What an executive summary is
An executive summary is a short, self-contained version of your report, plan or proposal. It is written for a reader who is short of time and needs to understand the problem, the main findings and what to do, without reading the document. In business, the people who approve spending often read only the summary, which is why it matters so much in assignments too.
Three features define it. It leads with the answer rather than building up to it. It includes the key numbers. And it can be understood on its own, so it should not rely on references to later sections.
How it differs from similar sections
| Section | Purpose | Written when | Typical content |
|---|---|---|---|
| Executive summary | Let a busy reader act without reading the rest | After the report is finished | Problem, findings, recommendation, cost and benefit |
| Introduction | Orient the reader before the detail | Can be drafted early, revised at the end | Background, purpose, scope, structure of the report |
| Abstract | Summarize academic research for scholars | After the study | Aim, method, results, conclusion, usually without recommendations |
| Conclusion | Close the analysis | After the analysis | What the findings show; recommendations may follow separately |
A frequent error is writing an introduction and calling it a summary, for example This report will discuss the company's marketing. An executive summary tells the reader what you found and what they should do.
What to include
Every executive summary should answer the same five questions in roughly this order.
- Context and problem: what situation is the reader in and what is the issue or opportunity?
- Approach: briefly, how did you look into it? One sentence is enough.
- Key findings: the two to four most important results, with numbers.
- Recommendation: what should be done, stated clearly.
- Impact and next step: the cost, the benefit and the immediate action required.
For length, aim for about 5 to 10 percent of the main report and no more than one page. A 20-page report needs about a page. A 10-page report may need half a page.
A sentence-by-sentence template
If you are staring at a blank page, fill in this skeleton and then smooth it.
- Sentence 1: [Organization] faces [problem or opportunity], which [matters because of impact].
- Sentence 2: This report analyzes [what you looked at] using [data or method].
- Sentences 3 to 5: The main findings are: first, [finding with number]; second, [finding with number]; third, [finding with number].
- Sentence 6: We recommend [action], which should [expected result].
- Sentence 7: The estimated cost is [amount] and the expected benefit is [amount or effect]. The next step is [specific action and date].
Then check that each sentence could be understood by someone who has read nothing else.
A worked example
Executive summary (hypothetical report)
Harbor Brew, a 40-store regional coffee chain, has seen weekday afternoon transactions fall for three consecutive quarters, with the steepest declines in its office-district stores. Management has proposed a 10 percent price cut. This report analyzes sales data, a survey of 300 customers and a comparison with four competitors to identify the cause.
The analysis shows three main findings. First, weekday afternoon transactions in office-district stores fell 17 percent over three quarters while weekend sales were flat. Second, 62 percent of surveyed lapsed customers said they now buy afternoon snacks elsewhere, citing the lack of food after 2 pm and slow service at peak times, and only 11 percent cited price. Third, a 10 percent price cut would cost an estimated $1.4 million a year in margin with no evidence it would restore traffic.
We recommend piloting an extended afternoon food menu and a faster service process in five office-district stores for three months instead of cutting prices. The pilot is estimated to cost $180,000 and, if it restores half of the lost afternoon traffic, to add about $650,000 in annual gross profit across the chain. The next step is for operations to select the pilot stores by the end of the month.
The figures in this example are invented for illustration. What matters is the structure: the problem and the rejected idea in the first paragraph, the findings with numbers in the second, and the recommendation, cost, benefit and next step in the third.
Before and after: turning a weak summary into a strong one
| Weak | Why it is weak | Stronger |
|---|---|---|
| This report looks at the company's marketing and gives some recommendations. | Says what the report is, not what it found | Online advertising generates 70 percent of new customers at half the cost of print, so we recommend moving 30 percent of the print budget online. |
| The company has many strengths and weaknesses that are discussed in the report. | No findings, nothing the reader can act on | The company's strongest asset is customer loyalty, but its delivery time is 40 percent slower than rivals, which puts repeat business at risk. |
| In conclusion, several steps could improve results. | Vague and generic | Reducing delivery time to two days by adding a regional warehouse would cost $300,000 and is projected to protect $1.2 million in annual sales. |
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Get an instant quoteExecutive summaries for different documents
The five questions stay the same, but the emphasis shifts with the document.
| Document | What the summary must emphasize | Typical extra element |
|---|---|---|
| Business plan | The opportunity, the model, the market, the team and the funding needed | The amount sought and what it will be used for |
| Analytical report | The question, the main findings and what they imply | The confidence level or limits of the evidence |
| Feasibility study | The option studied, the criteria and the verdict | A clear go or no-go with conditions |
| Project proposal | The problem, the proposed solution, cost, timeline and benefit | Key risks and how they will be managed |
| Case analysis | The problem diagnosis, the options weighed and the chosen recommendation | Implementation steps and measures |
A second worked example: a business plan summary
Executive summary of a business plan (hypothetical)
Trailside Repairs is a mobile bicycle repair service for commuters and recreational riders in a city of 200,000 people. Riders currently wait several days and travel to a shop for routine repairs. Trailside will fix bikes at customers' homes and workplaces from a fully equipped van, in about an hour for most jobs.
A survey of 120 riders found that 71 percent would use a mobile service at a price of $45 per visit, and we estimate a serviceable market of about $270,000 a year in the first city. Two shops offer pickup repairs, but none offer same-day service on site.
The business will break even at about 140 visits a month and is forecast to reach that point in month five. First-year revenue is projected at $96,000 with a net profit of about $14,000. The founders seek $30,000, of which $19,000 will buy and equip the van and $11,000 will cover insurance, marketing and working capital. The next step is to secure the van lease and begin a four-week pilot at two workplaces.
All numbers are invented for the exercise. Note how in about 180 words the reader learns what the business does, why customers want it, how big the opportunity is, what it will earn, what is being asked and what happens next.
Editing a long summary down
Most first drafts are too long. Here is how to cut one in half without losing the point.
- Remove history. Cut background the reader already knows. Keep only context needed to understand the problem.
- Keep three findings at most. Pick the ones that lead to your recommendation and drop the rest.
- Merge sentences. Replace The company wants to grow. It plans to enter a new market. The market is in Asia. with The company plans to enter the Asian market to grow.
- Replace adjectives with numbers. Substantial growth becomes 18 percent growth.
- Read it aloud. If you stumble, the sentence is too long.
Writing tips
- Lead with the answer Do not build suspense. The reader should know the recommendation within the first half of the page.
- Use numbers Figures make findings credible and memorable. Keep them accurate and consistent with the report.
- Write it last You cannot summarize what you have not yet argued.
- Make it stand alone Avoid see Section 4. Use plain language and explain any abbreviations.
- No new information Everything in the summary must appear in the report.
- Be brief Cut background the reader already knows, and avoid long lists of detail.
- Match the report If you change a recommendation or a number later, update the summary.
Formatting details
Place the summary after the title page and before the table of contents, unless your template says otherwise. Use a clear heading, short paragraphs and, if helpful, a short bulleted list of findings. Avoid tables and charts in the summary unless your instructor asks for them. Number the page in the style your course requires, often roman numerals for front matter. Keep the font and spacing the same as the rest of the document.
Checklist before you submit
- Does it state the problem or opportunity in the first sentences?
- Does it give the main findings with numbers?
- Is the recommendation clear and specific?
- Are cost, benefit and next step included?
- Could someone who reads only this page make a decision?
- Is it under one page, and consistent with the report?
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