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How to write an effective executive summary like a mckinsey or bcg consultant.

Table of contents

Key components of an effective executive summary, an in-depth look at each component of the executive summary (with examples), some practical tips and tricks, the bottom line.

Management consultants at firms like McKinsey, BCG, and Bain are renowned for their ability to present complex ideas in a clear, concise manner that is easy to digest and understand. A key component of this process is the executive summary slide – often presented as the first part of a presentation deck on a given topic or problem. 

An executive summary aims to provide the audience with an overview of the subject at hand or a snapshot of the key points that will be discussed in greater depth. It should serve to quickly get the main messages and conclusions across and motivate audiences to dive deeper into the details.

In this post, we will outline the essential components of an effective executive summary using techniques from McKinsey, BCG, and Bain. We will also provide tips on how to craft a compelling executive summary in practice and give examples of best practices.

For a broader view on how to create consultant-style presentations take a look at our blog post 'How McKinsey Consultants Make PowerPoint Presentations' .

A good executive summary provides all the key information in one slide. The goal is to communicate as much information in as few words as possible.

To achieve this goal, you should focus on the following key components when crafting an executive summary slide: 

• [optional] Objective: Clearly state the purpose and objective of the presentation.
• Situation: Provide relevant background information to set the context for the problem or opportunity being addressed.
• Complication: Define the complication (problem or opportunity) the presentation addresses in simple, to-the-point sentences. This includes identifying the root cause of the problem or opportunity and its implications for the organization.
• Resolution: Present the recommended solution or solutions to the complication in a clear and concise manner. This should be based on data-driven insights and analysis.
• [optional] Benefits: Articulate the benefits of implementing the recommended solution. These benefits should be linked to the organization's strategic objectives.
• Call to Action: Provide a clear call to action outlining what the organization needs to do to implement the recommended solution. This should be actionable and linked to the organization's strategic objectives.

This structure is similar to the SCQA (situation-complication-question-answer) framework.

Craft effective executive summaries for your consulting presentations .

Let's take a closer look at each component of the executive summary and how it can be used to craft an effective executive summary deck using the McKinsey/BCG/Bain methodology.

1. Objective

The objective of the executive summary should succinctly define the purpose of the presentation and why it is important for the audience to understand the key points.

To craft an effective objective, you should consider the following: 

• Who is the target audience?
• What are the key points that the audience needs to understand?
• What is the purpose of the presentation?
• Why is it important for the audience to understand the key points?

An effective objective should be brief, clear, and focused on the needs of the audience. It should be written to clearly communicate what the presentation will cover and why it matters.

 Example: "This presentation will provide an overview of the current state of the industry and highlight key trends and opportunities for growth."

2. Situation

The background or situation section of the executive summary provides relevant context to the audience to help them better understand the problem or opportunity being addressed. 

This section should include:

• Relevant background information on the industry, market, or organization.
• Any key trends or developments that are important to the problem or opportunity being addressed.
• Any relevant historical information that helps to explain the current situation.

Some questions to ask when crafting the background section include:

• What is the context for the problem or opportunity being addressed?
• What are the key factors that have led to the current situation?
• What are the relevant historical or industry-specific factors that are important to understanding the problem or opportunity?

An effective background section should be concise and focused on the most important information. It should provide enough context for the audience to understand the problem or situation being addressed without overwhelming them with unnecessary information.

Here are some examples from McKinsey and BCG:

3. Complication

The complication section of the executive summary clearly and concisely defines the reason the situation requires action, either because there is a serious problem or there is a good opportunity. This includes identifying the root cause of the problem or opportunity and its implications for the organization.

• What is the problem or opportunity that the presentation is addressing?
• What are the root causes of the problem or opportunity?
• What are the implications of the problem or opportunity for the organization?

 An effective complication section should be short and to-the-point, focusing on the most important aspects of the problem or opportunity. The root cause of the complication should be clearly identified, along with the most relevant data or evidence that supports this analysis. In addition, the implications of the problem or opportunity for the organization should be clearly articulated, highlighting why it is important for the audience to understand the problem/opportunity and its impact and why it requires action.

Enhance your proposal writing with our Consulting Proposal template , or explore our collection of 10 Real Consulting Proposals .

4. Resolution

The resolution section of the executive summary presents the proposed solution or strategy for addressing the complication. This should include a brief overview of the approach and any relevant supporting information or evidence.

• What is the proposed approach for addressing the problem or opportunity?
• What are the key elements of the strategy?
• What are the expected benefits or outcomes of the approach?
• What evidence is there to support the proposed solution or strategy?

An effective resolution section should provide enough detail for the audience to understand what is being proposed and why without overwhelming them with unnecessary detail. The proposed approach and any relevant supporting information or evidence should be clearly outlined. In addition, the expected benefits or outcomes of the approach should be highlighted, as this helps to emphasize why it is important for the audience to understand and support the proposed solution.

5. Benefits

The benefits section of the executive summary presents a brief overview of any expected benefits or outcomes from implementing the proposed solution. This section is optional, and sometimes included as a bullet point under the resolution section.

• What are the primary benefits or outcomes of implementing the proposed solution?
• What are the secondary benefits or outcomes?
• How will these benefits impact the organization and its stakeholders?

An effective benefits section should provide a clear and concise overview of any expected benefits or outcomes from implementing the proposed solution. The primary benefits should be highlighted, as well as any secondary benefits that are relevant to the audience. Emphasis should be on quantifiable benefits.

In addition, the impact of these benefits on the organization and its stakeholders should be emphasized, highlighting why it is important for the audience to understand and support the proposed solution. 

Example: "The proposed approach will generate an incremental $10 million in revenue, reduce costs by 5%, and increase customer satisfaction by 10%. This will help to improve profitability, create new growth opportunities, and strengthen our competitive position in the sector."

6. Call to Action

The call to action section of the executive summary presents a brief overview of key proposed actions or decisions that need to be taken by the audience in order to implement the proposed solution. This section is also sometimes a bullet point under the resolution section.

• What are the proposed actions or decisions that need to be taken?
• Who needs to take these actions or make these decisions?
• What is the timeline for implementing the proposed solution?

An effective call to action/recommendation section should provide a clear and concise overview of any proposed actions or decisions that need to be taken by the audience. The proposed actions or decisions and who needs to take these actions or make these decisions should be clearly outlined. 

In addition, the timeline for implementing the proposed solution should be highlighted, ensuring that the audience understands when and how these actions or decisions need to be taken.

Apply these summary techniques in your Business Strategy template .

• Consultants typically communicate in a 'top down' or pyramid fashion, starting with the conclusion and then providing the supporting information.
• Write the most important takeaway of each section as the bolded text and follow with numbers and other supporting facts as bullet points.
• Read through the bolded text and see if the story makes sense.  
• Spend the majority of the executive summary focusing on the solution/recommendation, rather than the situation and supporting analysis.
• The executive summary is not a play-by-play summary of a project. Instead, it is a decision document for your audience to understand the proposed solutions they have to decide on, and just enough information to set the solution in context and grasp the expected outcomes.
• Read through your executive summary and remove anything that is not directly relevant to deciding/agreeing with your proposed solution.  
• Try to keep the executive summary as a single slide (sometimes two).
• Eliminate unnecessary words and sentences, and make sure that each sentence adds value to the overall message.

Creating executive summary slides like a McKinsey consultant can have a significant impact on the success of your communication and decision-making efforts. Although it seems simple and many people treat the executive summary like an after-thought, it should in fact be one of the slides you spend the most time on in any presentation.

A well-crafted executive summary helps you structure your entire presentation by making you focus on the solution you are proposing and only keeping in analyses and arguments that help explain the why, what, and how of that solution.

By following the essential components and strategies outlined above you can create a clear, concise, and compelling executive summary that effectively communicates complex ideas and drives action. 

Cheat sheet

What is an executive summary exactly?

A short summary of the key messages and conclusions in a longer presentation, focused on actionable solutions or recommendations. In McKinsey and BCG consulting presentations the executive summary is typically one or two slides, but sometimes executive summary can also refer to a short deck.

What does an executive summary include and how do I write one?

See our 'How to' guide in this post.

Does an executive summary come before or after the table of contents? 

Typically before the table of contents, as the first (or one of the first) slides after a title page.

Is there a good executive summary slide example?

Yes, you can download some examples from McKinsey and BCG here . You can also see full presentations from BCG and McKinsey here and here .

Or take a look at our full Business Strategy template or our Business Case template for real-life client examples.

Should I include visuals? 

Generally McKinsey and BCG executive summaries do not include visuals, except perhaps icons to make the summary more visually appealing.

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• How to write an executive summary, with ...

How to write an executive summary, with examples

The best way to do that is with an executive summary. If you’ve never written an executive summary, this article has all you need to know to plan, write, and share them with your team.

What is an executive summary?

An executive summary is an overview of a document. The length and scope of your executive summary will differ depending on the document it’s summarizing, but in general an executive summary can be anywhere from one to two pages long. In the document, you’ll want to share all of the information your readers and important stakeholders need to know.

Imagine it this way: if your high-level stakeholders were to only read your executive summary, would they have all of the information they need to succeed? If so, your summary has done its job.

You’ll often find executive summaries of:

Business cases

Project proposals

Research documents

Environmental studies

Market surveys

Project plans

In general, there are four parts to any executive summary:

Start with the problem or need the document is solving.

Outline the recommended solution.

Explain the solution’s value.

Wrap up with a conclusion about the importance of the work.

What is an executive summary in project management?

In project management, an executive summary is a way to bring clarity to cross-functional collaborators, team leadership, and project stakeholders . Think of it like a project’s “ elevator pitch ” for team members who don’t have the time or the need to dive into all of the project’s details.

The main difference between an executive summary in project management and a more traditional executive summary in a business plan is that the former should be created at the beginning of your project—whereas the latter should be created after you’ve written your business plan. For example, to write an executive summary of an environmental study, you would compile a report on the results and findings once your study was over. But for an executive summary in project management, you want to cover what the project is aiming to achieve and why those goals matter.

The same four parts apply to an executive summary in project management:

Start with the problem or need the project is solving.  Why is this project happening? What insight, customer feedback, product plan, or other need caused it to come to life?

Outline the recommended solution, or the project’s objectives.  How is the project going to solve the problem you established in the first part? What are the project goals and objectives?

Explain the solution’s value.  Once you’ve finished your project, what will happen? How will this improve and solve the problem you established in the first part?

Wrap up with a conclusion about the importance of the work.  This is another opportunity to reiterate why the problem is important, and why the project matters. It can also be helpful to reference your audience and how your solution will solve their problem. Finally, include any relevant next steps.

If you’ve never written an executive summary before, you might be curious about where it fits into other project management elements. Here’s how executive summaries stack up:

Executive summary vs. project plan

A  project plan  is a blueprint of the key elements your project will accomplish in order to hit your project goals and objectives. Project plans will include your goals, success metrics, stakeholders and roles, budget, milestones and deliverables, timeline and schedule, and communication plan .

An executive summary is a summary of the most important information in your project plan. Think of the absolutely crucial things your management team needs to know when they land in your project, before they even have a chance to look at the project plan—that’s your executive summary.

Executive summary vs. project overview

Project overviews and executive summaries often have similar elements—they both contain a summary of important project information. However, your project overview should be directly attached to your project. There should be a direct line of sight between your project and your project overview.

While you can include your executive summary in your project depending on what type of  project management tool  you use, it may also be a stand-alone document.

Executive summary vs. project objectives

Your executive summary should contain and expand upon your  project objectives  in the second part ( Outline the recommended solution, or the project’s objectives ). In addition to including your project objectives, your executive summary should also include why achieving your project objectives will add value, as well as provide details about how you’re going to get there.

The benefits of an executive summary

You may be asking: why should I write an executive summary for my project? Isn’t the project plan enough?

Well, like we mentioned earlier, not everyone has the time or need to dive into your project and see, from a glance, what the goals are and why they matter.  Work management tools  like Asana help you capture a lot of crucial information about a project, so you and your team have clarity on who’s doing what by when. Your executive summary is designed less for team members who are actively working on the project and more for stakeholders outside of the project who want quick insight and answers about why your project matters.

An effective executive summary gives stakeholders a big-picture view of the entire project and its important points—without requiring them to dive into all the details. Then, if they want more information, they can access the project plan or navigate through tasks in your work management tool.

How to write a great executive summary, with examples

Every executive summary has four parts. In order to write a great executive summary, follow this template. Then once you’ve written your executive summary, read it again to make sure it includes all of the key information your stakeholders need to know.

1. Start with the problem or need the project is solving

At the beginning of your executive summary, start by explaining why this document (and the project it represents) matter. Take some time to outline what the problem is, including any research or customer feedback you’ve gotten . Clarify how this problem is important and relevant to your customers, and why solving it matters.

For example, let’s imagine you work for a watch manufacturing company. Your project is to devise a simpler, cheaper watch that still appeals to luxury buyers while also targeting a new bracket of customers.

Example executive summary:

In recent customer feedback sessions, 52% of customers have expressed a need for a simpler and cheaper version of our product. In surveys of customers who have chosen competitor watches, price is mentioned 87% of the time. To best serve our existing customers, and to branch into new markets, we need to develop a series of watches that we can sell at an appropriate price point for this market.

2. Outline the recommended solution, or the project’s objectives

Now that you’ve outlined the problem, explain what your solution is. Unlike an abstract or outline, you should be  prescriptive  in your solution—that is to say, you should work to convince your readers that your solution is the right one. This is less of a brainstorming section and more of a place to support your recommended solution.

