Executive Summary, Tips, Dos and Don'ts

Here are some tips on how to write your executive summary—and how not to write it.

Dos and Don'ts of Executive Summaries:

• Be persuasive (follow the executive summary format: state, prove, and apply).

• Don't be demonstrative (don't focus on features).

• Write your executive summary with active-voice sentences.

• Use strong, enthusiastic, and proactive language.

• Convert passive-voice sentences to active voice as much as possible.

• Write simple, short sentences intended for reading by an executive.

• Keep your executive summary short (1 page for every 20 to 50 pages).

• Write your executive summary using an executive summary template.

• Don't provide unnecessary technical details. Remember, an executive should be able to read it.

• Avoid excessive jargon, and write the definition first.

• Correct spelling, punctuation, style, and grammar errors.

• Write primarily for your customer, not for yourself (use the name of your customer’s organization more often than yours—and don't start with a description of your organization).

• Write primarily about your customer (the benefits), not about you or your product (the features).