Writing a perfect executive summary that sets your document up for success (templates + examples)
One of the first real jobs I landed as a B2B content writer was summarizing a couple of campaign reports for a product adoption platform. I’ll be honest — I was terrified. Coming from a fiction-writing background, I was...
JaneWalter
One of the first real jobs I landed as a B2B content writer was summarizing a couple of campaign reports for a product adoption platform. I’ll be honest — I was terrified. Coming from a fiction-writing background, I was way more comfortable describing things in detail. Summarizing? Not my strong suit. Every time I heard the phrase “executive summary,” it sounded stiff, formal, and overly corporate. But soon, I learned that executive summaries are, put simply, the elevator pitch or the TL;DR (too long; didn’t read) of a document. And they’re critical, especially in marketing and sales, where leaders don’t have time to read 30-page decks or full audit reports. In this article, I’m going to teach you how to write an executive summary — what to include, what mistakes to avoid, and whether it’s okay (and smart) to use AI tools to help you. Table of Contents An executive summary is a brief overview of a longer professional document, like a business plan, proposal, or report. It's commonly at the beginning of a document (or report) and aims to grab a reader’s attention while summarizing critical information such as the problem or opportunity being addressed, objectives, key findings, goals, and recommendations. Ultimately, an executive summary gives readers a concise overview of the most important information in a document, so they don't have to read the entire thing. Think of it like the SparkNotes of the business world. Documents that frequently have an executive summary include: How does it differ from other business statements? Let’s compare. All business plans have an executive summary, but not all executive summaries belong to business plans. A business plan includes a company overview, short-term and long-term goals, information on your product or service, sales targets, expense budgets, your marketing plan, and even team information. Business plans are very detailed and comprehensive. They can be as short as a dozen pages or as long as 100 pages. The executive summary is the first section of the business plan. An in-demand CEO or investor might not have the bandwidth to read your full business plan without first understanding your company or goals. That’s where an executive summary comes in handy. Note: Need help putting together your business plan? We’ve got a template for you. Mission statements and executive summaries are typically found in business plans, but they serve different purposes. A mission statement defines your organization’s purpose, values, and vision. It’s your company’s North Star and communicates your core identity and reason for existence. On the other hand, an executive summary provides a high-level overview of the document. Ultimately, your mission statement directs your business plan, while your executive summary describes your business plan to executives and shareholders. Like mission statements and executive summaries, company descriptions can be found in business plans, your “About Us” page, or even social media profiles. They provide an overview of your business, including company history, what your company does, unique selling points, goals, management team, and overall value proposition. An objective is a specific goal or target that your company sets to help achieve its overall goal. It is a concrete, measurable outcome guiding your business’ actions and decisions. Objectives are usually set at the strategic level and align with the company’s mission, vision, and overall strategic plan. Company objectives are often included in executive summaries but are not their sole focus. An executive summary may seem like a “nice-to-have.” After all, you can find the same information just by reading the rest of the document. However, these summaries serve many purposes. I've cultivated a list of the necessary components and an example to get you started. This template is focused on writing an executive summary for a business plan, but the guidelines are adaptable to other documents. They skim and scan documents because they want to get right to the point. That’s why, in marketing and sales, an executive summary is a make-or-break move that can mean the difference between buy-in and being ignored. From my experience, here are a few moments where skipping an executive summary simply isn't an option: Whenever I propose a new campaign, strategy, or project — whether it’s a go-to-market plan, an ABM campaign, or a product repositioning — an executive summary lets me frame the big idea before getting into the details. This helps leaders understand the “what,” “why,” and “how” without getting lost in the fine print. Executives and investors hear pitches all the time, and you usually get one shot to make an impression. An executive summary distills the value proposition, market opportunity, and ROI into something they can quickly digest and feel confident backing. It shows them that you respect their time and understand what matters most to them: outcomes, risk, and speed to value. Every month or quarter, marketing and sales teams churn out a mountain of reports. But here’s the thing: senior leaders aren’t looking for data dumps. They’re