing & Presenting Epic Executive Summaries

Yes, writing an executive summary is boring. But, they are required for almost every type of business document. Most writers usually write executive summaries after the hard work on the inner draft. A mistake that makes the whole presentation go down the drain. So, here are a few secrets we found to create an epic executive summary.

What Are Executive Summary?

An executive summary is a preface of the business document that summarizes the whole report into a single, digestible piece of content.

An effective executive summary ‘summarizes’ the key points of a business report. It helps the reader form a baseline opinion about the topic, making them learn the crux of the presentation in a single go and decide in which section they want to dive deeper.

According to the University Of Arizona, executive summaries help:

• Highlight key points of the discussion
• Restate the purpose of the document
• Relay key findings to the users
• Offer a conclusion or recommendation

Examples Of Executive Summary

As a business report writer, your aim should be to create well-structured executive summaries that explain your reports in greater detail and offer relevant recommendations.

Here are some admirable examples of well-structured executive summary templates that you should know about.

Accenture: Gaming — Next Super Platform

Numbers play a crucial role in any business report. Why not add them where most people look the most? Accenture knows how to get attention and it has exactly done that with its executive summary. You can see quantifiable data clearly present in the report and an agenda summarizing it written in contrasting colors.

IBM: Cost of a Data Breach Report 2020

What is better for the executive summary of a research report detailing past year data than to start with its key findings. In the IBM report mentioned above, IBM clearly explains last year’s data in numbers while explaining the loss companies entailed due to data breaches. If someone wants to learn how to make summaries interesting, they should learn from IBM.

Deloitte Digital: Exploring the value of emotion-driven engagement

A report about engagement in digital mediums is of no use without examples. That’s where visuals come in. This Deloitte report is a mix of key data points and methodology. The core messaging of the report is intact. While the Executive summary is structured as a thought-leadership article, the discussion points are elaborated properly.

Format Of Executive Summary

The most common and easiest way to approach writing an executive summary is with an outline. It should include:

1. General introduction
2. Problem statement
3. Findings and key results
4. Important discussion if any
5. Recommendations or Conclusions

How Long Should Your Executive Summary Be?

There is a simple rule of thumb. The executive summary should not be more than one page. A page can have 250 to 300 words.

In the case of longer in-depth reports, the executive summaries can span over two pages. But remember, brevity is the key when it comes to writing executive summaries.

Three-Step Framework For Writing Executive Summaries

Your executive summary doesn’t need to have a tight format. Start with a basic outline that reads the whole report. Add your ideas and let the writing flow. Edit your summary in the second go.

Here are some important tips to write better executive summaries.

Problem Statement

What is the report all about? Your readers will want to know about the purpose of the report in the first few lines of the summary. So write the problem statement clearly.

Your problem statement should not be more than a paragraph long i.e 30 to 60 words. A basic outline will be:

• What is the purpose of the report?
• How is the report answering/proposing a solution to that problem?

2. Discuss Main Point

The next section of your executive summary will discuss your main point or ‘key findings’. If your report is about the rising rate of harassment cases in workplaces. Your main point will discuss quantifiable data like the number of occurrences, reported cases, and their impact.

To create the main point clear:

• Add bullet points for separate discussion points
• Add quantifiable data and mention it as an infographic separately
• Discuss the method used for research

3. List Recommendations Or Further Steps

The last few paragraphs or 100 to 150 words should focus on the recommendations of the executive summary. These may answer:

• What was the recommendation highlighted in the report?
• Are there any identified solutions?
• What are further steps for the readers?

What’s Next?

Once you are done writing your executive summary, send it over to a colleague or a friend for peer review. Ask them how much they learn about the report from the summary. Does it offer the complete crux? What improvements do they suggest to the summary?

Work on the summary accordingly by learning from the findings they share.

Prepare Executive Summary Presentation

In most cases, you will be asked to write a presentation based on the executive summary you prepared earlier. Learn a little about how to ace that.

How Does An Executive Summary Slide Look Like?

An executive summary slide usually involves a lot of visuals that people in the back rows can also see clearly. They don’t have a lot of words but numbers as that are only what interests your audience.

How To Write A Presentation For The Executive Summary?

Rest assured! You won’t need to write a brand new copy for your presentation. However, there are a few things you should note when you start filling in your desired executive presentation template.

Have A Consistent Tone

Your tone should remain consistent with the tone you used in your executive summary. Different tones can make people confused as they think both the summary and presentation are about two different topics.

Focus On The Story

Your stakeholders will have the time to read all the data, methods, and numbers within the report. During your presentation, you should bring them to the actual topic of discussion i.e. the main topic of the report. This will make them interested in the actual report as well.

Minimize Sentences To Bullets

Your sentences in the executive summary may look too long for the report. So, minimize them to bullet points only. No one likes too much text on a slide and no one will have the time to read them. Bullet points will make them a lot more comprehensible.

Don’t Overload Data

While it is recommended to have data in your presentation, don’t go all out with data galore. Having too much data will spoil the essence of your presentation and the report.

Moving Forward

Your executive summary or the presentation is the first thing your viewer would see. Make it worth it by using the tips we mentioned in this article.