Because you’re creating your executive summary at the beginning of your project, it’s ok if you don’t have all of your deliverables and milestones mapped out. But this is your chance to describe, in broad strokes, what will happen during the project. If you need help formulating a high-level overview of your project’s main deliverables and timeline, consider creating a  project roadmap  before diving into your executive summary.

Continuing our example executive summary:

Our new watch series will begin at 20% cheaper than our current cheapest option, with the potential for 40%+ cheaper options depending on material and movement. In order to offer these prices, we will do the following:

Offer watches in new materials, including potentially silicone or wood

Use high-quality quartz movement instead of in-house automatic movement

Introduce customizable band options, with a focus on choice and flexibility over traditional luxury

Note that every watch will still be rigorously quality controlled in order to maintain the same world-class speed and precision of our current offerings.

3. Explain the solution’s value

At this point, you begin to get into more details about how your solution will impact and improve upon the problem you outlined in the beginning. What, if any, results do you expect? This is the section to include any relevant financial information, project risks, or potential benefits. You should also relate this project back to your company goals or  OKRs . How does this work map to your company objectives?

With new offerings that are between 20% and 40% cheaper than our current cheapest option, we expect to be able to break into the casual watch market, while still supporting our luxury brand. That will help us hit FY22’s Objective 3: Expanding the brand. These new offerings have the potential to bring in upwards of three million dollars in profits annually, which will help us hit FY22’s Objective 1: 7 million dollars in annual profit.

Early customer feedback sessions indicate that cheaper options will not impact the value or prestige of the luxury brand, though this is a risk that should be factored in during design. In order to mitigate that risk, the product marketing team will begin working on their go-to-market strategy six months before the launch.

4. Wrap up with a conclusion about the importance of the work

Now that you’ve shared all of this important information with executive stakeholders, this final section is your chance to guide their understanding of the impact and importance of this work on the organization. What, if anything, should they take away from your executive summary?

To round out our example executive summary:

Cheaper and varied offerings not only allow us to break into a new market—it will also expand our brand in a positive way. With the attention from these new offerings, plus the anticipated demand for cheaper watches, we expect to increase market share by 2% annually. For more information, read our  go-to-market strategy  and  customer feedback documentation .

Example of an executive summary

When you put it all together, this is what your executive summary might look like:

Common mistakes people make when writing executive summaries

You’re not going to become an executive summary-writing pro overnight, and that’s ok. As you get started, use the four-part template provided in this article as a guide. Then, as you continue to hone your executive summary writing skills, here are a few common pitfalls to avoid:

Avoid using jargon

Your executive summary is a document that anyone, from project contributors to executive stakeholders, should be able to read and understand. Remember that you’re much closer to the daily work and individual tasks than your stakeholders will be, so read your executive summary once over to make sure there’s no unnecessary jargon. Where you can, explain the jargon, or skip it all together.

Remember: this isn’t a full report

Your executive summary is just that—a summary. If you find yourself getting into the details of specific tasks, due dates, and attachments, try taking a step back and asking yourself if that information really belongs in your executive summary. Some details are important—you want your summary to be actionable and engaging. But keep in mind that the wealth of information in your project will be captured in your  work management tool , not your executive summary.

Make sure the summary can stand alone

You know this project inside and out, but your stakeholders won’t. Once you’ve written your executive summary, take a second look to make sure the summary can stand on its own. Is there any context your stakeholders need in order to understand the summary? If so, weave it into your executive summary, or consider linking out to it as additional information.

Always proofread

Your executive summary is a living document, and if you miss a typo you can always go back in and fix it. But it never hurts to proofread or send to a colleague for a fresh set of eyes.

In summary: an executive summary is a must-have

Executive summaries are a great way to get everyone up to date and on the same page about your project. If you have a lot of project stakeholders who need quick insight into what the project is solving and why it matters, an executive summary is the perfect way to give them the information they need.

For more tips about how to connect high-level strategy and plans to daily execution, read our article about strategic planning .

Related resources

How to accomplish big things with long-term goals

Smooth product launches are simpler than you think

What is stakeholder analysis and why is it important?

Understanding dependencies in project management

How To Write Consulting Executive Summary Slides [BCG Example]

Table of contents.

If you’re anything like me, then y ou build all of the main body slides in your slide decks, sharpen the text , perfect your visualizations … and then quickly throw together an executive summary slide.

The problem?  The executive summary slide is the first impression of your deck and the only place that the reader can get a complete overview of your argument.

Therefore, executive summary slides shouldn’t be an afterthought. In fact, it’s important to spend significant time writing a strong executive summary that clearly articulates your argument and inspires your reader to act.

What is an executive summary slide?

An executive summary is a written overview of the main points or arguments of a larger document, memo or other report.

Strategy consultants also write executive summaries for their presentations or slide decks.

An executive summary slide is the first slide in your presentation that fully summarizes the argument, storyline, and supporting evidence of the body slides.

Download 120+ strategy consulting presentations for free

Looking for slide inspiration? Download 120+ consulting slide decks from top strategy consulting firms, such as McKinsey, BCG and Bain!

Why do you need executive summary slides?

As a reader, it’s so easy to get lost in a PowerPoint slide deck. You need to keep previous slides and messages in your mind, follow the line of argument, and somehow put everything together into a coherent story that you can make sense of.

Executive summary slides help the reader “follow along” with your slide deck. There are a few main benefits:

• Executive summaries provide context to help the reader understand why the topic of the slide deck is important.
• Executive summaries communicate the high-level argument before the reader gets into the body of the slide deck. This helps the reader understand your more detailed body slides.
• Executive summaries are a “map” that the reader can reference back to if they start losing the line of argument in the body of the deck.

How to write executive summary slides

To understand the best practices of writing executive summary slides, we’re going to break down a BCG executive summary.

In doing so, we’re going to learn the simple framework for writing executive summary slides that is used by strategy consultants, such as McKinsey & Co, Bain, and BCG.

Below you can see an example of a BCG executive summary.  This slide deck is a BCG report on “Melbourne as a Global Cultural Destination” and can be downloaded here .

Here are the two main executive summary slides:

These BCG executive summary slides are a great example of an executive summary done well. So we’ll use them to describe best practices.

Best practice #1: Bold text for summary sentences, bullet points for supporting data

One of the first things you’ll notice about the BCG executive summary is the bold-bullet structure.

The bold sentences denote key statements or claims, and the bullet points support those statements (usually with data).

If there was no evidence to support their claims — or if the evidence was buried deep in the slide deck — then the reader could quite easily doubt the validity of the claim, and ultimately the end conclusion of the slide deck.

So one of the key aspects of strategy consulting slide decks is that no claim is made without evidence. And that includes the executive summary.

Let’s zoom in on one example:

The key statement in this part of the executive summary is “there are weaknesses in Melbourne’s cultural and creative offer”.

This claim is supported by a bunch of data points, such as 90% of agencies and thought leaders believe the cultural offer is not clearly articulated.

Best practice #2: Bold summary sentences can be read alone to tell a story

Executives are busy people and many of them aren’t interested in diving into the supporting bullet points. They will simply read through your bolded summary sentences to understand the high-level argument and recommendations.

This means that  your executive summary should be “skimmable by design”.

In other words,  your bolded summary sentences should tell a complete and logical story without requiring the supporting data in the bullet points below.

Let’s read just the bolded sentences in our BCG executive summary:

Melbourne has a compelling creative and cultural offer; the city attracted >10m Australian and international visitors in 2015. Cultural visitors and creative industries drive significant economic benefits; cultural tourism projected to grow further. However, Melbourne’s position as Australia’s cultural and creative capital is being challenged. On a global index of cultural and creative cities, Melbourne ranks first in Australia, third in Asia and 12th globally. Melbourne has clear strengths to build on as a cultural and creative city. However, there are some weaknesses to address to further improve Melbourne’s cultural and creative offer. These findings suggest five strategic priorities to improve Melbourne’s position as a global cultural and creative destination, which may lift Melbourne’s position on the Performance Index.

It reads just like a narrative!

Despite ignoring all the bullet points, we can still fully understand the argument that BCG is making in their executive summary (which is also reflected in the body of the slide deck).

Best practice #3: The executive summary should reflect the ‘SCR storyline’ structure of the slide deck

It’s not good enough to just “tell a story”, you need a tell the story using a particular structure.

The structure used by strategy consulting firms, such as McKinsey & Co, Bain, and BCG, is the ‘situation, complication, resolution’ structure.

As an aside, you can learn more about how to craft a compelling argument and SCR storyline for your slide deck in our Complete Guide To Building Strategy Presentations . If you haven’t read that guide, you should check it out.

Let’s take a look at how the SCR storyline applies to your slide deck:

• What baseline knowledge do people need to have before they understand our argument?
• How did this problem come about?

Complication

• What is the problem we need to solve?
• Why is this particular problem important to solve?
• How do we respond / solve the problem?
• What are the specific recommendations and/or next steps?

Your executive summary slide should communicate the complete storyline in your slide deck. And thus it should also follow the situation, complication, resolution structure.

In our BCG example, you can clearly see the SCR structure in action:

It’s important to set the context with the situation, as there’s no guarantee that all of you readers will have the background knowledge to understand your argument. It also gives you the opportunity to explain the causes of the problem that you’re addressing in the slide deck.

Then, in the complication section, you should succinctly define the problem and why it is important to solve. Some people suggest that you use a question format, for example “How can Melbourne improve its position as a global cultural and creative destination?”, although that’s really just a matter of style.

Finally, you need to clearly articulate your proposed resolution or “answer” to the problem. You’ll note that most of the executive summary real-estate is spent on the resolution component. From a reader’s perspective, the recommendations are the most important part of the slide deck.

Executive summary slide examples

Below you’ll find examples of executive summary slides from consulting firms like Bain & Co, BCG, L.E.K. Consulting, Oliver Wyman, and others.

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How to write an executive summary in 10 steps

Whether presenting a business plan, sharing project updates with stakeholders, or submitting a project proposal, an executive summary helps you grab attention and convey key insights.

Think of it as a condensed version of a document, report, or proposal that highlights the most important information clearly and concisely. It's like a "cheat sheet" that gives you a snapshot of the main points without reading the entire thing.

Throughout the article, we'll explore some examples of executive summaries to give you a better understanding of how they can be applied. Plus, we'll provide you with ready-to-use templates and best practices for writing compelling executive summaries.

What is an executive summary?

An executive summary is a concise overview of a longer document or report. It is typically written for busy executives or decision-makers who may not have the time to read the entire document but still need to grasp its key points and recommendations. 

An effective executive summary should capture the essence of the document, highlighting the most important information in a brief and easily understandable way. It should provide a snapshot of the document's purpose, methodology, major findings, and key recommendations. The summary should be written in a way that allows the reader to quickly grasp the main ideas and make informed decisions based on the information presented.

Why do you need to write one?

For a business owner , an executive summary is one of the most important documents you will have. Like a business plan , they help you lay out the potential value of your business and your potential for success. 

Unlike a business proposal, however, an executive summary is designed to be read in a brief amount of time. That makes them ideal for a variety of uses, like project proposals and research summaries. Sending your strategic plan to a prospective investor or stakeholder likely won’t get you far. But a brief report that clearly states your key findings and what’s in it for them might help you — and your proposal — stand out. It isn't all the details. It's what gets you the meeting to share more.

An executive summary is also a business document that can travel without you. It may be presented to other leaders and potential investors. If it’s written well, it will take on a life of its own. You may find that you get support and resources from places you never imagined.

What should be included in an executive summary?

Your executive summary should include brief descriptions of who your product, service, or proposal is for and your competitive advantage. Be sure to introduce your report concisely yet clearly . Note the most important points and its overall purpose––what do you hope to achieve with this report? 

Also, include any necessary background information and statistics about the industry, high-level information about your business model, necessary financial information, or other insights you discuss in the report. Depending on your proposal, you may want to consider summarizing a market analysis of your target market.

Typically, an executive summary follows a structured format, including sections such as:

• Introduction: Provides a brief background and context for the document.
• Objective or purpose: Clearly states the goal of the document and what it aims to achieve.
• Methodology: Briefly describes the approach, data sources, and methods used to conduct the research or analysis.
• Findings: Summarizes the main findings, conclusions, or results derived from the document.
• Recommendations: Outlines the key recommendations or proposed actions based on the findings.
• Conclusion: Provides a concise wrap-up of the main points and emphasizes the significance of the document.

How do you write an executive summary?

When tackling an executive summary, it's all about following a structured approach to ensure you effectively communicate those crucial points, findings, and recommendations. Let’s walk through some steps and best practices to make it a breeze:

Step 1: Get to know the document

Take the time to dive into the full document or report that your executive summary will be based on. Read it thoroughly and identify the main objectives, key findings, conclusions, and recommendations.

Step 2: Know your audience

Think about who you're writing the executive summary for. Consider their knowledge level, interests, and priorities. This helps you tailor the summary to their needs and make it relevant and impactful.

Step 3: Outline the structure

Create an outline for your executive summary with sections like introduction, objective, methodology, findings, recommendations, and conclusion. This way, you'll have a logical flow that's easy to follow.

Step 4: Start strong

Kick off your executive summary with a captivating opening statement. Make it concise, engaging, and impactful to hook the reader and make them want to keep reading.