scanning for patterns and decisions. They want to know: Are we hitting the KPIs? Are we pacing to goal? I use executive summaries to identify trends, highlight key wins and risks, and recommend specific actions. It‘s a huge trust builder when leadership can instantly see that you’re driving the business forward, not just reporting activity. Whether it's asking for $5,000 for a new tool or $500,000 for a campaign, I’ve learned that executives need the story behind the numbers upfront. A tight executive summary justifies the ask before they even flip to the second page. It links your request to a clear business case and shows how the investment ties directly to revenue goals, customer growth, or operational efficiencies. It’s way easier for execs to say yes when they can see the payoff in 30 seconds or less. At the end of a campaign, it’s tempting to flood the room with metrics. But executives and team leads want the punchline first: Did it work? What’s next? I use executive summaries to recap goals, actual performance, key lessons, and future recommendations — all without overwhelming them. This way, leadership not only sees the success (or where pivots are needed), but they also trust that I’m thinking strategically about continuous improvement. If I had to sum it up: anytime you're communicating something important where decisions, investments, or trust are involved, an executive summary isn’t optional. It’s your chance to get them nodding before they even ask a question. A good executive summary tells your company’s story, contains key facts and data, conveys information with an engaging tone, is specific and void of clichés, and follows your greater document’s structure. These elements will ensure your executive summary is effective, informative, and impactful. These elements will ensure your executive summary is effective, informative, and impactful. Writing an executive summary without reading the full document is not only risky, but also obvious. Executives can spot when a summary feels surface-level a mile away. Before you even think about summarizing, sit down and read through the entire document, start to finish. You need to fully understand: As you read, take quick notes — kind of like building a highlight reel. Focus on moments that tie directly to outcomes, value, or business impact. In marketing and sales, that usually means anything connected to lead generation, pipeline acceleration, revenue growth, customer retention, brand lift, or ROI improvements. Think of it like pulling out the “greatest hits” of the project. If it wouldn‘t make an exec sit up and pay attention, it doesn’t belong in your notes (or summary). Writing an executive summary without thinking about the target audience is like launching a campaign without knowing your buyer persona — you’ll miss the mark. Before I even start drafting, I always ask myself two questions: If I'm summarizing for a CMO, I know they care about brand positioning, customer growth, and revenue. If it’s for a CFO, they’re looking for efficiency, margins, and return on investment (ROI). The audience shapes everything: the language you use, the metrics you highlight, even how bold or cautious your recommendations should sound. An executive summary isn’t just a greatest-hits reel; it’s also a map. And the easiest way to create that map is by following the structure of your full document. When I skip around or cherry-pick ideas out of order, the summary feels confusing. However, when I mirror the original flow — even if I trim details — it keeps everything logical and easy to follow. In marketing and sales, especially, execs want a smooth path from problem → solution → expected impact. If the executive summary jumps around, they’ll assume the actual plan does too (and that’s a fast track to “no thanks.”) Here’s how I think about structuring: For example, if I’m summarizing a campaign performance report, I wouldn’t jump straight to optimization ideas. I’d first summarize the campaign’s original goals, then its results, then the proposed adjustments. This way, when someone does read the full document later, it feels like they’re simply filling in details, not discovering something brand-new. Before you dive into metrics, strategies, or recommendations, you need to be crystal clear on one thing: What was the goal of the document you’re summarizing? If you don’t lead with the “why,” executives won’t have the right lens for everything else you share. I always start my executive summaries by answering three questions quickly: This keeps the focus tight and sets the tone for the rest of the summary. For example, if I’m summarizing a marketing audit, my objective might sound like: “This report identifies key gaps in our inbound strategy and recommends targeted improvements to boost lead generation by 25% over the next two quarters.” And if you need a hand? Tools like the Axios HQ AI Summary Generator and HubSpot’s AI Summarization Tool can help speed things up, especially if you need a first draft to refine (I’ll talk about using AI to write executive summaries soon). Once you’ve nailed down your audience and your objective, it’s time to pull out the critical facts that make your case impossible to ignore. Think of it like building a sales pitch: you‘re not listing everything you could say; you’re choosing only the strongest proof points that drive your story forward. Here are a few examples of what I mean: Notice how each