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What Is An Executive Summary

An executive summary provides a brief overview of a longer document such as a business plan or proposal. It summarizes the key points in 1-4 pages using clear, concise language for the target audience. Unlike an abstract, an executive summary can be understood on its own without reading the full document. It typically includes an overview of a company or business, identification of a main problem or proposition, analysis supporting that proposition with facts and figures, possible solutions and their justifications, and clearly defined conclusions. The primary goals of an executive summary are to provide a condensed version of the main document and grab the reader's attention, as readers like investors and executives often do not have time to read lengthy documents fully.

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146 views

What Is An Executive Summary

An executive summary provides a brief overview of a longer document such as a business plan or proposal. It summarizes the key points in 1-4 pages using clear, concise language for the target audience. Unlike an abstract, an executive summary can be understood on its own without reading the full document. It typically includes an overview of a company or business, identification of a main problem or proposition, analysis supporting that proposition with facts and figures, possible solutions and their justifications, and clearly defined conclusions. The primary goals of an executive summary are to provide a condensed version of the main document and grab the reader's attention, as readers like investors and executives often do not have time to read lengthy documents fully.

Uploaded by

Rose Laurente
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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What is an Executive Summary?

An executive summary is the first section of a business plan or proposal that provides a brief overview of
the document and contains its main points. In other words, it is a condensed version of a complete
business plan or proposal. It is primarily used in the business world, but its application in academia is also
possible.

Breaking Down Executive Summary

Generally, an executive summary is relatively short, with an average length of one to four pages. It
should be written in short paragraphs, using clear and concise language appropriate for the target
audience. One should know well the target audience of the document to convey the message as clearly
as possible. In addition, the summary must have a similar structure and flow as the main document.

The executive summary must not be confused with an abstract of the document. The abstract is a
complementary overview of a larger document that does not provide much value to the reader by itself.
On the other hand, the executive summary is a shorter version of the main document and can be read
separately because it provides all the key points of the document.

Components of the Summary

Despite the fact that the components of the executive summary may vary depending on the specifics of
the main document, some major parts are still presented in the majority of the summaries. The key
components typically include:

Overview of a company/business

Identification of a main problem or proposition

Analysis of a problem or proposition, with supporting facts, data, and figures

Possible solutions and their justifications


Clearly defined conclusions

Importance of an Executive Summary

The primary goals of the executive summary are to provide a condensed version of the main document,
such as a business plan, and to grab the attention of the reader(s). Since the readers of the business
plans and reports (investors, lenders, and C-level executives) generally do not have time to read all the
lengthy documents they receive, a well-written summary can help you to grab their attention and
subsequently achieve your business goals.

As the executive summary is the initial representation of the complete document, it should cover the
main parts of a plan or proposal and indicate the points that are elaborated on in the final document.

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