Appendix D
Executive Summary Outline and Template
This appendix gives additional details about the executive summary, as introduced in Chapter 12. This is the third document in the proposal plan attachments, appearing as 03 Executive Summary. The executive summary is an unusual document because you use it not only extensively during the proposal creation process but also—potentially—as a deliverable to the customer as a part of your proposal submission.
If a solicitation requires an executive summary, then you must follow the instructions of the solicitation and deliver the summary exactly as required. More often, however, you’re not required to submit an executive summary, but it’s a good idea to create one anyway, both for your internal use and for your customer.
Here is a detailed layout of a typical executive summary. First you have an outline of the sections of the summary; then I’ve provided a template showing the format and structure of a typical summary. Keep in mind that these are only suggestions that you can adapt to fit your company’s needs. When you do adapt it, remember to use this template for all executive summaries across your company and across opportunities as appropriate. This ensures that everyone in your organization is using a consistent format—one that best serves your company and makes everyone’s job easier.
Executive Summary Outline
1. Purpose
Positively influence the customer’s decision-maker(s) to understand why you should win the competition.
2. Uses
2.1 communicates your case to the customer;
2.2 focuses your own top management on their own task and forces their own decisions;
2.3 communicates with the proposal team (including teammates) about the most important aspects of the competition.
3. Elements
3.1 logos;
3.2 photos of your people actually performing the customer’s work (in support of the customer’s product);
3.3 inside front cover of themes & discriminators (Why You??);
3.4 commitment letter (addressed to the customer Decision Maker from his counterpart in your own organization);
3.5 Schedule for Delivery of Products (most folks call it a “Schedule” or a “Program Schedule,” but this name is more accurate and better), demonstrating that you know what is to be delivered and when it is to be delivered. That’s the really important thing to the customer: “When do I get my stuff?”
3.6 flow diagram, demonstrating your knowledge of the customer’s important business processes or demonstrating how you’re going to achieve product deliveries on time and within budget;
3.7 photographs of your key people, reinforcing name & face recognition (but never introducing key people; if you have to introduce key people at proposal submission time, it’s too late!!);
3.8 special appeals to “hot buttons,” which are the critical concerns expressed by the customer;
3.9 reference to the Precipitating Event, the one that led to this procurement;
3.10 schematic or photo of place the work is to be done;
3.11 map or other graphic, demonstrating geographic disbursement, if that is important, or proximity to the customer if that is important.
4. Creation Methods
4.1 templated
4.2 archived
4.3 abstracted from other, submitted materials (past and present)
4.4 develops as elaborate a document as the procurement warrants
4.5 uses action captions
4.6 incorporates anti-competition themes wherever possible, and you’re sure you can make those themes stick. Avoid like the plague any anti competition themes you’re unsure about.
Executive Summary Format Template
1. Cover page
features customer’s logo (may have to obtain permission from customer for use; usually doesn’t require approval from United States government agencies).
photographs or other representations of your people performing the customer’s work, conveying the concept that “You’re already working on your program.”
2. Inside cover
employs the 4-7 win themes to answer the question, “Why You?”
themes are of three types: garden variety, discriminating, and anti-competition.
3. Commitment Letter
combined with the cover page and the inside cover, it causes the reader to breathe a sigh of relief and think: “Good ole John came through for me!”
addresses crisply the important discriminators—particularly good anti competition themes—without lapsing into meaningless, generalized sales slogans
is addressed to the decision-maker, from his/her counterpart in your own organization.
4. Schedule for Delivery of Products (Program Schedule)
shows deliverables, de-emphasizes activities;
contains enough detail to demonstrate technical competence;
ideally, provides the customer with a better program summary in visual than is available from any other source.
(Customers, particularly federal government customers, are especially unskilled in their graphics ability.)
5. Organization Charts
re-enforces name and face recognition with people the customer needs to have confidence in;
shows simplicity of reporting relationships;
speaks to the customer’s desires, not your own internal organization. Simple is better.
6. Product Flow Diagrams
shows, visually, that you really know the sequence of steps which occur in delivering the customer’s products and services;
7. Material Addressing Customer’s Known “Hot Buttons”
overcomes any uncertainties you know the customer has about:
dealing with you;
accomplishing the task on time, within budget; etc.
accomplishing the task on time, within budget; etc.
re-enforces the idea that you understand what the customer really wants to buy.
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