fact isn’t just interesting — it’s directly tied to the objective I’m trying to achieve: getting the “yes.” An executive summary without a clear ending leaves people hanging. After you lay out the objective and the critical facts, you need to bring it all home with a strong resolution or call to action. When I’m wrapping up an executive summary, I always zoom back out and answer three things clearly and quickly: Depending on what you’re summarizing, your resolution might look a little different. Even the best first draft is still just that — a first draft. And you should never send a first draft. Once I finish writing, I never hit send right away. I take what content expert Ann Handley smartly calls “the messy first draft” and set it aside for a few hours; ideally, a full day if I can. When I come back to it with fresh eyes, I’m not just looking for grammar mistakes. I’m asking: If possible, I also ask someone else, like a teammate, a manager, or even someone outside of marketing or sales, to read it quickly. A fresh reader can spot confusing wording or gaps that I might be too close to see. Now that you know how to write an executive summary, I’ll go over what you should include. An executive summary should provide a preview for readers, letting them know what to expect from the rest of your report. Generally, that means including the following components. The length and nuances of these elements will differ depending on the document you’re summarizing. But you’ll be in good shape if you use these as a guide. There is no hard and fast rule for the exact length of executive summaries, but they typically range from one to three pages. Don’t get caught up in an arbitrary word or page count when gauging if yours is too long or short. At the end of the day, your executive summary should engage the reader and highlight the most critical points of your document while avoiding any fluff. If it does that, you’re golden. You’ve got the basics — now let’s add some flash. Here’s how to take your executive summary to the next level. Let’s assume you’re writing an executive summary for a marketing campaign proposal, a sales strategy update, or a major performance report. When CMOs, sales VPs, or revenue leaders read your executive summary, you want them to quickly grasp what you're trying to achieve and why it matters. The best way to do this is by telling a story that connects the strategy to the people and the outcomes behind it. In your executive summary, frame the story around: For example, if you’re trying to simplify B2B transactions for clients, and your campaign reduces friction in the sales funnel, that’s the story to highlight. You can also briefly touch on leadership or team strengths, like noting if your sales enablement manager developed a new training method that dramatically improved conversion rates. Learn more about how to use stories in your marketing with “The Ultimate Guide to Storytelling.” You grabbed the reader with emotion — now, back it up with proof. While short, an executive summary should include plenty of data because data is objective and often what seals decisions in marketing and sales environments. Highlight the most important findings and insights. That might include: If relevant, briefly explain how your strategy addressed a key pain point or market gap. Also, if it strengthens your case, include high-level budget information, customer acquisition costs, or ROI projections — whatever most directly supports your narrative. The bottom line: If it proves your solution’s value or future potential, it belongs in the summary. Your executive summary needs to sound professional and persuasive, but also true to your brand’s voice and your reader’s mindset. In marketing and sales, tone can be the difference between someone leaning in and someone tuning out. Aim for a tone that conveys authority and credibility without sounding robotic. Here are some tips to keep in mind: HubSpot’s Director of Content Marketing, Karla Hesterberg, summarized it best. “Don't try to get fancy. A good executive summary reduces everything to simple, straightforward parts. A good exercise here is to try explaining something out loud, like talking to a colleague—people tend to use simpler language when explaining something in person,” she says. By striking the right balance between professionalism, clarity, and energy, you’ll keep the reader engaged and encourage them to take the next step. As with any marketing or sales communication, it’s best to steer clear of clichés. Clichés can feel lazy, and in executive summaries, where every word matters, they can dilute the impact of your message. Some clichés include: Instead of relying on these overused phrases, be specific. Describe exactly how your campaign, product, or sales strategy benefits your target audience. If you claim to offer a “game-changer,” back it up with proof: How does it change the game for your customer? What results can they expect? By staying true to your brand voice and avoiding canned phrases, you’ll keep your writing fresh and your audience engaged. Even though an executive summary appears at the beginning of a report or plan, it’s almost always smarter to write it last. Focus first on completing the full marketing plan, sales report, or campaign analysis. Only when you fully understand the strategies, insights, and outcomes can you distill them into a strong, accurate summary. I still follow this advice today — even when writing blog articles like this one. I always write the core content first, then go back and write the introduction once I know the full story. Writing your executive summary last ensures it reflects the document’s actual findings and recommendations, not guesses or assumptions you made too early. Now that you know when an executive summary is crucial, let's talk about where things can go off the rails. I’ve seen (and made) my fair share of mistakes writing executive summaries, and the truth is, some slip-ups can cost you attention, trust, or even the approval you’re aiming for. Here are the biggest mistakes to watch out for — and how you can steer clear of them: If there’s one mistake I’ve made early in my career, it’s thinking, “More details will make it stronger.” Nope. The best executive summaries are short — usually no more than 10% of the full report’s length, and ideally one to two pages max. When you overwhelm readers with five or six pages of dense text, you lose the very people you're trying to engage. I always ask myself, “If someone were to read only this summary, would they still understand the core idea and feel confident moving forward?” If the answer isn’t an immediate yes, I cut ruthlessly. I've seen executive summaries that sounded polished but said absolutely nothing concrete. “Our campaign will drive synergies across verticals and enhance stakeholder alignment.” What does that even mean? In marketing and sales, leaders want clear outcomes: How many leads? How much pipeline? What's the expected ROI? If you're too vague, executives are forced to dig into the full report to find the answers, and many won’t bother. Be specific about numbers, goals, timelines, and results whenever you can. I always assume that if it’s fuzzy to me while writing, it’ll be invisible to the reader. One big thing I learned (sometimes the hard way) is that not every executive cares about the same details. A CMO might want to know how a campaign strengthens brand positioning. A CFO will want to know how it impacts profitability. If you write a one-size-fits-all summary, you risk missing what matters most to the decision-makers in the room. Before I write a word, I ask myself: Who’s going to read this? What does success look like from their perspective? That small shift has made a huge difference in getting faster yeses and deeper engagement. I can‘t count how many times I’ve read summaries where the main takeaway was hidden halfway through the second page. Big mistake. In executive summaries, put the most important information first. This is called the “inverted pyramid” style of writing — lead with the conclusion, not the setup source. Instead of easing into your point, hit it early: “This proposal will increase qualified leads by 35% within six months through a targeted ABM strategy.” Then explain how you’ll make it happen. I think of it like writing a great subject line for an email — you have about five seconds to catch their attention. Marketing and sales can be full of buzzwords — “synergies,” “paradigm shifts,” “disruption strategies.” But when I fall back on jargon, it only clouds the message. So, avoid them as much as possible, and instead, use simpler words. The simpler and sharper you are, the stronger your executive summary sounds. I try to imagine explaining it to a smart friend outside of the industry — if I wouldn’t say it out loud, I don’t write it. Download Your Free Executive Summary Template Here In this free executive summary template, you’ll be able to outline several pieces of information, including: Ready? Download your free executive summary template. Let’s review a few examples. Even before joining the team, I always kept an eye out for HubSpot’s annual diversity report. Similar to AllBirds’ sustainability report, this document is part of an admirable effort to be transparent about the company’s progress towards one of its biggest objectives: building a sustainable, equitable, and high-performing company. In this six-page 2024 executive summary, we share why diversity, equity, and belonging (DI & B) are important to us, reiterate why we create this report, and highlight trends from the last year. We share key statistics and wins, but also get candid about where we still need to improve and the steps we will take to make it happen. I also love how we define key terms to help readers understand the rest of the report. This is an excellent example of setting the tone for the rest of your document in an executive summary and making it easier to navigate. Here’s an excerpt of our executive summary: “Reflecting on 2023: This report also includes self-reported categories from our Self-Identification Survey. This voluntary survey helps us have a deeper understanding of the full identities that color the perspectives, working styles, and experiences of HubSpotters. This year, 38% of HubSpotters chose to self-identify. A few highlights: Now, I know this article is about writing an executive summary, but I love ClickUp’s unique approach with its product release notes videos. In this 3.54 update, they deliver their executive summary in a video under two minutes long. A member of their team speaks directly to the viewer, explaining the product updates made while also demonstrating the changes directly in the tool. However, surrounding the video are brief notes that introduce and explain the two major updates made, along with insights on how ClickUp users can apply them. This is great for those who don’t want to (or are unable to) engage with the video. Here are the notes: Hey, Community! This week's ClickUpdates brings you new Connected Search for Microsoft Teams, eye-catching link previews, and more! Connected Search, now for Microsoft Teams: Looking to quickly find context buried in an old conversation? Now, you can easily locate Microsoft Teams conversations right from ClickUp's Connected Search. Context at a glance with eye-catching link previews: From Spotify songs and Miro boards to LinkedIn posts and Reddit threads, links pasted in ClickUp appear as rich previews that grab attention and add context, all without leaving your Workspace. Check out these features and more in Release Notes 3.54! 