Step 5: Summarize objectives and methodology

Give a brief overview of the document's objectives and the methodology used to achieve them. This sets the context and helps the reader understand the approach taken.

Step 6: Highlight key findings

Summarize the main findings, conclusions, or results. Focus on the juiciest and most relevant points that support the document's purpose. Keep it clear and concise to get the message across effectively.

Step 7: Present key recommendations

Outline the important recommendations or proposed actions based on the findings. Clearly state what needs to be done, why it matters, and how it aligns with the document's objectives. Make those recommendations actionable and realistic.

Step 8: Keep it snappy

Remember, an executive summary should be short and sweet. Skip unnecessary details, jargon, or technical language . Use straightforward language that hits the mark.

Step 9: Review and polish

Once you've written the executive summary, give it a careful review for clarity, coherence, and accuracy. Make sure it captures the essence of the full document and represents its content faithfully. Take the extra step to edit out any fluff or repetition.

Step 10: Dress to impress

Consider formatting and presentation. Use headings, bullet points, and formatting styles to make it visually appealing and easy to skim. If it makes sense, include some graphs, charts, or visuals to highlight key points.

Tips for writing an effective executive summary

• Adapt your language and tone to suit your audience.
• Keep things concise and crystal clear—say no to jargon.
• Focus on the most important info that packs a punch.
• Give enough context without overwhelming your reader.
• Use strong and persuasive language to make your recommendations shine.
• Make sure your executive summary makes sense even if the full document isn't read.
• Proofread like a pro to catch any pesky grammar, spelling, or punctuation errors.

Executive summary template for business plans

Here's a general template for creating an executive summary specifically for business plans:

[Your Company Name]

[Business Plan Title]

Business overview

Provide a brief introduction to your company, including its name, location, industry, and mission statement . Describe your unique value proposition and what sets your business apart from competitors.

Market analysis

Summarize the key findings of your market research. Provide an overview of the target market, its size, growth potential, and relevant trends. Highlight your understanding of customer needs, preferences, and behaviors.

Product or service offering

Outline your core products or services, including their key features and benefits. Emphasize how your offerings address customer pain points and provide value. Highlight any unique selling points or competitive advantages.

Business model

Explain your business model and revenue generation strategy. Describe how you will generate revenue, the pricing structure, and any distribution channels or partnerships that contribute to your business's success.

Marketing and sales strategy

Summarize your marketing and sales approach. Highlight the key tactics and channels you will use to reach and attract customers. Discuss your promotional strategies, pricing strategies, and customer acquisition plans.

Management team

Introduce the key members of your management team and their relevant experience. Highlight their expertise and how it positions the team to execute the business plan successfully. Include any notable advisors or board members.

Financial projections

Summarize your financial projections, including revenue forecasts, expected expenses, and projected profitability. Highlight any key financial metrics or milestones. Briefly mention your funding needs, if applicable.

Funding requirements

If seeking funding, outline your funding requirements, including the amount needed, its purpose, and the potential sources of funding you are considering. Summarize the expected return on investment for potential investors.

Reiterate the vision and potential of your business. Summarize the key points of your business plan, emphasizing its viability, market potential, and the expertise of your team. Convey confidence in the success of your venture.

Note: Keep the executive summary concise and focused, typically within one to two pages. Use clear and compelling language, emphasizing the unique aspects of your business. Tailor the template to suit your specific business plan, adjusting sections and details accordingly.

Remember, the executive summary serves as an introduction to your business plan and should pique the reader's interest, conveying the value and potential of your business in a concise and persuasive manner.

Executive summary examples

Every executive summary will be unique to the organization's goals, vision, and brand identity. We put together two general examples of executive summaries to spark your creativity and offer some inspiration. 

These are not intended to be used as-is but more to offer ideas for how you may want to put your own executive summary together. Be sure to personalize your own summary with specific statistics and relevant data points to make the most impact.

Example 1: executive summary for a communications business plan

Introduction:

We're thrilled to present our innovative [insert product] that aims to revolutionize the way people connect and engage. Our vision is to empower individuals and businesses with seamless communication solutions that break barriers and foster meaningful connections.

Market opportunity:

The communications industry is evolving rapidly, and we've identified a significant opportunity in the market. With the proliferation of remote work, the need for reliable and efficient communication tools has skyrocketed. Our extensive market research indicates a demand for solutions that prioritize user experience, security, and flexibility.

Product offering:

At [Company Name], we've developed a suite of cutting-edge communication tools designed to meet the diverse needs of our customers. Our flagship product is a unified communication platform that integrates voice, video, messaging, and collaboration features into a seamless user experience. We also offer customizable solutions for businesses of all sizes, catering to their unique communication requirements.

Unique value proposition:

What sets us apart from the competition? Our user-centric approach and commitment to innovation. We prioritize user experience by creating intuitive interfaces and seamless interactions. Our solutions are scalable, adaptable, and designed to keep up with evolving technological trends. By combining ease of use with advanced features, we deliver unparalleled value to our customers.

Target market:

Our primary focus is on small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) that require efficient and cost-effective communication tools. We also cater to individuals, remote teams, and larger enterprises seeking reliable and secure communication solutions. Our target market encompasses industries such as technology, finance, healthcare, and professional services.

Business model:

To generate revenue, we employ a subscription-based business model. Customers can choose from different plans tailored to their specific needs, paying a monthly or annual fee. We also offer additional services such as customization, integration, and customer support, creating additional revenue streams and fostering long-term customer relationships.

Marketing and sales strategy:

Our marketing strategy centers around building brand awareness through targeted digital campaigns, content marketing, and strategic partnerships. We'll leverage social media, industry influencers, and online communities to reach our target audience. Additionally, our sales team will engage in proactive outreach, nurturing leads and providing personalized consultations to convert prospects into loyal customers.

Team and expertise:

Our team is composed of experienced professionals with a deep understanding of the communications industry. Led by our visionary founder and supported by a skilled and diverse team, we have the expertise to drive innovation, develop robust products, and deliver exceptional customer service. We're passionate about our mission and dedicated to making a lasting impact in the market.

Financial projections:

Based on extensive market research and financial analysis, we anticipate strong growth and profitability. Our financial projections indicate steady revenue streams, with increasing customer adoption and market share. We're committed to managing costs effectively, optimizing our resources, and continuously reinvesting in research and development.

Funding requirements:

To fuel our ambitious growth plans and accelerate product development, we're seeking [funding amount] in funding. These funds will be allocated towards expanding our team, scaling our infrastructure, marketing efforts, and ongoing product innovation. We believe this investment will position us for success and solidify our market presence.

Conclusion:

In summary, [Company Name] is poised to disrupt the communications industry with our innovative solutions and customer-centric approach. We're ready to make a positive impact by empowering individuals and businesses to communicate effectively and effortlessly. Join us on this exciting journey as we redefine the future of communication. Together, we'll shape a connected world like never before.

Example 2: executive summary for a project proposal

[Project Name]

[Project Proposal Date]

Hello! We're thrilled to present our project proposal for [Project Name]. This executive summary will provide you with a high-level overview of the project, its objectives, and the value it brings.

Project overview:

Our project aims to [describe the project's purpose and scope]. It's a response to [identify the problem or opportunity] and has the potential to bring significant benefits to [stakeholders or target audience]. Through meticulous planning and execution, we're confident in our ability to achieve the desired outcomes.

Objectives:

The primary goal of our project is to [state the overarching objective]. In addition, we have specific objectives such as [list specific objectives]. By accomplishing these goals, we'll create a positive impact and drive meaningful change.

Our proposed approach for this project is based on a thorough analysis of the situation and best practices. We'll adopt a structured methodology that includes [describe the key project phases or activities]. This approach ensures efficient utilization of resources and maximizes project outcomes.

The benefits of this project are truly exciting. Through its implementation, we anticipate [describe the anticipated benefits or outcomes]. These benefits include [list specific benefits], which will have a lasting and positive effect on [stakeholders or target audience].

Implementation timeline:

We've devised a comprehensive timeline to guide the project from initiation to completion. The project is divided into distinct phases, with well-defined milestones and deliverables. Our timeline ensures that tasks are executed in a timely manner, allowing us to stay on track and deliver results.

Resource requirements:

To successfully execute this project, we've identified the key resources needed. This includes [list the resources required, such as human resources, technology, equipment, and funding]. We're confident in our ability to secure the necessary resources and allocate them effectively to ensure project success.

A project of this nature requires a well-planned budget. Based on our analysis, we've estimated the required funding to be [state the budget amount]. This budget encompasses all project-related costs and aligns with the anticipated benefits and outcomes.

Our project proposal is an exciting opportunity to address [the problem or opportunity] and create tangible value for [stakeholders or target audience]. With a clear vision, defined objectives, and a robust implementation plan, we're ready to embark on this journey. Join us as we bring this project to life and make a lasting impact. 

Is an executive summary the same as a project plan?

While both are important components of project management and documentation , they serve different purposes and contain distinct information.

An executive summary, as discussed earlier, is a concise overview of a longer document or report. It provides a snapshot of the key points, findings, and recommendations. It focuses on high-level information and aims to provide an overview of the document's purpose, methodology, findings, and recommendations.

On the other hand, a project plan is a detailed document that outlines the specific activities, tasks, timelines, resources, and milestones associated with a project. It serves as a roadmap for project execution, providing a comprehensive understanding of how the project will be carried out.

A project plan typically includes objectives, scope, deliverables, schedule, budget, resource allocation, risk management, and communication strategies. It is intended for project team members, stakeholders, and those directly involved in the execution.

In summary, an executive summary offers a condensed overview of a document's key points, while a project plan provides a comprehensive and detailed roadmap for executing a project.

Executive summaries vs. abstracts

An executive summary is not the same as an abstract. Executive summaries focus on the main points of a proposal. They highlight when and why a reader should invest in the company or project.

An abstract, on the other hand, concentrates on what the business does and its marketing plan. It typically doesn’t include detailed information about finances.

While it is usually compelling, it’s less of an elevator pitch and more of a summary. The goal of an abstract is to inform, not to persuade. On the other hand, the goal of an executive summary is to give readers who are pressed for time just enough information that they’ll want to look further into your proposition.

When do you use an executive summary?

An executive summary is used in various situations where there is a need to present a condensed overview of a longer document or report. Here are some common instances when an executive summary is used:

• Business proposals: When submitting a business proposal to potential investors, partners, or stakeholders, an executive summary is often included. It provides a concise overview of the proposal, highlighting the key aspects such as the business idea, market analysis, competitive advantage, financial projections, and recommended actions.
• Reports and research studies: Lengthy reports or research studies often include an executive summary at the beginning. This allows decision-makers, executives, or other stakeholders to quickly understand the purpose, methodology, findings, and recommendations of the report without going through the entire document.
• Project updates: During the course of a project, project managers may prepare executive summaries to provide updates to stakeholders or higher-level management. These summaries give a brief overview of the project's progress, achievements, challenges, and upcoming milestones.
• Strategic plans: When developing strategic plans for an organization, an executive summary is often included to provide an overview of the plan's goals, objectives, strategies, and key initiatives. It allows executives and stakeholders to grasp the essence of the strategic plan and its implications without reading the entire document.
• Funding requests: When seeking funding for a project or venture, an executive summary is commonly used as part of the funding proposal. It provides a succinct summary of the project, highlighting its significance, potential impact, financial requirements, and expected outcomes.

In general, an executive summary is used whenever there is a need to communicate the main points, findings, and recommendations of a document concisely and efficiently to individuals who may not have the time or inclination to read the entire content. It serves as a valuable tool for understanding and facilitates quick decision-making.

5 ways project managers can use executive summaries

Project managers can use executive summaries in various ways to effectively communicate project updates, status reports, or proposals to stakeholders and higher-level management. Here are some ways project managers can use executive summaries:

• Project status updates: Project managers can provide regular executive summaries to stakeholders and management to communicate the current status of the project. The summary should include key achievements, milestones reached, challenges encountered, and any adjustments to the project plan. It allows stakeholders to quickly grasp the project's progress and make informed decisions or provide guidance as needed.
• Project proposals: When pitching a project idea or seeking approval for a new project, project managers can prepare an executive summary to present the essential aspects of the project. The summary should outline the project's objectives, scope, anticipated benefits, resource requirements, estimated timeline, and potential risks. It helps decision-makers understand the project's value and make an informed choice about its initiation.
• Project closure reports: At the end of a project, project managers can prepare an executive summary as part of the project closure report. The summary should highlight the project's overall success, key deliverables achieved, lessons learned, and recommendations for future projects. It provides a concise overview of the project's outcomes and acts as a valuable reference for future initiatives.
• Steering committee meetings: When project managers present updates or seek guidance from a steering committee or governance board, an executive summary can be an effective tool. The summary should cover the important aspects of the project, such as progress, issues, risks, and upcoming milestones. It ensures that decision-makers are well-informed about the project's status and can provide relevant guidance or support.
• Change requests: When submitting a change request for a project, project managers can include an executive summary to summarize the proposed change, its impact on the project, potential risks, and benefits. It helps stakeholders and decision-makers quickly assess the change request and make informed decisions about its implementation.

Using executive summaries, project managers can efficiently communicate project-related information to stakeholders, executives, and decision-makers. The summaries provide a concise overview of the project's status, proposals, or closure reports, allowing stakeholders to quickly understand the key points and take appropriate action.

When should you not use an executive summary?

