Executive Summaries

Question 1

A concise, informational, persuasive piece of writing. Its purpose is to convince the customer that your offer is superior to competitor offers.
It is generally a standalone section at the front of a proposal.

Answer 1

Executive Summary

Question 2

Items that the customer repeatedly discusses and often are problems with a system, software, process, or resources inhibiting the success of the customer’s organization.

Answer 2

Hot Buttons

Question 3

An executive summary is not a summary of your proposal, but rather a ….

Answer 3

Business Case or Value Proposition

Question 4

This is when you should begin a draft executive summary.

Answer 4

During opportunity/capture planning

Question 5

Who should write the executive summary?

Answer 5

Ask the salesperson (or Opportunity/Capture Manager) who knows the client best to write the draft executive summary. Enlist a Proposal Editor, if you have one, for final edits and a mix of client, technical, competitor, executive, and proposal skills for reviews.

Question 6

What is the purpose of the executive summary?

Answer 6

It is a sales document that shows that you:

• Grasp your customer’s vision
• Understand the customer’s explicit and implied needs
• Have built a solution that satisfies those needs
• Offer better value than any competitor