The executive summary is the first thing your marker reads and often the last thing you write — usually at 1am, from whatever is left of your word count. That sequence explains why so many are weak. It is also the section that most reliably signals whether the writer understands business communication.
An Executive Summary Is Not an Introduction
This is the single most common error. An introduction sets up what the report will do: "This report will examine the firm's supply chain and make recommendations." A summary states what the report found: "The firm's supply chain carries an unhedged single-source dependency on one tier-2 supplier, exposing an estimated £4.2m of annual revenue. We recommend dual sourcing within two quarters."
If your summary uses the phrase "this report will", rewrite it.
What Belongs In It
- Purpose and scope — one or two sentences.
- Key findings — the two or three most consequential, with the numbers.
- Recommendations — specific and prioritised.
- Resource and timing implication — indicative cost and horizon.
What Does Not Belong
- Methodology detail. One clause at most: "based on analysis of five years of filings and twelve interviews".
- Citations. A summary is not the place for references, unless your brief specifically requires them.
- New information. Everything in the summary must appear in the body.
- Suspense. Business writing is not a narrative. Lead with the conclusion.
Length and Proportion
The usual convention is 5–10% of the report length: roughly 150–250 words for a 3,000-word report, and a single page for a 10,000-word one. Check your brief — some modules specify an exact limit, and some exclude the summary from the word count while others include it. Getting this wrong is an avoidable penalty.
Write It Last, Draft It First
A practical method: write a rough summary before you start, as a statement of what you expect to find. It keeps the report focused. Then discard it and write the real one once the analysis is complete. If the two differ substantially, your analysis genuinely changed your view — which is a good sign.
A Structure You Can Reuse
Purpose: This report assesses [scope] for [organisation].
Findings: Three issues were identified. First... Second... Third...
Recommendations: We recommend [action] by [date], requiring [resource]. Priority two is...
Impact: Implemented in full, these measures are estimated to [quantified outcome].
Final Checks
- Every recommendation traces to a finding stated in the summary.
- Numbers in the summary match the numbers in the body exactly.
- No acronym appears without expansion on first use.
- It reads as decisions, not as topics.