While executive summaries are widely used in many situations, there are some cases where they may not be necessary or suitable. Here are a few scenarios where an executive summary may not be appropriate, along with alternative approaches:

• Highly technical documents: If the document contains highly technical or specialized information that requires a detailed understanding, an executive summary alone may not be sufficient. In such cases, it is better to provide the complete document and supplement it with explanatory materials, presentations , or meetings where experts can explain and discuss the technical details.
• Personal or creative writing: Executive summaries are typically used for informational or analytical documents. If the content is more personal in nature, such as a memoir, novel, or creative piece, an executive summary may not be relevant. Instead, focus on providing an engaging introduction or book blurb that entices readers and conveys the essence of the work.
• Short documents: If the document itself is already concise and can be easily read in its entirety, an executive summary may be redundant. In these cases, it is more effective to present the complete document without an additional summary.
• Interactive presentations: In situations where you can present information interactively, such as in meetings, workshops, or conferences, it may be more effective to engage the audience directly rather than relying solely on an executive summary. Use visual aids, demonstrations, discussions, and Q&A sessions to convey the necessary information and capture the audience's attention.

Final thoughts on writing a compelling executive summary

An executive summary isn’t the kitchen sink — it’s the bells and whistles. Geared toward busy decision-makers, these one-pagers communicate your case for action and proposed solutions. When it’s written well, your audience will walk away with an understanding of what needs to be done, why it needs to happen, and why they should help it move forward. 

But writing it well doesn’t just mean spell-checking. It means tailoring your communication to an influential, yet busy and distracted audience. To be effective, you’ll need to write your proposal with empathy and an understanding of what matters to them .

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Allaya Cooks-Campbell

With over 15 years of content experience, Allaya Cooks Campbell has written for outlets such as ScaryMommy, HRzone, and HuffPost. She holds a B.A. in Psychology and is a certified yoga instructor as well as a certified Integrative Wellness & Life Coach. Allaya is passionate about whole-person wellness, yoga, and mental health.

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Crafting the Perfect Executive Summary in PowerPoint

• December 27, 2022
• 94 Comments

An executive summary is a short presentation of the most important points in your business plan. It serves to provide an overview of the company, its products, and its goals. It’s one of the first things potential investors will want to see when you are pitching your company.

However, no two companies are exactly alike, which means there isn’t a single template for an executive summary. Instead, it’s up to you to tailor the presentation according to the type of funding you are seeking. If you are raising capital from private investors or venture capitalists, be sure that your executive summary has enough information about your key risks and competitive advantages.

For government grants or loans, focus on how your business plan will benefit society and create jobs. And for crowdfunding campaigns, highlight the social media following and number of backers that you already have in order to attract potential donors.

An executive summary is a brief overview of your company’s business. It usually includes the company’s vision, some financials such as revenue and earnings, and its goals for the future. This document is often shared with potential investors or other key stakeholders to give them a concise, easy-to-read overview of what you’re all about. A well-written executive summary, crafted with precision and care, serves as a crucial asset for any company. This succinct document can significantly enhance your prospects during fundraising and M&A endeavors. Utilizing a proficient summary generator can streamline the process and improve the overall quality of your executive summary.

The goal of this task is not only to explain what you would like to present, but also summarize the key points of your presentation . Here are some tips on how to create one that will make a lasting impression on anyone who reads it.

What is an executive summary?

An executive summary is one of the most important documents in your company. It’s a one-page document that summarizes your company. This document is often shared with potential investors or other key stakeholders in your company to give them a concise overview of the company’s business.

Why is an Executive Summary important?

An executive summary is an important document because it is one of the first things people will read about your company. If you want to make an impression on a potential investor , it’s important that your executive summary stands out and gets their attention.

A good executive summary should be concise and easy to read, with the goal of summarizing the key points of your presentation. A poorly written or confusing executive summary can cause your business to not get as much interest as you would like.

In this article we’ll provide 3 best practices for creating an effective summary in PowerPoint : 1) create a brief summary of your presentation including the key points; 2) identify and summarize each section of your presentation; 3) highlight the main takeaway and how it solves the problem. Not sure where to start? We’ve got some tips that will help you out!

Who reads the Executive Summary?

The Executive Summary is usually distributed to potential investors or other key stakeholders. The goal is to engage them and keep them interested in your business!

Begin by introducing the company, including its background information and current financials. Include an overview of the company’s strategy for the future. This should include what the company hopes to accomplish in the next 1-2 years. Finally, provide an outlook of what might happen if they implement their plan.

Don’t forget to include any other salient information about your company that might be important to your readers (for example, if you are a small privately-held company).

How to Create a Successful Executive Summary

Business-focused presentations often include an executive summary, and it’s important to know how to create one. This document is a quick overview of your company’s business and should be concise and easy to read.

How to highlight the main takeaway and how it solves the problem

Your presentation is not always going to have a single takeaway. It’s important to identify the main story of your presentation and how it solves the problem.

A great example of this is what we see in movies, when there’s the big reveal at the end of the film. This is often done by showing what was really happening throughout the movie, but it could also show how one event led to another event.

The purpose of this is to keep your audience engaged for longer periods of time. You want them to stay focused on your message and remember what you’re saying. It should be easy for them to understand where you’re coming from, why you’re talking about it, and how they can benefit by listening to you.

How to identify and summarize each section of your presentation

When you’re summarizing each section of your presentation, it’s important to be as concise as possible. You want to briefly cover the key points of that section.

For example, if you have a PowerPoint slide about your company’s vision, it would be helpful to summarize what your business is trying to achieve in the near future. The key points are the things that are most relevant for investors or other decision makers.

Another example would be if you have a slide on how your company is performing financially. If this slide includes revenue and earnings , then it would be helpful to include some projections for the following year. This can help potential investors make an informed decision about investing in your company.

General tips for making a successful executive summary

-Keep it brief. Your summary should be concise and to the point. Provide the key points of your presentation without too much detail. The goal is not to provide an in-depth description, but to clarify what you would like to present.

-Be clear about your intentions. This is a summary of your presentation, so it should include which audience you want to present to and why this topic is important to that audience.

-Provide an overview of each section of the presentation. It’s often helpful for readers to see all the information in one place rather than reading through slides one by one.

-End with a takeaway message or how it solves the problem at hand. Think about what your audience will remember most from your summary and make sure that’s included in the final paragraph!

Tips for different industries

Tips for a tech company.

Tech companies are in a fiercely competitive market. Considering that, it’s important for them to use all the tools at their disposal to get ahead of the competition. Some of the tools include executive summaries—a brief overview of your company’s business.

Tips for a law firm

If you work in a law firm, these 3 tips will help you create a good summary for your executive summary.

In the business world, the term “partner” is often associated with someone who has been working with a company for many years and is an integral part of the organization. A partner often has a stake in the company, takes on leadership roles, and is responsible for helping to set the long-term goals. Becoming a partner is usually a clear sign that an employee is trusted and valued by their company.

Tips for the fashion industry

Are you in the fashion industry? If so, your biggest competitor is up-to-date trends. The fashion world moves fast. But to stay on top of the game, it’s important to be aware of what’s happening in the industry and know what consumers want.

-Stay on top of current trends by reading trade magazines or having a subscription to a website that provides overviews on what’s new in the industry.

-Keep a running list of all the brands you’re interested in and note any items from those brands that you want, as well as why they’re on your list. This is a good way to help remember trends or styles that interest you.

-Gain inspiration from other industries as well! Fashion often takes cues from other industries such as architecture, art, and engineering.

An executive summary is an important document that can help you get your message across to your audience. Hope the above information was useful to understand what an executive summary is, what it’s used for, how to create one, and what you should be aware of when writing one.

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Creating an Executive Summary PowerPoint Presentation in 2024: Expert Tips and Techniques

What is an executive summary in powerpoint presentations.

A n executive summary slide gives a quick peek into a more extended presentation, usually found at the start of a slide deck. Its job is to summarize the main points so readers don’t have to go through the whole thing. These slides often have more text than regular slides because they’re meant to be read, not presented live. It’s important to keep live presentations engaging by avoiding too much text on slides.

Think of an executive summary as a short version of a big document, giving important info in an easy-to-understand way. Even though it’s short, an excellent executive summary must focus on the main message. Executives and decision-makers, who are often busy, like presentations that get to the point quickly and professionally. If you can’t do that, you might seem unprepared or unable to communicate well.

An executive summary PPT slide makes presenting vital info from a bigger report or business plan easier. It usually includes a title slide, an agenda or outline slide, and a few summary slides. This helps quickly share critical details like the problem you’re addressing, solutions, expected outcomes, and budget plans.

An executive summary template condenses a more extended presentation into crucial points. It aims to catch readers’ interest, clarify the presentation’s goals, and prepare the audience for the discussion. A good executive summary grabs attention and sets the stage for a complete understanding of the topic.

What are the Benefits of an Executive Summary in Slide Presentations?

In slide presentations, a business plan executive summary is a crucial connection between the presenter and the audience, giving a quick look into what’s coming up. Stakeholders often need to understand proposals, project details, or research quickly, especially in business. Creating a well-organized executive summary ensures that essential points are easy to see, setting the stage for deeper exploration if needed.

In the midst of a PowerPoint slide deck, it’s easy for readers to get lost, trying to remember earlier slides and the main story. Executive summary slides help guide readers through the presentation. They have a few main jobs:

1. Providing Context: Executive summaries provide background information, explaining why the slide deck’s topic is important, which helps the audience understand better.

2. Showing the Main Argument: Executive summaries help readers understand the main idea of the presentation before getting into the details by summarizing the central argument right away.

3. Acting as a Guide: These summaries work like maps for readers, helping them stay on track with the presentation’s story.

Executive summaries, especially in PowerPoint, are handy in the business world. They’re the first thing the audience sees, grabbing attention and making people curious by summarizing long and potentially dull content. The benefits of using an executive summary PowerPoint template include:

1. Saving Time: Executive summaries save presenters and audience members time by condensing important points from long reports or presentations.

2. Clear Organization Overview: These summaries give a quick and optimistic overview of the organization, showing its successes and goals, which makes the audience want to learn more about it.

Executive summaries in slide presentations are crucial for smoother communication and ensuring everyone can easily understand important information. By guiding the audience to deeper insights, they make engagement and understanding easier, moving the story along with clarity and purpose.

How To Write an Effective Executive Summary Slide

To ensure clarity and engagement, crafting a compelling executive summary for slide templates involves several key steps.

1. Start with a Clear Problem Statement: Think of your first paragraph as the opening slide of a presentation. You need to make a strong statement that immediately communicates the agenda. Address the urgency of the issue, highlight its importance, or provide background information to set the scene. Clearly outline the chief goals of the report or document.

2. Present the Main Discussion Points: Expand on the points or scope of the report to meet audience expectations. Break down large blocks of text into bullet points for easier digestion. Use figures to highlight key findings and quantify significant results. Discuss the research methods and data sources, and mention any report limitations. Summarize the conclusions in a paragraph or as a featured quote to highlight critical information.

3. List Recommendations or Next Steps: Allocate a section at the bottom of the summary to emphasize outcomes, conclusions, and follow-up actions expected from the reader. Summarize the research findings and identify any recommended solutions or actions. Seek feedback from team members who have not seen the full report to ensure the summary effectively conveys the document’s content and piques interest without additional context.

By following these steps, you can create an executive summary that effectively communicates the main points of your presentation and encourages audience engagement. 

How To Make an Executive Summary Engaging

A creative executive summary presentation involves several vital strategies to capture your audience’s attention and convey the main points effectively.

1. Create an Engaging Slide Title: The title of your slide is the first thing your audience will see. Make it count by clearly stating the main takeaway and setting the tone for the rest of the slide.

2. Use Basic Story Structure: Your summary should provide a complete presentation overview, including a clear beginning, middle, and end. Many summaries focus solely on insights or data without providing a proper introduction or conclusion.

3. Ensure Scannability: Executive summary slides often contain lots of information, making them dense and challenging to navigate. Make it easier for your audience by organizing information into easily discernible sections. Group related text and graphs together, and include text headers for each section so even those scanning will understand the main points.

4. Maintain Consistent Tone: Ensure that the tone and language used in your slide match those of the primary document. Consistency in tone prevents confusion and keeps the audience engaged.

5. Focus on The Story: While stakeholders may have time to read the full report later, your goal during the presentation is to draw their attention to the most critical issues and highlight the value within the report, enticing them to delve deeper.

6. Use Bullet Points: Present information in bullet points to keep it concise and easily digestible. Avoid overloading your audience with long lists or full sentences, as this can overwhelm them and diminish the impact of your presentation.

7. Limit Data Overload: While data is essential, too much of it can overwhelm your audience. Choose three main data points to highlight on your executive summary slide and provide context for why these points are significant.

8. Utilize Professional Presentation Templates: Consider using presentation templates designed specifically for executive summaries. These help you create visually appealing slides that enhance your message and engage your audience. Prioritize white space and use icons and simple visualizations to minimize clutter and make your slides visually appealing.

By incorporating these strategies, you can create an executive summary slide that conveys important information and keeps your audience curious and engaged.

Crafting a compelling executive summary in slide presentations is essential for conveying critical information concisely and engagingly. 

By following strategies such as creating an engaging slide title, using basic story structure, ensuring scannability, maintaining a consistent tone, focusing on the story, using bullet points, limiting data overload, and utilizing professional presentation templates, presenters can captivate their audience’s attention and communicate their main points effectively. 

