January 29, 2025
In project management, an executive summary is written to give stakeholders or decision-makers a quick overview of the main points. That's why keeping it clear, effective, and informative is essential for better decisions. So, writing an executive summary is not just a choice; it's necessary in the corporate sector. It's a short section at the start of a longer document, like a business proposal or report.
However, many professionals struggle to write it, as it requires strong summarization skills. If you are also one of them, you will learn effective strategies for summarizing long business documents here. Also, we will walk you through a real example of a perfectly written executive summary for your better understanding.
Here are some simple yet efficient practices to create an understandable and effective executive summary:
Summarizing a longer business document effectively is not possible unless you go through it deeply. This step helps you understand what the reference content says so you can explain it concisely & clearly. Therefore, before you begin writing, read the original document carefully.
Look at the goals, problems, and any big findings. Take notes on the key parts that matter most. You can also highlight the details that need to be skipped in the summary.
A business document usually contains structured information. The decision-makers might be confused if you change the order in your summary. So, it's better to create a proper outline first. This helps you stay organized and saves you from unnecessary brainstorming during writing.
When structuring an executive summary, start with the purpose and then list the main problem, the key findings, and your final message. Moreover, you can also write the points you want to cover under each section. This ensures that you know what to include and where to put it.
Once you have outlined your summary, start with a strong opening. However, keep it solely focused on the purpose of summarizing a document. For instance, it could be to solve a problem, share research, propose a plan, suggest a change, or present a project proposal.
Whatever it is, make it clear in the starting paragraph and keep it short. It could be three to four lines. A clear and purposeful introduction helps readers understand what they're reading and why it matters.
After stating the purpose of your summary, you need to summarize all the key points you noted in the body section. This is where you tell the stakeholders about the main problem and how it affects things. And remember, you don't need to state long background stories here.
Instead, look at the respective part from the reference file you want to summarize and write its core message. If a section feels too wordy or complex, you can get help from Paraphraser.io’s summarizing tool to get its main points instantly. This way, you don't waste your energy on manual summarization, which could be unbearable for a busy professional. Also, if you’re an entrepreneur looking for more productivity boosters, check out these online tools every entrepreneur should know about to simplify your business operations.
The last part of your executive summary should leave a good final thought. So, please don't end it generically with no call to action or meaningful conclusion. Instead, wrap up your key findings and recommendations based on the knowledge you consumed from the reference document.
For example, clearly state what action is needed if the summary is for a business plan. Similarly, if it's a project report, recommend the next move, like continuing the work or solving a specific problem. Simply, say directly what you want the reader to do after reading.
Business Name: GreenLeaf Supplies
Report Title: Growth and Operations Improvement Plan
Date: June 3, 2025
This report shares our plan to improve service and grow our eco-friendly packaging business. The goal is to fix delivery delays, meet higher demand, and help more businesses choose green packaging.
Over the past 4 months, customer complaints have gone up by 27%, mostly due to late deliveries and stock shortages. We are handling 20% more orders than this time last year, but our current systems haven't scaled to match.
It is recommended that a three-month pilot program with two new suppliers and one delivery partner be started. The order system needs to be updated. The changes will be applied to all locations if the results are strong.
After reading this guide, we hope that you have understood how a perfect executive summary looks and how to write it. So from now on, summarizing long business documents doesn't need to be a problem for you. Instead, you must apply the suggestions as mentioned above to condense information effectively. With regular practice and these tips, you can improve your executive summary writing skills with time.