🚀” It’s snappy and engaging and gives you a taste of what you’ll find detailed in the longer notes. This digital report from research firm McKinsey Global Institute features an executive summary titled “At a Glance.” Here, the organization recaps the key findings from its 56-page research report in six easy-to-skim bullet points. It’s compelling, easy to digest, and makes it easy to jump into the full report with download links. Here’s an excerpt of the summary: “At a glance Finally, we have a fairly traditional approach to an executive summary from the United Nations (UN), clocking in at 16 pages. Now, I know. Sixteen pages seems lengthy, but the full report is just shy of 200 pages. The executive summary highlights the report’s key findings with clear headers. Then, it expands on those headers with relevant statistics. It also uses bold font to draw attention to the countries or regions affected, which is likely to be the reader's primary interest. The tone and visual design are both formal, which aligns with the prestige of the United Nations. Overall, this executive summary does an admirable job of making the report's information more approachable. Here’s an excerpt of this executive summary: “A fragile resilience masks underlying risks and vulnerabilities The world economy proved more resilient than expected in 2023 amid significant monetary tightening and lingering policy uncertainties worldwide, even as multiple shocks arising from conflict and climate change wrought havoc on the lives and livelihoods of millions, further jeopardizing progress towards sustainable development. Several large developed economies showed remarkable resilience, with robust labour markets supporting consumer spending despite sharp monetary tightening. At the same time, inflation gradually declined in most regions on the back of lower energy and food prices, allowing central banks to slow or pause interest rate hikes. This veneer of resilience, however, masks both short-term risks and structural vulnerabilities. Underlying price pressures are still elevated in many countries. A further escalation of conflicts in the Middle East poses the risk of disrupting energy markets and renewing inflationary pressures worldwide. As the global economy braces for the lagged effect of sharp interest rate increases, the major developed country central banks have signalled their intention to keep interest rates higher for longer. The prospects of a prolonged period of higher borrowing costs and tighter credit conditions present strong headwinds for a world economy that is saddled with high levels of debt but also in need of increased investment, not only to resuscitate growth but also to fight climate change and accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).” I’ll be honest: I used to be skeptical about using AI for executive summaries (or writing, in general). Summarizing something important always felt like a deeply human task to me—reading between the lines, picking up the nuances, framing the story just right. And in a marketing and sales environment, where messaging is everything, the stakes feel even higher. However, the reality is that AI has come a long way. Today, if used thoughtfully, AI tools can significantly speed up the summarization process without compromising quality. The key is to treat AI like your writing assistant, not your final editor. Tools like HubSpot’s AI Content Writer can help you outline the rough shape of your summary, highlight important facts, and even suggest a more refined structure. Instead of staring at a blank page, you get a strong starting point, and that can be a major time-saver when you’re juggling multiple marketing campaigns, sales updates, or leadership reports. But it’s still your job to sharpen the tone, make strategic decisions about what matters most, and tailor the summary to your specific audience. So yes, use AI — but use it wisely. Here's how: Using AI the smart way can help you create clearer, stronger executive summaries without all the headache. If you’d like to try it out, check out HubSpot’s AI Content Writer tool. Make sure your executive summary is strong. Tell your story. Include compelling data and facts. Use easy-to-understand and digestible language. And if you can, get visual. An executive summary should be concise yet memorable. After all, this may be the only part of your proposal, report, or analysis that actually gets read. Use the guidance above to ensure your executive summary resonates with your audience and opens the door to the opportunities you crave. Editor's note: This post was originally published in December 2018 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.
