6 Tips to write an efficient executive summary

No matter the reason for creating your executive statement, a few general guidelines make it simpler and, ultimately, more effective. Here are some to be aware of before you start:

1. Consider an executive summary like pitch

Consider an executive summary as something like an elevator pitch with limitations. A practical summary will help you sell the remainder of the strategy. However, it should not be a simple pitch. Instead, it should present the plan. The reader should expect it to include your product, business markets, financial, and market highlights, at minimum (see the next section for further information regarding this).

Of course, you'll mention what will spark your reader's curiosity and help achieve the business goal you have set for yourself. However, your readers will want to know the main points that you've highlighted. Thus, it is a summary, not simply an elevator pitch.

2. Write it down last

Do not begin writing your business plan before you have completed your summary. Although the executive summary should be at the beginning of your completed planning process, many successful business owners (including me) opt to write their executive summary after they've completed the rest of their business plan.

The ideal executive summary should be brief--usually only one or two pages and five on the outside. It will highlight the arguments you've discussed elsewhere on your company plan, so it's quick and straightforward if you leave it until the end of your project.

3. Keep your executive summary to a minimum

Make your writing concise and clear. Experts recommend one page, one page not more than five pages, and occasionally, even longer. I believe that less is more. Try to keep it as short as you can without omitting the essentials. I can't resist since I go through hundreds of plans each year. One page is better than two, and two is better than five. And more than five or more pages (my personal opinion) is too long.

4. Make it simple

The form follows the function; therefore, do not overcomplicate or explain the details within your summaries. The majority of executive summaries are brief text, usually with bullets and broken down into subheadings. However, illustrations, such as pictures of an item or a bar chart with financial highlights, are often a nice inclusion.

5. Prioritize sections based upon the importance and strength

Don't hide the main point. Make sure to arrange your executive summary in a way that the most crucial information is first. There is no standard sequence of presentation for the key points that you include. Therefore, use the order to emphasize.

Begin with what you would like to focus on, then follow up with items in the most critical order. I like summary reports which begin by stating an issue since it will create drama and urgency to help you find the solution to your organization.

6. Use it to summarize your memo

Once it's done, you can reuse it in the summary memo. It's the very first chapter of a formal business plan. However, you could also make it a stand-alone "summary memo." Investors frequently ask startups to submit an overview memo instead of the entire business plan.

It could be a brief document, often sent along with an email or just a summary in an email. It can also be used to complete the profiles of startups on investment platforms like Gust or AngelList or to submit an application for an incubator or business plan contest.