An engaging executive summary sets the stage for a deeper exploration of the topic and facilitates smoother communication, ultimately leading to better stakeholder understanding and engagement.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is the purpose of an executive summary slide in a presentation?

An executive summary PPT slide gives a quick overview of a more extended presentation, usually at the beginning of a slide deck. It summarizes the main points so readers don’t have to review the entire presentation. These slides are more text-heavy because they’re meant to be read, not presented live.

2. Why is it essential to have an executive summary in slide presentations?

Executive summaries are a crucial connection between presenters and audiences, offering a glance into the content ahead. They help stakeholders quickly understand proposals, project details, or research findings. By guiding readers through the presentation and providing context, they ensure that important points are easily grasped, setting the stage for deeper exploration if needed.

3. What are the key sections typically included in an executive summary?

An executive summary usually includes sections such as introduction, problem statement, outcomes/recommendations, and importance. These sections help readers understand the document quickly. It’s common to organize them into a clear outline using bullet points to make them easier to turn into slides for a PowerPoint presentation.

4. How can I make an executive summary slide engaging?

Crafting a creative executive summary slide involves:

• Creating an engaging slide title.
• Using basic story structure.
• Ensuring scannability.
• Maintaining a consistent tone.
• Focusing on the story.
• Using bullet points.
• Limiting data overload.
• Utilizing professional presentation templates.

Presenters can capture their audience’s attention by incorporating these strategies and effectively communicate their main points.

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How to Write a Powerful Executive Summary [+4 Top Examples]

Published: August 31, 2023

Whether you're an entrepreneur looking for investors for your small business or the CEO of a large corporation, an executive summary can help you succeed and is a critical component for long-term growth.

A short, attention-grabbing executive summary is an essential part of your business plan . Done correctly, it will ensure your company becomes or remains a key player in your industry. In this post, you’ll learn what an executive summary is and how to write one that engages investors, customers, and general audiences.

Executive Summary

An executive summary is a brief overview of a long document, such as a business plan, proposal, or report. It's a section that grabs readers’ attention and summarizes critical information from the document, such as the problem or opportunity being addressed, objectives, key findings, goals, and recommendations.

Some documents that may have an executive summary include:

• Business plans
• Research documents
• Project proposals
• Annual reports

Ultimately, the executive summary is meant to inform readers of the most important information in the document, so they don't have to read it all and can get caught up quickly.

Free Executive Summary Template

Use this executive summary template to provide a summary of your report, business plan, or memo.

• Company & Opportunity
• Industry & Market Analysis
• Management & Operations
• Financial Plan

You're all set!

Click this link to access this resource at any time.

Executive Summary vs. Business Plan

All business plans have an executive summary, but not all executive summaries belong to business plans.

A business plan includes a company overview, your company's short-term and long-term goals, information on your product or service, sales targets, expense budgets, your marketing plan, and a list including each member of your management team. In this case, the executive summary is the first section of the business plan that convinces readers that it’s worth their time to read the whole thing.

Business plans are very detailed and comprehensive, and can be as short as a dozen pages or as long as 100 pages. However, a CEO or investor might not have the interest or time to read your full business plan without first getting the general gist of your company or goals through an executive summary.

Executive Summary vs. Mission Statement

Mission statements and executive summaries are typically both found in business plans, but they serve different purposes.

A mission statement defines your organization’s purpose, values, and vision. It’s your company’s north star and communicates your core identity and reason for existence. On the other hand, an executive summary provides a high-level overview of the document.

Ultimately, your mission statement provides direction for developing your business plan, while your executive summary describes your business plan to executives and shareholders.

Executive Summary vs. Company Description

Like mission statements and executive summaries, company descriptions can also be found in business plans as well as the “About us” page of your website . It provides an overview of your business, including essential details like company history, what your company does, unique selling points, goals, management team, and overall value proposition.

Executive Summary vs. Objective

An objective is a specific goal or target that your company takes aims to achieve its overall goal. It is a concrete, measurable outcome that guides your business’s actions and decisions. Objectives are usually set at the strategic level and are typically aligned with the company’s mission, vision, and overall strategic plan.

Company objectives are often included in executive summaries, but are not the sole focus of them.

What is the purpose of an executive summary?

Writing an executive summary may not seem that necessary. After all, you can find the same information just by reading the rest of the document.

However, the executive summary serves many purposes for your document and those who read it. Here are some of the benefits of having one:

• It saves your readers time. CEOs and investors often have limited time to review lengthy documents. An executive summary allows them to quickly grasp the main points, key findings, and recommendations without needing to read the entire document.
• It provides clarity and conciseness. By providing a condensed overview, executive summaries help to distill complex information and present it in a manner that’s easy to understand.
• It helps with document navigation. For longer documents or reports, an executive summary provides a roadmap for readers. It helps them navigate through the document by signaling the main sections or topics covered, improving overall document usability and accessibility.

To write an impressive executive summary that effectively embodies all the important elements of your business plan, we've cultivated a list of necessary components for an executive summary, as well as an example to get you started.

Follow Along With HubSpot's Executive Summary Template

Click to Download

How to write an executive summary.

A good executive summary tells your company’s story, contains in-depth research, conveys information with an appropriate tone, is void of clichés, and follows your business plan’s structure. These elements will ensure your executive summary is effective, informative, and impactful.

1. Tell your story.

When investors or CEO's read your executive summary, they should understand what your business is about. This is one of the first elements of your business plan, so it should set the tone.

In your executive summary, be sure to tell your story and include an overview about what your company does and why you do what you do. You can also briefly highlight important details about your company’s management.

For instance, you could talk about your founder or CEO’s qualifications and motivations. You can also provide a high-level summary of your company’s business operations and any management methods or best practices that you abide by.

You’ll also want to explain the problem or opportunity that is being addressed, and how it is valuable to investors and customers. Think of this like an elevator pitch . If someone stopped reading and you only had the executive summary to explain your company, what information would you include?

2. Highlight important data.

An executive summary, while short, should include plenty of research.

Highlight the most important findings and insights from the document, including any critical data or statistics discovered in your competitor analysis . While your business plan will flesh out the details, it's important to include your key findings in your executive summary.

You should also provide a basic rundown of your target market, how you plan on addressing their needs and pain points, and how you will reach them.

Additionally, you should include key financial information. The main points you should cover are the overall budget, the price per product/service, and your financial projections.

3. Pay attention to your tone.

Although the tone of your executive summary should be professional and concise, it should also be true to your company and target audience. Aim to convey a sense of authority and credibility while remaining accessible and engaging.

Here are some tips to keep in mind:

• Focus on presenting information objectively with facts and evidence.
• Don’t voice your personal opinions or use subjective statements.
• Strive for clarity and simplicity in your language and ensure that your message is easily understood.
• Avoid unnecessarily complexity or convolution.
• Don’t use hyperbole or excessive claims.
• Use strong verbs, active voice, and concise language to make your points effectively.
• Aim to resonate with the reader’s interests and concerns.

By striking the right balance between professionalism, clarity, and engagement, you can effectively deliver your message and compel the reader to take action or make informed decisions based on the summary.

4. Avoid cliché language.

With any style of writing, it's best to avoid clichés. Clichés can convey the wrong message or be misunderstood, which is something you want to avoid when someone reads your executive summary.

Additionally, clichés tend to overpromise and under-deliver. For example, including something like “The Best Restaurant in Town” isn‘t true because you’re untested as a business. Your executive summary should reflect the truth and who you are as a company.

To avoid clichés while writing, it’s essential to be aware of their presence. Familiarize yourself with common clichés and be mindful of them as you write. Some examples include:

• “Thinking outside the box”
• “Innovative solutions”
• “Cutting-edge technology”

Instead of relying on these overused phrases, be descriptive and embrace the uniqueness of your brand when writing your executive summary. For instance, there’s no need to vaguely refer to your product as a “game-changer,” when you could explain how it benefits your target audience instead. Show, don’t tell.

By staying true to your voice and delivering an honest message, you can keep your writing fresh and your audience engaged.

5. Write it after completing your business plan.

An executive summary is a summary of your business plan. However, it‘s hard to write a summary when you haven’t written your business plan yet. That's why your executive summary should be the final thing you write.

By saving this step for last, you’re able to gain a thorough understanding of the entire plan, including your business’s goals, strategies, market analysis, and financial projections. This enables you to accurately depict the most important aspects in your summary.

If you write you executive summary first, you’re more likely to miscommunicate the essence of your business plan to executives and shareholders. Sure, you may have an outline prepare, but not having all the information can lead to inconsistencies or inaccuracies in your summary. You also risk including irrelevant details or omitting important details that come up during the planning process.

Ultimately, writing your executive summary last ensures that precisely represents the content and findings your plan.

If you don’t have a business plan yet, don’t worry; we have a comprehensive business plan template to help you create one quickly and effectively.

Featured Resource: Business Plan Template

Download Your Free Template Here

Now that you know how to write an executive summary, let's dive into the details of what to include.

What to Include in Your Executive Summary

Your business plan should convey your company‘s mission, your product, a plan for how you’ll stand out from competitors, your financial projections, your company's short and long-term goals, your buyer persona, and your market fit.

Ultimately, an executive summary should provide a preview for investors or CEO's, so they know what to expect from the rest of your report. Your executive summary should include:

• The name, location, and mission of your company
• A description of your company, including management, advisors, and brief history
• Your product or service, where your product fits in the market, and how your product differs from competitors in the industry
• Financial considerations, start-up funding requirements, or the purpose behind your business plan — mention what you hope the reader will help your company accomplish

How long should an executive summary be?

While there is no hard and fast rule for the exact length, executive summaries typically range from one to three pages. However, it's important to note that the length should be determined by the document it accompanies and the content itself rather than a predetermined page count.

At the end of the day, your executive summary should engage the reader and highlight the most important points of your document while avoiding unnecessary details.

Feeling at a loss? Download a free template below that will take you through the executive summary creation process.

Executive Summary Template

Download Your Free Executive Summary Template Here

In this free executive summary template, you’ll be able to outline several pieces of information, including:

• Introduction: Explain what your executive summary contains.
• Company & Opportunity: Explain who you are and your biggest opportunities for growth.
• Industry & Market Analysis: Explain the state of your industry and your target market.
• Management & Operations: Explain who your key leaders are and their roles.
• Implementation & Marketing: Explain how you plan to deploy your product to the marketplace.
• Financial Plan: Explain your company’s finances. Change the verbiage depending on whether you’re writing to investors or a general audience.
• Conclusion: Summarize what you’ve covered.

Ready? Download your free executive summary template .

To understand more tactically how an executive summary should look, let’s review a few examples.

Executive Summary Examples

1. connected.

Try It Yourself

Use the heading of your page to immediately describe what you do, as opposed to using “About Us” or “Executive Summary” as the title. Give readers the opportunity to get what they need above the fold and the option to read more. Note that this would not apply in an executive summary in a business plan.

2. Events Industry Council

Events Industry Council’s executive summary is short and sweet, yet provides plenty of information for readers to understand what the organization does and which products it offers. Note the brevity in the mission, vision, and values sections — that demonstrates that there’s no need to go on at length if it doesn’t suit you. The “Who we are” section has the most emphasis here, which is a powerful technique to draw readers’ attention.

Spend more time in the section that you feel your audience will care most about. If you’re pitching to investors, you might spend more time on the Market Analysis and Financials sections. If you’re writing for a general audience, you might focus on your company background.

3. Company Shop Group

One of the first things you see when visiting Company Shop Group’s About Us page is its subheading: “Company Shop Group is the UK’s leading redistributor of surplus food and household products.” Like Connected, Company Shop Group includes what it does above the fold, so that readers have the option to either keep reading or walk away knowing what the company is about. The organization also includes multimedia to engage visitors and explain its business model in a more digestible format.

Include what you do above the fold and add multimedia elements to provide an alternative way for readers to learn more about you. Videos, images, and headings can make it much easier to scan your executive summary, but be careful to only use this method for the right audience and through the right medium. (You might not include images inside a formal business plan, for instance.)

4. FirstEnergy

FirstEnergy’s executive summary is great inspiration if you’re a more corporate, formal brand. The company’s executive summary covers its mission, subsidiaries, operations, products and services, corporate responsibility values, and strategic plan goals. This is useful information for potential investors, as the company is publicly traded.

While it’s comprehensive, the executive summary remains short, using bullet points and images to break up the information and giving readers the opportunity to explore more with a sidebar menu.

Be conscious of the status of your company when writing your executive summary. If it’s publicly traded, you’ll want to include more information, such as your strategic plan and expansion opportunities. If you’re publishing your executive summary on your website, use a sidebar to allow readers to jump from page to page without leaving their place.

Start Your Executive Summary

An executive summary should be short and concise, but it should still convey who you are as a company. If you're starting a company, remember to tell your story, while also including important background and financial information. A strong executive summary will pave the way for more investors to invest in your business and more customers to trust in your brand.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in December 2018 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

This article was written by a human, but our team uses AI in our editorial process. Check out our full disclosure to learn more about how we use AI.

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How to Write an Effective Executive Summary (free powerpoint slide)

An executive summary (also called a business proposal executive summary or executive overview) is a concise documentation of your business plan or business challenge. It should be able to stand alone, conveying the most important aspects of your business proposal in an easily digestible format.

