An executive summary sample letter can help you create a document that should whet an audience's appetite for your full-length business plan, marketing proposal or research report. Mailings of business reports, proposals and plans often have cover letters resembling executive summaries, only shorter and using a professional epistolary style.
Why Consult an Executive Summary Sample Letter
The longer your business plan, proposal or report is, the more likely that the people you want to read the material may be inclined to skip reading it, just skim through or peruse only the executive summary. When your target readers are prospective investors, potential clients or members of the media, your business plan or report is likely sitting in an inbox full of other competing business plans and reports. Convincing someone with a full inbox to read your business plan, proposal or report is a lot like a sales pitch. An executive summary sample letter will give you ideas on how to write persuasively and enthusiastically enough to entice someone to keep reading.
The Art of Persuasion
You need to customize each cover letter, and that doesn't mean adding the name and address of each recipient. At least the first paragraph of the letter should address the intended reader's needs first. Think about creating a psychological bridge between what they want and what you have to offer in your business plan, proposal or report. The portions of your executive summary that would appeal the most to the intended reader's needs go into the cover letter.
A Sample
Below is a sample executive summary letter based on a fictional report for mailing to current and prospective clients, along with members of the media.
Letter to Client
Frank Consultant
Frank Financial Consultancy
Street Address of Consultancy
City, State and Zip Code Phone Number
Web Site and Email Address
Date of Mailing
Joe Banker
Joe's Bank
Joe Banker's Street Address
City, State and Zip Code
Dear Joe Banker,
Your bank has fared better than other similar-sized institutions during the recent economic crisis within the financial services industry. Yet you may be wondering what the future will hold once lawmakers decide upon a course of legal reform that might prevent a recurrence of the type of events that roiled Wall Street over the past couple of years. The uncertain future of banking legislation will impact how you do business in the future, especially with respect to transactions with other banks.
Joe Banker, your bank's concerns are benchmarked against others in the enclosed report entitled "Navigating Wall Street's Crossroads." Financial Consultancy surveyed key executives from the world's top 1,000 banks about future changes in the industry, and the resulting study can help you manage the risks of uncertainties that may arise from different banking industry reform scenarios around the world.
Among other important findings, "Navigating Wall Street's Crossroads" found executives at banks that are the same size as your institution believe that risk management will increase in importance for all financial institutions. A majority of survey respondents believe that governments will spend a significant amount of time debating legislation to address the recent crisis, but a lack of consensus on proposals will result in no new laws in most countries. Banks like yours will need to take matters into their own hands in order to protect themselves.
The findings in this report clearly have a great impact on your bank's future business strategy. We at Frank Financial Consultancy hope you enjoy reading the enclosed material. If you have any questions after reading "Navigating Wall Street's Crossroads," our consultants would be delighted to assist you.
Sincerely,
Frank Consultant
Enclosure
When to Add a Letter
Executive summary letters need not accompany every single business plan, report or proposal. When you are deciding whether or not to include an executive summary, think about the size of your business plan, proposal or report. Is it so large that you wouldn't have time to read it? That is your cue that an executive summary is warranted. Peruse executive summary sample letters before you start writing your own.
