For the win: crafting smart Executive Summaries

When it comes to evaluating your bid, an Executive Summary can be a deciding factor. More than that, it’s your first impression. This guide provides practical advice to craft compelling summaries that resonate with your prospect and position you as the clear winner. While they aren’t always essential in public sector bids, they are in the private sector, where C-suite executives are more likely to read them than any other part of the bid. When used, they must be brief, targeted, and persuasive.

Start strong: the power of a compelling headline

Hit ‘em between the eyes from the get-go. Avoid generic titles like "Executive Summary." Instead, lead with a value-driven headline that speaks directly to the prospect’s priorities. For example:

"Saving XYZ 35% in legal fees"

"Reducing delivery times by 20% while maintaining quality"

"Supporting your global growth strategy".

Your heading should encapsulate the main benefit you’re offering, especially if it aligns with a key evaluation criterion.

Structure for impact: the NOSE framework or evaluation criteria

The Nose knows

Tom Sant’s NOSE acronym provides a clear, persuasive structure:

1. Need - summarise the prospect’s key needs or challenges.

2. Opportunity - highlight the opportunity to solve those challenges.

3. Solution - briefly describe your solution and why it’s uniquely positioned to succeed.

4. Evidence - provide proof points, such as case studies, metrics, or testimonials.

Addressing Evaluation Criteria

If your bid has explicit evaluation criteria, consider structuring your summary to address each one directly. Use a table to demonstrate compliance:

Evaluation criterion	How we meet it	Compliance reference
Cost savings	Reduced fees by 35% in similar bids	Section 4.2, page 7
Timeline efficiency	Delivered 20% faster on past projects	Section 5.3, page 12
Quality assurance	ISO-certified processes	Section 6.2, page 24

This approach makes it easy for evaluators to confirm your strengths upfront. If evaluation criteria aren’t provided or aren’t practical to address this way, the NOSE framework is your reliable alternative.

Know your audience

In the private sector, Executive Summaries are crucial because they are often the only part of a bid that executives and some decision makers will read. Address it to their level of understanding and priorities. Focus on high-level outcomes, such as cost savings, risk reduction, and strategic value. Demonstrate how your solution aligns with their broader business goals.

Note: Some tenders don’t ask for Executive Summaries. If that’s the case, don’t risk non-compliance by forcing one in. Instead, either ask a clarification question (“can we include an Executive Summary?”), incorporate short summaries into key sections, or sneak in a short covering letter to orient evaluators and signal value.

It’s not all about you, so stop we’ing

Avoid overloading the summary with sentences that begin with "We." Focus on the prospect’s goals, challenges, and outcomes:

Instead of: "We offer innovative technology solutions."

Say: "You’ll save time and reduce costs with technology that streamlines your processes."

Count how many times you use your company name and "we" compared to the prospect’s name and "you" or "your." Aim for the latter to dominate.

Language matters: get to the point, quickly

Short, sharp, and active language is your best friend. Replace tentative phrases with confident statements:

Instead of: "We believe we are the best choice."

Say something like: "By working with us, you’ll benefit from our proven record of delivering measurable savings and guaranteed compliance."

Avoid jargon like "state-of-the-art." Be specific and lead with the benefit:

Instead of: "Our cutting-edge platform..."

Say: "Reducing project timelines by an average of 20%, our platform draws on the latest technology to save you both time and money."

Show, don’t tell. Use tangible examples and metrics to back up your claims.

Stay brief and focused

Executive Summaries should be as short as possible to hold attention.

Use bullet points to highlight key benefits.

Limit paragraphs to 4-6 sentences.

Avoid dense blocks of text.

Persuade with proof

Incorporate evidence that supports your claims:

Relevant metrics (e.g. "Cut delivery times by 25%")

Client testimonials (e.g. "ABC called our team ‘transformational’")

Case study highlights (e.g. "Delivered $500k savings within six months").

Address risks head-on

Executives don’t just want upside, they want reassurance. Identify their likely risks (cost overruns, delays, compliance) and show how you’ll manage them. This demonstrates maturity and builds trust.

End with confidence

Wrap up by projecting confidence and linking back to the client’s objectives:

"You are looking to get started on 31 January 2026. Our team is ready to begin work from that date and will ensure your goals are met without delay."

This kind of confident close leaves a lasting impression and sets the tone for next steps.

Visuals and formatting for impact

Where submission rules allow, use visuals and formatting to make your summary more engaging:

1. Call-out boxes - highlight a quote, statistic, or benefit.

2. Colour - use subtle accents to emphasise key sections.

3. Graphics - simple charts or icons to reinforce points.

Note: If the tender has strict requirements for templates, skip visuals and focus instead on bold headings, bullet points, and white space for clarity. Not allowed those either? Yeah, that’s annoying. All you can do is focus on your words - lead with the benefit. Make it clear why you are the best choice. Be specific and back everything up with evidence.

An effective Executive Summary demonstrates that you understand the prospect’s needs and explains how your solution delivers exceptional value. With these strategies, you can create summaries that are sharp, persuasive, and designed to win win win!