StrategyPunk

An executive summary (a business proposal or executive overview) concisely documents your business plan or business challenge. It should be able to stand alone, conveying the most important aspects of your business proposal in an easily digestible format.

Today, more than ever, executives are flooded with information. At any given moment, a busy executive can have on their desk an endless stream of memos, emails, reports, and documents requesting their attention. To stand out from the crowd and get noticed by the busy executive, you need to craft the executive summary of your paper so that it is concise and compelling.

A practical executive summary will inform and motivate the reader to dive deeper into the rest of your document.

Read on for more details about an executive summary and how to write one effectively.

What is an Executive Summary?

An executive summary is a concise overview of your business plan. This is the first section of your business proposal that executives, investors, or team members will read. The executive summary is usually the first section of a business plan, but it can also appear at the end of a report, following an introduction and other related material.

It is a short synopsis that highlights the report's main points and is meant to inform readers about the report’s findings and conclusions.

Why write an Executive Summary?

The benefits of an executive summary are two-fold:

Firstly, it allows readers to quickly assess whether the rest of the business plan is relevant to them – they can quickly evaluate the key points, decide what they want to read, and move on. This is useful if several executives or investors have requested your business plan.

Secondly, it allows you to craft a narrative tailored to your audience and speaks to their interests. So, even if your readers decide to read the entire business plan or proposal, they will understand it better because they have been given an overview beforehand.

A step-by-step guide to writing a compelling Executive Summary

The first thing to do is to ask yourself: Who is reading this? What are their interests? What do they want to know about my business? This will help you decide on your Executive Summary's content and tone.

Next, could you decide on the format? Most businesses write their Executive Summary in a slide or PowerPoint format. Executives or investors are accustomed to the design.

Could you decide on a headline that summarises your business? This can be a number, percentage, or statistic highlighting your key difference point. Choose the main points you want to cover in the summary and structure your Executive Summary accordingly.

An executive summary's purpose is to ensure you understand the main ideas of your writing clearly and concisely. It should be written so that a reader with only time to skim it can understand the critical points of your writing. Make sure to proofread your Executive Summary and align it with the rest of your analysis or argumentation before submitting it to an executive, board, or investors.

Some people use an executive summary as their first draft and then revise it for clarity based on feedback from readers.

What is the format of an executive summary?

Executive summary (sometimes called “summary”) is a one- to two-page overview of the main points in a written document. The purpose of the executive summary is to give readers a glance at the key issues and topics covered by the document.

The executive summary should be written first, followed by the rest of the body text elaborating on those points. In addition to summarizing a document, an executive summary can serve as a teaser for potential readers interested in reading more about the subject matter. When writing an executive summary, readers must remember that they want maximum clarity and brevity.

Avoid excessive detail and jargon — stick to high-level concepts and core ideas critical to understanding your document's content.

We recommend preparing the executive summary in PowerPoint or Google Slides format. Executives or investors are accustomed to the format.

What Information is included in an Executive Summary?

The executive summary is the first thing an executive or investor will read while looking at your business plan or proposal. A practical executive summary should include a compelling problem/challenge and recommendation.

So, what should I include in your executive summary to make it successful?

Problem (or Challenge)

The problem section of an executive summary should be concise but persuasive. This section should explain the problem to the reader without making them feel as if they are being sold something. Please keep it in a neutral tone.

Recommendation

The recommendation section should provide the solution to the problem, telling them why they need to invest in this idea. It must show how this solution is feasible.

A good executive summary has several vital features to support the argumentation:

• Market analysis
• Competitor analysis
• Customer segments (or Sales strategy)
• Marketing strategy
• Business structure (or Organisation)
• Key financials

Of course, more than one size fits solution is needed. You can adapt our template for your purposes. Our template is fully editable.

How long is an executive summary?

Try to create an executive summary that is between 5-10% of the length of the finished document (for a report or presentation that is 20 slides or less, create a one-page executive summary).

The executive summary is often the first thing an executive or investor reads when they receive your business plan or proposal. With this in mind, making it as engaging and compelling as possible is essential.

When you write your summary, it is also essential to consider who is reading it and what they want to know. By keeping these things in mind, you can write a compelling executive summary to catch an executive's or potential investors' attention.

Executive Summary Template

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Executive Summary PowerPoint Templates

The purpose of using an Executive summary slide is to pique the audience’s curiosity by summarizing content from the larger piece of information. A robust executive summary powerpoint template creates value for the audience as a great first impression and generates interest in viewing the rest of the presentation. You can take inspiration from these executive summary PPT templates/examples to make professional presentation summaries.

A single executive summary ppt template effectively captures all your crucial information, such as progress, skills, business plan, and project management strategy. Therefore, choosing the right executive summary PowerPoint template that meets your professional needs is essential. 

SlideUpLift has executive summary PPT templates ranging from HR professionals, Finance Managers to Marketing Managers to help them create engaging business presentations. Our executive summary templates are compatible with both MS PowerPoint and Google Slides.

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What is an executive summary powerpoint template.

An executive summary PowerPoint template intends to show the important points and highlights of a larger report, presentation, or business strategy clearly. The executive summary PowerPoint template often comprises a title slide, an agenda or outline slide, and a sequence of slides that summarise the most essential information in the document, such as the problem or opportunity being addressed, the suggested solution, the projected outcomes, and benefits, the budget and timetable.

What Is The Difference Between The Agenda And Executive Summary PowerPoint Template?

The main difference between the agenda PowerPoint template   and the executive summary PowerPoint template is that the presentation’s agenda is like the rundown of all the key points that the presentation is about. In contrast, the executive summary PPT template is the presentation’s gist condensed into a few short paragraphs. It is prepared for busy executives and investors who may not have the time to read the entire presentation.

How To Make Your Executive Summary Slide Engaging?

An executive summary is a tool that can make or break your first impression of your audience. To win your audience or to convince them, make sure your executive summary PPT template:

• Has relevant content and is at the  start of a presentation
• Captures and highlights the key points of the presentation
• Is designed engagingly to capture the audience’s attention

Why Should You Always Have An Executive Summary In PowerPoint Presentations?

The need for an executive summary PPT template in the corporate world is endless. The executive summary provides an overview of a presentation or research and is usually the first thing your audience sees. It captures their attention and piques their curiosity by presenting facts from large and boring content in a quick summary. A few benefits of drafting an executive summary PowerPoint template are:

• Summarize the key points of a larger data, report, or presentation to save time.
• Provide a short, concise, and optimistic sketch of your organization that captures the attention of the audience.
• Highlight the interesting milestones, strengths, and vision of a business that provokes the audience to learn more about the organization

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10 Free Executive Summary Templates in Word, Slides, & ClickUp

Praburam Srinivasan

Growth Marketing Manager

February 14, 2024

Executive summaries are a key part of any business plan and there’s a lot riding on their success!

Despite being a small piece of a larger proposal, executive summaries serve a big purpose in project management and will be read by every stakeholder, higher-up, or investor you hope to impress. So they must be handled with care.

Your executive summary should be short and sweet, but it also needs to pack a punch. Different than an abstract, the executive summary provides a condensed variation of what your project proposal explains in length. Think of it as the highlight reel or SparkNotes version of your more-detailed project documents .

The thing is, executive summaries are all about strategy. They may be brief, but they’re intentional! And there’s a secret to nailing the perfect summary for your proposal every time—templates. 🙂

Executive summary templates are the only surefire way to guarantee you’re hitting the most impactful points, every time. Plus, they help you save time writing them and make the overall process significantly less stressful and more formulaic.

Follow along to learn more about executive summary templates and the must-have features to look for before you download. Even access 10 of the best free executive summary templates for any type of proposal! Whether you use ClickUp, Word, PowerPoint, or the like, we’ve got a template to make your summaries significantly easier. 🙌🏼

What is an Executive Summary Template?

Top features to look for in executive summary templates, 1. clickup executive summary doc template, 2. clickup whiteboard executive summary template, 3. clickup executive memo template, 4. clickup program summary template, 5. clickup payroll summary report template, 6. clickup executive board report template, 7. clickup executive project status report template, 8. microsoft word executive summary template, 9. powerpoint executive summary template, 10. executive summary google slides template, who benefits from using an executive summary template, in summary, choose an executive summary template by clickup.

First things first— what is an executive summary?

An executive summary boils down the key points from a larger report or proposal into a brief and easily digestible document. This summary will give the reader a solid grasp on what’s to come and will cover the main takeaways from the larger body including the project plan , the problem it aims to solve, the project scope , cost breakdowns, OKRs , and more.

The length of your summary will vary depending on the complexity of your project, but a good rule of thumb is to think of it as a “section” rather than a full-length document of its own.

When it comes to executive summaries in project management, here are the five major points to cover in your executive summary:

• Project description : This is how you’re going to hook your reader! Stick to two or three sentences that summarize the project and its purpose.
• The problem you’re solving : Why are you making this product? Use this opportunity to dive into the reasons why people need this solution.
• Market analysis : This includes your target audience, any research you’ve done, and data that helps support why your product will succeed.
• The process : Without going too deep into the workflow, what will it take to get this project off the ground? Describe the resources, budget, people, and time needed to make your project possible.
• Future projections and next steps: What’s in it for the reader? How will this project create profit for those involved and what do the next steps look like to reach the project’s goal ?

That sounds like a lot to remember, right?

So take some of the pressure off of your summary process by investing your time more productively—in a customizable executive summary template that guarantees results! Think of your executive summary template as training wheels on a bike or bumpers at the bowling alley—except everyone uses them, even the most seasoned project managers in the game!

Like other project management templates , these pre-built documents will guide you in the right direction, no matter your budget or project type! The best templates will be easy to use, share, and complement your project management software . That way, your project proposal, summary, workflow, and progress can all exist on the same platform. This not only helps you save time but is crucial for streamlining processes and keeping your management team on the same page.

But what else should you look for in your executive summary template?

We’ve covered the five big sections of every successful executive summary, but what features should you look for in the actual template?

Highly visual : When people think of summaries, it’s easy to think of a blank page. Instead, you should think of your summary as a presentation aid. The more visual, engaging, and interesting your summary looks, the easier it will be for stakeholders to grasp it. Next time you go to open a new document, try looking at digital whiteboard software to take your summary further.

Collaboration tools : Live editing, comments, @mentions, and screen sharing are huge assets for your template. The summary will only get stronger with more eyes on the draft, and collaboration features will help the team work together and present alongside each other without overlap!

Sharing and permissions : Make sure your executive summary is accessible! Not everyone will use the same project management software as your team, but custom sharing and permission options will give you the power to choose who can edit, view, and distribute your work.

Integrations : More integrations will give you the ability to add more context to your summary and make it more valuable in the long run. Embedding, especially! Adding in important data, media, charts, and links will make your summary mean so much more than a simple document.

10 Free Executive Summary Templates You Have to Try

Executive summaries are deceptively short tasks!

While they may be brief in length, a lot of work, strategy, and thought goes into ensuring their success. And since the summary will be viewed by everyone involved and sometimes be the first thing they see, it’s crucial that it’s done correctly every time.

So before you spend another second sweating in front of your multi-page proposal, turn to one of these 10 free executive summary examples to kickstart your strategic messaging.

Here’s the ClickUp Executive Summary Doc Template to help you write a compelling teaser for your project proposal. You’ll know exactly what to add with the help of a guiding question at the top of each section. Once you’re finished, delete the questions for a cleaner document! 🤩

You can explain the value proposition of your proposal to your audience (like potential investors) with this template’s interactive features. Provide details about your business plan or project proposal, including the company’s mission statement, goals, project objectives , products, and target market.

The document breaks down key topics into sections, so you won’t have to spend extra time formatting! Template highlights include: 

• Project Overview : A brief description of your proposed project
• Focused Issue : The customer feedback or problem the project aims to solve
• Project Highlights : Market analysis results and project strengths
• Finance : Financial projections and requirements

Pro tip : Customize your executive summary template with your branding and basic information. Then, save and apply it to future executive summaries so you’ll always have access to pre-filled documents at a moment’s notice!

ClickUp’s Whiteboard Executive Summary Template  is a perfect tool for project managers who want their executive summary to be an interactive experience that keeps the reader’s attention throughout your pitch. 

With a digital whiteboard, you can communicate your ideas visually and make a lasting impression on your audience. You’ll also need a set of productivity tools to organize your thoughts, create charts, annotate images, and assign actionable tasks. 🎯

Enter: ClickUp Whiteboards !

Using ClickUp’s Whiteboard as an executive summary tool, your content can double as a working canvas and an engaging presentation from start to finish. 

ClickUp Whiteboards offer embedding, rich text editing, resource linking, and more to make designing executive summaries easier. In its basic form, Whiteboards are made of these powerful elements:

• ClickUp Cards (tasks) you can add to the Whiteboard as you work through your ideas
• Objects (shapes, sticky notes, images)
• Connectors (arrows, lines)

Not sure what steps to take first on your Whiteboard? We got you covered with a Getting Started guide in the template!

Like executive summaries, executive  memos  are short-form documents containing the latest project information for key stakeholders. The purpose of an executive memo is to communicate important information to the intended audience, such as the status of a project, policies, or cross-functional procedures and processes in the company.

Depending on how often your audience expects an executive memo to arrive in their inbox, you should start building a central wiki where all of your memos will be stored for record-keeping purposes.

