Executive Summaries

by Pamela Hubbell

The Executive Summary is a one to two page summary of the findings, conclusions, and recommendations of the report or document it precedes. Information in the summary should be presented in the same order that it appears in the report. In some cases, the Executive Summary will be all that the audience will read; therefore, it needs to present the essential points efficiently.
Your goal is not only to summarize the contents of the plan, but also to generate the reader's interest so he or she will continue reading the plan. When your objective is to secure funding for a new business, begin with a brief description of the business, product, and market. Then summarize the qualifications of the people involved in the business. Finally summarize what is being requested (money), how it will be used, and what are the expected returns on investments. Write the Executive Summary last. For more detailed information, refer to the Executive Summary page: http://www.umuc.edu/writingcenter/writingresources/exec_summaries.cfm

Writing the Executive Summary
When preparing the Executive Summary after the report is written, you should do the following:
Review the report
Summarize the purpose of the report, the problem addressed, and your findings, conclusions, and recommendations
Support your recommendations by listing the major headings and briefly summarizing these sections. Eliminate all nonessential detail and use minimal technical language.
Do not include information in the Executive Summary that is not in the report.
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For additional materials on Writing Business Papers you can visit: http://www.ehow.com/how_16566_write-executive-summary.html http://www.cgu.edu/pages/833.asp http://writing.ku.edu/~writing/instructors/guides/documents/Business_Economics_Writing_Guide.pdf References
University of Kansas Writing Center