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Executive summaries

Because business executives do not have time to wade through copious amounts of information, executive summaries provide the high-level detail necessary to understand a situation or quickly make informed judgments.

The shortest part of any report or presentation—not to exceed 5 - 10% of the overall report or presentation—the executive summary contains the most important information: key findings and main points.

A SUCCINCT OVERVIEW

The executive summary provides a succinct overview of business documents like audit reports, annual reports, white papers, business plans, project proposals, research reports, market surveys, financial reports, and sales reports.

Report executive summaries, which appear at the beginning of the report, contain text-heavy information but may also include visualized quantitative information presented in tables or charts.

Presentation executive summaries, part of the presentation slide deck, also include text and visual elements like charts or graphs to quickly convey key data points.

In a business presentation, an executive summary is a one- to two-slide overview of a much longer presentation. Added at the beginning of the deck, the executive summary provides the audience with the main messages.

You might be wondering, “If executive summaries are so good at communicating main points and takeaways, why write a longer report or give a long presentation?”

Good question.

Executive summaries provide a brief overview, but longer reports and presentations have their purposes:

1. Provide detail and depth

The full report provides comprehensive information, detailed analysis, and complete data that the executive summary only summarizes.

2. Provide supporting evidence

The full report includes evidence, research, and statistics that support the conclusions and recommendations presented in the executive summary.

3. Provide transparency

The full report ensures transparency, allowing stakeholders to see the full scope of work, methodology, and findings.

4. Add reference material

The full report serves as a reference document for those who need more information about specific report aspects.

5. Ensure accountability

The full report holds the authors accountable for their work, communicating their thought processes and support for their conclusions.

6. Aid decision making

While the executive summary is useful for quick decision-making, the full report is necessary for informed decision-making, where stakeholders can understand nuances and implications.

7. Create a legal record

The full report acts as a formal record of the business’s activities, findings, or plans, all important for historical documentation and legal compliance.

Based on their purpose, executive summaries contain different sections or components. Following is a list of common elements; your executive summary will follow your organization’s prescribed format, your purpose, and the needs of your audience.

Tip

For more information on executive summaries, visit this website.

Differences among conclusions, Solutions, and recommendations

You might be wondering about the differences among conclusions, solutions, and recommendations. Each component serves a distinct purpose; together, they create a comprehensive and actionable executive summary.

Conclusions

Conclusions provide the 'why' by explaining the rationale behind the findings.

This section synthesizes all the information, data, and analysis provided in the report to arrive at final judgments. The conclusion section discusses the implications of the findings and articulates the overall message or outcome of the report.

For instance, if the problem is declining sales, the conclusion might state that the primary cause is an outdated marketing strategy that fails to engage with the target audience.

Solutions

The solution provides the ‘what’ as the strategic response.

Based on the conclusions, the solution is the overarching strategy proposed to address the identified problem. The solution is a high-level response that aligns with the conclusions.

For instance, in the previous example, the solution might be a comprehensive revamp of the marketing strategy.

Recommendations

With detailed implementation steps, recommendations provide the ‘how.’

Specific, actionable steps to implement the solution, recommendations stem from both the conclusions and the proposed solution. Practical recommendations often include timelines, responsibilities, and resource allocations.

Following the previous example, recommendations might include specific marketing initiatives, such as developing a new advertising campaign, targeting digital platforms, or rebranding efforts.

examples and templates

Take a look at an example of an Executive Summary template, free on Venngage. 

Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Canva, and Adobe Express are just a few places you can go to find editable templates. Your organization might have a few, too.

To create executive summary slides, follow presentation expert Cole Knaflic’s advice on creating executive summary slides and tips on how to create slides that work for both presentations and circulated documents.

Visit this website on how to create an executive summary slide — storytelling with data. 

Whether you are creating an executive summary for a report or a presentation, tailor the content to the audience’s level of expertise and interest.

Practice writing summaries for different types of documents and presentations to build your skills in distilling complex information into concise, impactful points.

Below are a few executive summary examples:

Visit this website, for more executive summary examples. 

SlideModel.com: Executive Summary

Venngage Executive Summary Template