Who depends on the information? When you write the executive summary, decide who you are targeting and the critical information that audience needs. It doesn’t have to be an intimidating process, but before you begin writing, you should ask the following critical questions: The executive summary may be the only part of the report your target audience reads, so you should spend the time to make it valuable. Executive summaries show up in a variety of use cases, including the following:Ĭrafting a useful executive summary requires more than simply cutting and pasting vital information from the body of your report or proposal.

One of the benefits of using an executive summary is that it is not exclusive to one type of communication. Various industries use executive summaries as a communication tool, including healthcare, education, government, technology, real estate, finance, law, the nonprofit sector, and more. The reader should know how the subject of your content impacts them, benefits their work, their company, or their projects after reading the executive summary. Use the executive summary to make a business case, support a position, or tell a story. Even if it is the only thing your audience reads, a strong executive summary creates value for the reader as a first impression. The summary can convey the purpose of your business plan, project proposal, product launch presentation, or sales pitch to keep the reader engaged and reading further, or empowered to take action. The Benefits of a Well Written Executive SummaryĪ well planned, well written executive summary is a valuable tool because it prioritizes the reader’s time and reduces the effort required to learn the critical aspects of the content. The executive summary stands alone from the content it summarizes, and should include the essential information, the recommendations, the findings, and the conclusion of the more extensive document. When crafted correctly, the executive summary provides an overview of the information and objectives in the larger document. The executive summary can be either a portion of a business document (a business plan, project proposal, or report) or long articles and documents common in research-driven communities and academia. The purpose of an executive summary is to pique the reader’s curiosity by presenting facts from the larger piece of content it is summarizing. No-code required.Īn executive summary should be clear and concise (typically one to two pages long) and present the main points in a formal tone. WorkApps Package your entire business program or project into a WorkApp in minutes.Digital asset management Manage and distribute assets, and see how they perform.Resource management Find the best project team and forecast resourcing needs.Intelligent workflows Automate business processes across systems.Governance & administration Configure and manage global controls and settings.Streamlined business apps Build easy-to-navigate business apps in minutes.Integrations Work smarter and more efficiently by sharing information across platforms.Secure request management Streamline requests, process ticketing, and more.Process management at scale Deliver consistent projects and processes at scale.Content management Organize, manage, and review content production.Workflow automation Quickly automate repetitive tasks and processes.Team collaboration Connect everyone on one collaborative platform.Smartsheet platform Learn how the Smartsheet platform for dynamic work offers a robust set of capabilities to empower everyone to manage projects, automate workflows, and rapidly build solutions at scale.

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