The reality is that schedules, deliverables, stakeholders, and collaborators for any given project are likely to change at some point. In some cases, we get so bogged down in work that we neglect to update documentation for days or weeks. 🗓

ClickUp Docs seamlessly integrate into your tasks and projects. You are only a few clicks away from retrieving any documentation to reference or update within the platform.

Try it for free today! Connect the ClickUp Executive Memo Template to workflows by creating nested subpages for each memo in the template and linking the subpages to the memos. Your stakeholders will appreciate the digital trail!

The length of time it takes to complete a program may vary from months to even years. Unlike projects, they’re about the benefits, transformation, and change of the organization. For this proposal type, we can’t use a basic executive summary template! 

ClickUp’s Program Summary Template offers you a one-stop shop for creating a high-level overview of the programs you run in the organization. ⚡️

Your program summary document should include the following sections to make it as effective as possible: 

• Program name and purpose : Clearly state the name and provide a brief description of its purpose and objectives
• Target audience or beneficiaries : Identify the target audience or beneficiaries of the program or initiative (and any relevant demographic information)
• Key activities and project milestones : Provide an overview of the timeline, including the start and end dates, and major phases
• Measurable outcomes and impact : Identify the measurable outcomes or impact the program is expected to achieve and how it will be evaluated
• Funding and partners : Give information on the funding source and any partners or collaborators involved in the program or initiative

Check out our detailed program management guide for tips, examples, and features for a successful program!

An employee payroll summary report is usually prepared for HR or Finance personnel responsible for processing payrolls. In this report, payroll expenses are summarized for the period of time specified, for example, a month or quarter in the past. 

During a payroll review, management will ensure compliance with labor laws and consider the payroll expenses against the budget. There are several uses for the payroll report, including identifying any discrepancies or errors that might occur in the payroll process and tracking the progress of payroll-related projects or initiatives. 📊

You can collaborate with your cross-functional partners with ClickUp’s Payroll Summary Report Template and save the extra time of sending back-and-forth emails! Simply highlight any text to add a comment, or @mention members to call out action items.

Throughout the template, you’ll find organized tables similar to those on a spreadsheet within a ClickUp Doc. Once you have finished editing the template, you will be able to update the Doc’s settings to protect the content and share it with your team.

An executive board report is a document that gives an overview of an organization’s progress, performance, strategies, and health. Typically, it contains information about the company’s finances, operations, and goals. The company’s staff and operations are also included if any major changes have been or are about to occur. 🔮

In this ClickUp Executive Board Report Template , you’ll find guiding prompts along with powerful visuals that will help you create a professional report:

• Key Areas of Focus : Project goals that were set at the beginning of the year and a breakdown of month-over-month updates
• Critical Success Factors : Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) relevant and critical to the board
• Financials : Update on the company’s financial health and a breakdown of month-over-month numbers
• Challenges and Action Plans : Tasks in progress to resolve challenges

Download project charter templates to establish your project’s scope!

Here’s the ClickUp Executive Project Status Report Template if your executives like to visualize project performance!

By using visualization, complex data and information can be made easier to comprehend and accessible. This is relevant for senior management who may not be actively involved in the day-to-day operations of the project.🛠

The template includes different task views (List, Kanban board, Timeline, and Table) to compare project performance against goals or benchmarks. The results? Better-informed decisions and hours saved from building short-lived reports!

Pro tip : Add a Gantt view to your template and view multiple projects in one place!

The simple outline in this Word document will help you write an executive summary. It includes sections on business objectives, target audiences, competition, risks, and opportunities, which will guide you in the process of creating your document. 

Visuals like charts, diagrams, and graphics engage your audience better than any other type of content, so don’t forget to include them in your document. 🎨

We know building visuals in Word is a time-consuming task, so here are a few guides to help you get the most out of your visual content! 

• How to Make a Flowchart in Microsoft Word
• How to Make a Timeline in Microsoft Word
• How to Create a Gantt Chart in Microsoft Word
• How to Make a Mind Map in Word

A list of presentation templates wouldn’t be complete without the PowerPoint Executive Summary Template! It’s a three-list design used for presenting business objectives on a one-page slide. 

Executive summaries simplify your project proposal content, but you still want to give as much information to your audience, so they get the big picture. 

This template would be perfect to use for investors or stakeholders requesting key information in a single snapshot. 📸

Pro tip : A visual alternative would be #2 on this list—the ClickUp Whiteboard Executive Summary Template. As a presenter with a Whiteboard, you have the freedom to transform your presentation from static to interactive with shapes and images!

Google Slides is a powerful presentation tool offering a wide range of features and capabilities. Collaborate in real-time with others, embed multimedia, and add animations and transitions! It integrates with other Google products, such as Google Drive, making it easy to access and share presentations. 🔗

The Executive Summary Google Slides Template covers a basic outline to develop an executive summary. Use the sections included or make a list of the important points you want to cover during a meeting . This list could be as simple as the company description, products or services, market analysis, competitive advantage , and financial information.

Entrepreneurs: Start-ups and small businesses can utilize an executive summary to attract potential investors, partners, and customers. The executive summary allows them to comprehensively present their business model, strategies, goals, and overall plan without going into the minute details, thus saving time while still attracting interest.

• Start-up Executive Summary
• Small Business Executive Summary
• Entrepreneurs Executive Summary

Investors: An executive summary is a valuable tool for investors to get an understanding of a business or potential investment opportunity with minimal time expenditure. It highlights the key elements of a business proposal or plan, helping them to make efficient, informed decisions.

• Angel Investor Executive Summary
• Investors Executive Summary
• Real Estate Investors Executive Summary Template

Your executive summary should complement your larger business proposal or report—similar to the way your executive summary template should complement your project management software!

Creating your executive summary with a template designed to boost your productivity will take your effort, team, and project further in the long run. Plus, it will save you important time in the planning process.

Using ClickUp Docs , its Kanban-like Board view , and Whiteboards are just a few of the many ways you can bring your executive summary to life—and templates make the experience even smoother! But the best part? You can take your next steps directly from the summary itself, making your entire document more valuable throughout the entire project process.

ClickUp is the only productivity platform powerful enough to bring all of your work together across apps into one centralized hub. With over 15 highly visual ways to build your workflow, a rich set of features , over 1,000 integrations , and hundreds of customizable templates for every use case, ClickUp creates solutions for teams of any size and every pricing plan .

Access ClickUp Docs, Whiteboards, Board view, unlimited tasks, and so much more when you sign up for ClickUp today.

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Executive Summary Presentation Templates

Make your executive summaries stand out with our executive summary powerpoint templates and google slides themes. crafted for clarity and impact, our 100% editable designs help you highlight key points and present data persuasively. ideal for professionals aiming to impress free downloads are available. make every summary an opportunity to excel..

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What is an executive summary.

An Executive Summary is a brief and clear overview of a larger document prepared for business purposes, such as business plans, company descriptions, investment or project proposals, financial information, market analysis, etc.

What are Executive Summary Presentation Templates?

An Executive Summary Presentation Template can help you present the key components related to your business in a summarized form. It will deliver your content appealingly to unlock new business opportunities.

Where can we use these Executive Summary Slides?

Every business can use these Executive Summary Slides to give a quick overview of essential information to the stakeholders and investors.

How can I make Executive Summary Slides in a presentation?

You can make creative Executive Summary Slides with innovative infographics, charts, and tables to make your summary easy to follow. Our tips and tutorial page will guide you to design the best presentation from scratch.

Who can use Executive Summary Presentation Templates?

CEOs, business executives, department heads, and supervisors can use Executive Summary Presentation Templates to present the summary.

Why do we need Executive Summary Presentation Slides?

Executive Summary Presentation Slides can help you deliver a summary of a larger document clearly and precisely to persuade decision-makers.

Where can I find Executive Summary Presentation Templates for Free?

You can search the internet to find a collection of Free slides for your needs. SlideEgg also has a cluster of 80+ Executive Summary Presentation Templates to help to prepare professional-looking presentations.

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Executive Summary PowerPoint Template

The Executive Summary PowerPoint Template is a colorful presentation to outline a business profile. The graphics in slides will highlight important aspects of a company in single view snapshot. These aspects may involve company’s vision, strategies, operational processes, and other key metrics. The layouts of executive summary could be used as a part of sales pitch or business overview template. The users can also present financial components of business like profit growth and revenues. This QBR presentation of executive summary will outline business plan i.e. milestones, market analysis, product features, etc.

The executive summary templates are a business strategy PowerPoint of 3 layout designs to enhance presentation. This executive summary slide could help presenters ace the project progress meeting with a dynamic template. Because it contains process diagram designs. For example, infographic process flow diagram with text placeholders to describe certain activities. Similarly, arrow bullet list template for agenda slide and mind map style layout to discuss multiple scenarios.

All slides of executive summary PowerPoint include colorful shapes and infographic clipart icons for visual representation of topics. The users can easily change the colors of shapes and icons or resize them. The presenter can also replace clipart icons with shapes or images related to presentation topics.

The Executive Summary PowerPoint Template help visualizes important details such as progress, skills, and management strategy. The use of appealing slides to communicate such information will get more engagement from audience. Alternatively, check out the executive summary example slides.

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While the department increased the minimum salary required for the EAP exemption from overtime pay every 5 to 9 years between 1938 and 1975, long periods between increases to the salary requirement after 1975 have caused an erosion of the real value of the salary threshold, lessening its effectiveness in helping to identify exempt EAP employees.

The department’s new overtime rule was developed based on almost 30 listening sessions across the country and the final rule was issued after reviewing over 33,000 written comments. We heard from a wide variety of members of the public who shared valuable insights to help us develop this Administration’s overtime rule, including from workers who told us: “I would love the opportunity to...be compensated for time worked beyond 40 hours, or alternately be given a raise,” and “I make around $40,000 a year and most week[s] work well over 40 hours (likely in the 45-50 range). This rule change would benefit me greatly and ensure that my time is paid for!” and “Please, I would love to be paid for the extra hours I work!”

The department’s final rule, which will go into effect on July 1, 2024, will increase the standard salary level that helps define and delimit which salaried workers are entitled to overtime pay protections under the FLSA. 

Starting July 1, most salaried workers who earn less than $844 per week will become eligible for overtime pay under the final rule. And on Jan. 1, 2025, most salaried workers who make less than $1,128 per week will become eligible for overtime pay. As these changes occur, job duties will continue to determine overtime exemption status for most salaried employees.

The rule will also increase the total annual compensation requirement for highly compensated employees (who are not entitled to overtime pay under the FLSA if certain requirements are met) from $107,432 per year to $132,964 per year on July 1, 2024, and then set it equal to $151,164 per year on Jan. 1, 2025.

Starting July 1, 2027, these earnings thresholds will be updated every three years so they keep pace with changes in worker salaries, ensuring that employers can adapt more easily because they’ll know when salary updates will happen and how they’ll be calculated.

The final rule will restore and extend the right to overtime pay to many salaried workers, including workers who historically were entitled to overtime pay under the FLSA because of their lower pay or the type of work they performed. 

We urge workers and employers to visit  our website to learn more about the final rule.

Jessica Looman is the administrator for the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division. Follow the Wage and Hour Division on Twitter at  @WHD_DOL  and  LinkedIn .  Editor's note: This blog was edited to correct a typo (changing "administrator" to "administrative.")

• Wage and Hour Division (WHD)
• Fair Labor Standards Act
• overtime rule

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[Updated 2023] Top 50 Most Effective Executive Summary Templates [includes One pagers and Full Templates] To Impress Your Clients

Having a frisbee match on a sunny day is better than competing daily with business aspirants. The race towards dragging the competitors down and grabbing the spotlight has risen. Well! The competition in seeking clients' or viewers' attention is quite fair. After all, who doesn't want to steal the show? But what about transfixing the spectators on a particular business project? Is it that easy? The answer to this complex question is yes; the easy-to-go solution is an executive summary.

Everyone wants to lead in the market, so reaching out to potential clients is a must. Indeed! Providing an overview of the business to the client and, in return, receiving a yes is a daunting task. But the executive summary makes it work a lot easier and simpler. An executive summary is a short document created for business purposes. It is more likely to be the proposal's cover letter where business aspirants put all the work details together, making it easy for the viewer to understand. An executive summary helps an individual to keep business-related information precise and concise.

An executive summary is critical to help investors and executives take the final call on whether to move onward with the plan or not. It helps in familiarizing them with the advantages and key selling aspects of a project or company strategy. Click here to get access to more executive summary report templates.

There are a lot of business elements that go into the executive summary. Knowing more about the informative content that one needs to tweak in the executive summary is essential to be a game-changer and win the client's attention. For this, we have developed Top 50 Most Effective Executive Summary Templates. Apart from the knowledgeable material, our templates offer much more.

Each of the templates and slides is 100% customizable and editable. The content-ready nature offers you the much-needed structure, while the editability provides the flexibility to tailor the presentation to your unique business needs and audience.

Let's explore these creatively-designed templates now!

Top 50 Most Effective Executive Summary Templates To Download and Use

Executive Summary Template 1: Business plan executive summary PowerPoint presentation slides

Enlighten the clients about the possible price and profit margins of your proposed projects. Take the assistance of this interesting executive summary template to depict your plan of action more proficiently.

