How to Write Executive Summaries – Training Course Outline

Most people will tell you that the purpose of an executive summary is to encapsulate your whole idea in just 250 words. And that’s where they go wrong…

It’s actually all about creating that right first impression. The job of the executive summary is to sell, not to describe. You need to convey the essence and energy of your idea – and you have about 30 seconds to grab your readers’ interest.

The executive summary should be the best-written and most polished piece of the document. This is because many readers may only look at the executive summary when deciding whether or not to read the entire bid, business case or report.

If you want to learn how to write compelling executive summaries that clearly demonstrate your ideas and strategy, then this course is for you.

What you will learn on this course

By the end of the course, you will be able to:

• Understand the purpose and develop a strategy for your executive summary
• Engage your reader from the first paragraph
• Stand out from the competition
• Convince your reader before they even get to the main document
• Tie the executive summary to key messages in the rest of your document

Course Duration

This course is a one-day, interactive workshop. Delegates practise writing executive summaries, learning the techniques through group discussion, exercises and working on real documents you bring on the day.

Follow up session

Get the most from a staff training day and make sure valuable ideas aren't forgotten by booking a follow-up session. Our trainer will visit you again a month to six weeks after your course to give delegates the chance to:

• discuss how they implemented what they learnt
• go over points from the course
• practise their skills by working on their own writing with the trainer’s help

Course Contents

1. Starting off on the right foot

• Common mistakes
• Different types of executive summary
• When do you write an executive summary?
• What should it include and who should write it?
• Understanding the purpose of the document and the executive summary
• Identifying your key messages
• How to tell a compelling and persuasive story

2. Thinking about your readers

• Understanding why identifying your readers is important to your writing style
• How to identify different types of reader
• What does your reader need from the executive summary?
• How to deal with a mixed readership
• What will persuade the reader to buy from you rather than your competitors?

3. Structuring the executive summary

• What structure should you use?
• Understanding the alternatives that are open to you
• Using techniques to sequence and organise material
• What to include and what to leave out
• Presenting adequate information to support your conclusion

4. Making your writing persuasive

• Use the eight principles of good writing to sharpen your writing style
• What makes writing persuasive?
• Understanding the difference between persuasive and sales orientated writing
• Techniques to make your writing persuasive

5. Creating the right first impression

• Why you need to capture readers’ interest in the first paragraph
• How to capture their interest
• How to write stunning opening paragraphs using a simple technique

6. What about graphics?

• How to decide if graphics have ‘earned their place’
• Golden rules for using graphics

7. Giving it that final polish

• A checklist to use when checking your draft
• The importance of good punctuation and grammar
• Some common punctuation errors and how to avoid them
• Why proof reading is critical. Top tips on how to do it and what to look out for

8. Case study

• Practice all the principles using our case study, or work on an executive summary of your own

Book Now!

For details of timetabled courses, see the schedule. For prices, see the costs table.

To reserve your places you can either book on-line or call us on +44 (0)1635 202013.