What is an executive summary?
Executive Summary vs. Business Plan
Executive Summary vs. Mission Statement
Executive Summary vs. Company Description
Executive Summary vs. Objective
What is the purpose of an executive summary?
Benefits of an Executive Summary
It saves your readers' time. CEOs and investors often have limited time to review lengthy documents. An executive summary lets them quickly grasp the main points, key findings, and recommendations without reading the entire document.
It provides clarity. Executive summaries distill complex information and present it in a manner that’s easy to understand.
It helps with document navigation. For longer documents or reports, an executive summary provides a roadmap for readers. It signals the main sections or topics covered, improving overall document usability and accessibility.
Follow Along With HubSpot's Executive Summary Template
When is an executive summary necessary?
1. When you’re pitching a new marketing or sales strategy.
2. When you’re presenting to external stakeholders or potential investors.
3. When you’re submitting reports or project updates to leadership
4. When you’re requesting resources or budget increases.
5. When you’re closing out a project or campaign.
How to Write an Executive Summary
1. Read (and understand) the full document.
2. Remind yourself who your audience is.
3. Outline the structure.
4. Summarize the objectives of the document.
5. Highlight critical facts and information.
6. Present your resolution or conclusion.
7. Edit and proofread.
What to Include in Your Executive Summary
How long should an executive summary be?
5 Tips for Writing an Executive Summary
1. Tell your story.
2. Lean into your data.
3. Pay attention to your tone.
4. Avoid cliché language.
5. Write it last.
Mistakes to Avoid When Writing Executive Summaries
1. Writing a summary that's too long.
2. Being too vague or generic.
3. Forgetting to tailor it to the audience.
4. Burying the lede.
5. Using too much jargon.
Executive Summary Template
Executive Summary Examples
1. HubSpot’s 2024 DI&B (Diversity Report)
2. ClickUp: Product Update Release Notes
3. McKinsey: A Microscope on Small Businesses: Spotting Opportunities to Boost Productivity (Research Report)
4. UN: World Economic Situation and Prospects 2024
Should you use AI to generate executive summaries?
Tips for Using AI to Write Executive Summaries
Feed it clean, organized inputs. AI models are only as good as the information you give them. Before you ask an AI tool to summarize, make sure your document is clearly structured and focused. Otherwise, you’ll get a messy, vague summary that you’ll have to rewrite from scratch.
Tell the AI exactly what you want. When using generative AI tools, be specific. Instead of saying “summarize this,” say “summarize this for a CMO, focusing on campaign results and next steps.” The more context you provide, the closer the first draft will be to something you can work with.
Don’t accept the first output at face value. AI can generate strong drafts, but they usually need a human touch to match your brand voice, pull in emotional elements, and tighten the message. I always review, revise, and reshape the AI’s output before calling it final.
Use AI to save time, not make final decisions. Think of AI as the assistant that helps you move faster, not the strategist who knows which details matter most. You still need to decide which results, facts, and calls to action should lead the story.
Double-check facts and numbers. Always double-check that the AI didn’t accidentally distort your numbers, especially when summarizing marketing data, campaign metrics, or sales results. Even small mistakes can cost you credibility with executives.
Make your executive summary memorable.