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Executive Summary Template 2: Annual Report Executive Summary Example Pdf Doc Ppt Document Report Template

This PPT Template on executive summary of an annual report starts with a gist of the organizational overview and financial details of the business. Then, the president and CEO share their views in a short, crisp letter to all stakeholders. Mission, vision and values are highlighted next, with the revenue, activity volume and operational areas in the US highlighted next. Company awards and achievements is given a slide, as is the executive sales performance and your stellar record in corporate governance. Balance sheet statements, cash flow statements etc are also recorded in this brilliantly conceived and organized annual report. Use this annual report presentation template to highlight how your company plans to go from strength to strength, while taking all stakeholders along. The past achievements and numbers are mandatory to showcase, and the annual report is the best platform to make these public. Download now, and use this template to mark the start of a new profitable journey.

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Executive Summary Template 3: Strategy executive summary powerpoint ppt template bundles

For any business, having a strategy is important, but even more significant is the ability to communicate this strategy in a way that hits home with all stakeholders. Hence, the preparation of a strategy executive summary is essential, and this PPT Presentation resolves this business pain point to perfection. Use this template to learn how about the five steps to creating a strategy executive summary. These are analysing the current situation, mission and vision, formulating the strategy, implementing it and finally controlling and evaluating it. As you do it, the building blocks have to be included, which are the company and team description; market factors and trends; your products and services and marketing activities you wish to hold. The promise to customer has to be a significant headline in your presentation template and we give you the format for it. Also, understand and showcase six ways in which to ensure your executive summary works best, with ‘Tailor it to the audience’ being the most significant tip. Finally, create that wow factor for your efforts in writing this executive summary with the compilation of a dashboard that the complete deck also provides. Get the template now!

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Executive Summary Template 4: It software start-up company one-page executive summary presentation report infographic

Incorporate this executive summary template to portray the skills and technical knowledge of your team. To give a modern touch to your presentation, you can add the images of your professional team in this slide. 

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Executive Summary Template 5: Financial consulting start-up one-page executive summary presentation report infographic

Utilize this template to illustrate the benefits of your services and convince the clients for more funding with ease. The slide is completely editable. So, you can tailor the information as per your business requirements.

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Executive Summary Template 6: Executive Summary Powerpoint Presentation Slides

Highlight the industry milestones and significant events with the help of this visually-appealing executive summary template. The lucrative designs present in this slide will make your presentation more exciting and entice the audience. 

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Executive Summary Template 7: Executive Profile Powerpoint Presentation Slides

Use this template to portray the solution to all the business challenges and the problems faced by the clients. This information will hold the interest of your client and the chances of closing the deal might increase. 

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Executive Summary Template 8: Executive summary overview for meeting PowerPoint presentation slides

Present the gist of your company to the clients with the help of this executive summary template. Make sure that you put the correct information regarding your business background. Design a creative summary and stand out from the competitors. 

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Executive Summary Template 9: Open meeting report executive summary PowerPoint presentation slides

Discuss the company's growth strategy and measures to achieve the goal with the assistance of this engaging executive summary template. Use advanced features and highlights present in the slide to make the presentation more impactful. 

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Executive Summary Template 10: Executive summary outsourcing proposal PowerPoint presentation slides

Take the help of this template and state the competitive landscape of your organization that grabs the viewer’s attention. In this executive summary template, you can also explain your target market in detail. 

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Executive Summary Template 11: Real estate startup one-page executive summary presentation report infographic

Summarize your crucial Start-Up business roles and responsibilities and impress the viewers by utilizing our eye-catching executive summary template. The unique and stylish designs present in this slide will make your presentation even more impeccable. With the aid of this beautifully designed template, you can also explain why the services of your company are better than the rest.

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Executive Summary Template 12: Executive Overview Powerpoint Presentation Slides

Summarize your lengthy financial reports into a simpler form by utilizing this impressive executive summary template. Save your time and create a beautiful presentation in minutes with the help of this template.

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Executive Summary Template 13: Executive summary ppt PowerPoint presentation show grid

Take advantage of this compelling executive summary template and provide an insight into your organization to the viewers. Along with the images of your workers put their name as well and make your presentation intact. 

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Executive Summary Template 14: Executive summary ppt styles model

Take advantage of this template to focus on the business problems that you are going to solve. The slide is designed professionally by our experts for your convenience. So, easily access this slide and tweak the content that fits into your presentation. 

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Executive Summary Template 15: Executive summary financial management affiliate marketing business plan CPB

Employ this stunning executive summary template to discuss the marketing strategy with your senior management. You can easily impress them by showcasing the ways that help in increasing the customer experience. 

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Executive Summary Template 16: Executive summary ppt example file

Incorporate this executive summary template to portray the accreditations and certifications your company has received over the past years. With the help of vibrant colors, and different font styles you can make your presentation even more appealing. 

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Executive Summary Template 17: Business plan executive summary for a project

Describe the functioning and execution of your business activities with the help of this easy-to-use template. Craft an effective presentation and impress your readers with well-structured information. 

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Executive Summary Template 18: Business plan executive summary market competitor analysis

Provide a clear picture of your business operations and processes to your viewers by employing this available executive summary template. You can add or delete the content of your presentation and make it more attractive by using this template. 

Executive Summary Template 19: Executive summary background accreditation capabilities vision mission

Take the help of this template and highlight your financial projections in your presentation. You can briefly describe your strategies that make your upcoming projects profitable. You can use the graphs present in the slide to display the yearly financial highlights of your company. 

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Executive Summary Template 20: Business plan executive summary model

Incorporate this template to portray the tasks and functions of your organization. Keep the information plain and simple that will be easily understandable by the readers. Make an amazing presentation and influence your clients for more funding. 

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Executive Summary Template 21: New business plan executive summary PowerPoint ideas

Bring the client’s attention to the issues that obstruct the path of a growing financial system. Deliver the relevant information to the clients and gain their trust in your services by utilizing this unique executive summary template. 

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Executive Summary Template 22: Business plan executive summary marketing plan company goals background

Highlight the key strengths of your business by utilizing this completely editable executive summary template. With the help of this slide, explain your fool-proof marketing strategy to the client and gain their attention. 

Executive Summary Template 23: Business plan executive summary outline PowerPoint templates

Talk to your clients about the unique selling proposition your company provides. Employ this aesthetically designed executive summary template to deliver an impressive presentation to the client and take your business to the next level.

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Executive Summary Template 24: Corporate development covering executive summary company description

In your executive summary, write about the company’s key deliverables that make your presentation even more compelling and noticeable. You can also include the duties of your management team in this executive summary template.

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Executive Summary Template 25: Executive summary ppt visuals

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Executive Summary Template 26: Executive summary presentation background images

Incorporate this outstanding executive summary template to portray your business locations, number of employees, and the founder’s name. This information will keep the clients connected to your business. Add colors to your text and make your presentation worth-noticeable.

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Executive Summary Template 27: Executive summary icon bullet list in circle

With the aid of this template, you can showcase the approaches to the clients that make business better and progressive. The slide consists of beautiful designs and diagrams with which you can make your presentation even more professional.

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Executive Summary Template 28: Business plan executive summary icon

With the aid of this template, showcase a financial report of your company to the clients. Keep your report short and concise which is easily understandable by the clients. You can also put colors, and fonts of different sizes to make your presentation creative. 

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Executive Summary Template 29: Executive summary icon project brief pen circle

Provide a short version of your lengthy business plan to the client with the help of this intuitively designed executive summary template. Explain briefly the advantages of your products or services to the client and gain their attention with ease. 

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Executive Summary Template 30: Executive summary icon with analysis and description

In your presentation, talk to your client about your business position in the marketplace. Present your business information clearly and concisely to the client and win over them by utilizing this ready-to-use executive summary template.

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Executive Summary Template 31: Executive summary icon document ticks circular

Explain in-depth the overall description of your business and your future objectives by employing this fully customizable executive summary template. You can include whatever relevant information you feel is essential to the executive summary. 

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Executive Summary Template 32: Executive summary template PowerPoint presentation examples

The executive summary is a direction towards reaching potential investors. So, introduce your key working areas to the clients in a presentable manner by employing our eye-pleasing executive summary template. 

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Executive Summary Template 33: Executive summary business template PowerPoint guide

Describe the purpose of your startup to your clients and showcase how you will make it run smoothly in the future. Modify the color, font, and style of the presentation and make it unique with the help of this slide. 

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Executive Summary Template 34: Vendor assessment executive summary ppt portfolio backgrounds

Design a full-fledged presentation on your business strategies & upcoming goals and communicate it with your investors by using this template. Customize your presentation and personalize it completely by using this eye-catching executive summary template.

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Executive Summary Template 35: Business development covering executive summary and operations

Take advantage of this template and explain to the clients how your company identifies the external opportunities and threats. In this executive summary template, you can include every business topic that catches the eye of the reader.

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Executive Summary Template 36: Proposal strategy proposal schedule executive summary team charter

Input all the valuable data in your summary report and share it with your clients by utilizing this template. Put less effort and craft your presentation with ease by incorporating this engaging executive summary template. 

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Executive Summary Template 37: Vendor assessment executive summary ppt

Input all the valuable data in your summary report and share it with your clients by utilizing this template. Put less effort and craft your presentation with ease by incorporating this likable executive summary template. 

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Executive Summary Template 38: Similar business vision executive summary relevant intellectual property

Bring the client’s attention to your business infrastructure, resources and capacities, suppliers, and other operating procedures with the help of this template. Apply vibrant colors and graphics to add a modern touch to your presentation.

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Executive Summary Template 39: PowerPoint presentation file demonstration CPB

This template is largely used by entrepreneurs who have just started their business. With the help of this slide, it is easy to illustrate your mission statement. Also, this template will help you in building your relationship with the investor.

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Executive Summary Template 40: Actual implementation strategies publication of sustainability reports

With the help of this template, you can describe the efforts your company will take in serving the customers. The slide contains many designs with which you can convey your message in a visually-appealing way. 

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Executive Summary Template 41: Strategic marketing analysis executive summary option

With the aid of this template, you can deliver a full-blown presentation on the marketing research analysis your company undergoes frequently. Showcase each stage of business structure effectively by utilizing this readily available executive summary template. 

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Executive Summary Template 42: Business plan executive summary for startup

Showcase the products and services in your summary that enhances the positioning of your brand in the marketplace. Utilize this executive summary template and tweak your content. 

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Executive Summary Template 43: Business plan executive summary for startup

Give a clear snapshot of your organization’s essential details to the investors by employing this easily accessible executive summary template. Use this slide and make your presentation even more interesting.

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Executive Summary Template 44: Start business capital perfect competition organizational management

Incorporate this template and highlight the steps that help in improving business activities. Add or delete the content and tailor the presentation as per your requirements by using this template. 

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Executive Summary Template 45: Executive summary capabilities ppt

Utilize this interesting template to portray your promoters and shareholdings. You can also take advantage of graphs and charts present in this slide to fill up the desired information more efficiently. 

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Executive Summary Template 46: Executive summary profits ppt PowerPoint presentation

Talk about your marketing channels and geographic presence with this executive summary template. You can display the images in this presentation that nurtures your business reputation in the client’s eye. 

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Executive Summary Template 47: Channel management content management return investment

With this template, you can explain the measures that help in monitoring your business change management. Make sure to showcase all the business concepts perfectly that raise your bar in front of the clients.

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Executive Summary Template 48: Added value analysis innovation foresight market trend

Shorten the large and exaggerated information of your business plans by using this visually-stunning executive summary template. In this slide, you can also highlight your new ideas and notion for the betterment of the organization.

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Executive Summary Template 49: Business case executive summary retail business

Take advantage of this template to highlight the methods your company uses to achieve the goals. Give a clear idea of your organization’s mission statement and key strengths to the potential investors and win a deal with no extra efforts.

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Executive Summary Template 50: Executive summary example of ppt presentation

Employ the template below to cover the myriad of operational activities involved in executing the projects. Succinctly describe the technical report to your investors and make your summary unique by utilizing this template. 

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Make your position even more stable in the market by downloading our above-mentioned Top 50 Most Effective Executive Summary Templates. In just a click, you can now close as many deals as you want!

FAQs on Executive Summaries

What is included in an executive summary.

An executive summary must include an arresting opening sentence, as the first gateway to the description of the business. Then the next five things that must be included are a summary of the company; some market study, along with your products and services. You also have to include financial information and projections with a brief idea of the plans you have. Hence, inclusion of all these things is a must for writing an impressive executive summary. Remember that all of these are equally important, though, the first line matters a lot, followed by the kind of market analysis you have done.

How do you format an executive summary?

The format of an executive summary is not set in stone, yet, there are guidelines that have been known to work. The first instruction is to always use active, correct language. Then, frame a short, crisp introduction. Make sure there are plenty of bullet points and subheadings. The length needs to be less than 10% of the total document length. These need to be professional documents with clear and concise format and a professional tone, always being maintained.

How do you write a short executive summary example?

A short executive summary example is illustrated as below. Suppose, you are the head of a mid-sized garment company and want to solicit interest from franchises. Please find below a 50-word executive summary:

From Texas come trendy wear for summers to capture customers hearts. We offer activewear for hot summers at pleasing rates. The $100,000 company invites partners for is retail sale effort. Contact now at xxx.

How long is an executive summary?

An executive summary must be balanced, clear and concise. Hence, not an extra word needs to be inserted. Typically, of around 4 paragraphs at the maximum, it can go up to 15% of the total document length of the proposal or plan. Yet, it pays to remember that overall, it should never cross the upper word ceiling of 250 words. Any longer executive summary means there is little incentive for the investor to go through it. He might read the entire full document, then. The thumb rule is make your executive summary full of energy and life.

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