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1© Strategic Proposals 2009 - may not be reproduced
without prior permission
Winning Executive Summaries
Presented to UK APMP ConferenceLondon, October 2009
Graham Ablett PPM.APMP
Consulting Director
Strategic Proposals Limited
© Strategic Proposals 2009
“Winning Executive Summaries”
Graham Ablett2
Case study 1
Please review the case study Executive Summary, submitted by Arizona Limited to Croxdale Corporation.
What’s good and what’s bad about it?
ARIZONA CORPORATION
ARIZONA CORPORATION
“Winning Executive Summaries”
Graham Ablett3
The purpose of the Exec Summary is to:
• Demonstrate that you understand the customer’s issues and the
problem to be solved
• Demonstrate you understand what is required to achieve the
customer’s objectives
• Explain and describe how you will achieve the customer’s objectives
• Present why you are best qualified to deliver
• Address, overcome any likely major objections
• Summarise your offer
• Create a positive impression from the outset
• Condition evaluators to be ‘positive’ when scoring
• Create a sense of confidence in the decision makers
• Provide direction for overall proposal development.
“Winning Executive Summaries”
Graham Ablett4
‘Why us, why not them?’
3 - 4 key themes
CompetitionCapability
Customer
Strategy
… and to present your strategy, clearly & effectively
2© Strategic Proposals 2009 - may not be reproduced
without prior permission
“Winning Executive Summaries”
Graham Ablett5
After reading your executive summary, you want your readers to be thinking…
Executive Summaries
• They really understand what we’re trying to do
• They know what’s needed
• They can achieve the objectives
• They are the best qualified
• They are professionals
• I want to work with them
• I’m eager to read their proposal.
“Winning Executive Summaries”
Graham Ablett6
An evaluator’s view
“The management summary sets the tone for the document…
You need to lead them through to the things that differentiate you, and the management summary is a great way to do this."
Martin Webb
Purchasing director & consultant
UKAPMP, October 2007
“Winning Executive Summaries”
Graham Ablett7
The Executive Summary may be read by:
• The evaluation team:
• Purchasing / procurement
• Implementers
• Subject matter experts
• End-users
• Consultants (expert advisors)
• Senior executives (approvers)
“Winning Executive Summaries”
Graham Ablett8
The executive summary is developed by…
Who is responsible for the Exec Summary?
• Sales - draft and ownership
• Knowledge experts - input
• Proposal management – write / edit
• Executives - review & endorse
3© Strategic Proposals 2009 - may not be reproduced
without prior permission
“Winning Executive Summaries”
Graham Ablett9
When should the Exec Summary be developed?
The Exec Summary should be developed:
• as early as possible
• before the kick-off meeting
• before you start to write the body of the proposal
…and then reviewed, edited, tested with senior management and the client (if appropriate) and further refined
A “top-down, bottom-up” approach
“Winning Executive Summaries”
Graham Ablett10
The five sections of a powerful Executive Summary
Issues & requirements
Characteristics of successful solution
Overview of our proposed solution
Win themes
Next steps
“Winning Executive Summaries”
Graham Ablett11
Guidelines for Executive Summary length
• Follow the customer’s instructions
• Appropriate to the customer/opportunity
• Appropriate to the proposal
• .. and then, two pages (plus or minus) is a good guide
“Winning Executive Summaries”
Graham Ablett12
A “paint me a picture” culture
“Never invest in any idea you
can’t illustrate with a crayon”
Peter Lynch
Include at least one graphic in your Executive Summary –specific to this customer, focused on benefits
4© Strategic Proposals 2009 - may not be reproduced
without prior permission
“Winning Executive Summaries”
Graham Ablett13
Evaluator comments on Exec Summaries
“Please don’t just provide a summary of every single section of your proposal as the Executive Summary”
“Summaries are supposed to be short…”
“It would be nice to mention the customer and their needs in here somewhere (and not just talk about yourselves)”
“You could have included a picture or something apart from pure, dull text”
The Inner Secrets of Proposal Evaluation – Jenkins – APMP Conference 2008
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And a final evaluator’s view…
“The purpose of an Exec Summary? To blow me away so I can say, ‘Yes! Yes! Yes! They really do understand my business and what I want!’
A good Exec Summary shows that not only do you understand my requirements, but why you are the one to deliver them. It should provide a clear, concise summary telling me at a glance, in easy to understand language, why your offering is the best.”
Sheilagh Douglas-Hamilton
Head of SRM, major UK bank
October 2008
“Winning Executive Summaries”
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Closely related sections and options: covering letters, solution overviews and executive brochures
“Winning Executive Summaries”
Graham Ablett16
Case study 2
Please review the case study Covering Letter, submitted by Arizona Limited to Croxdale Corporation.
What’s good and what’s bad about it?
ARIZONA CORPORATION
ARIZONA CORPORATION
5© Strategic Proposals 2009 - may not be reproduced
without prior permission
“Winning Executive Summaries”
Graham Ablett17
We’d love to work with you!
The proposal management blog
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www.strategicproposals.com
Graham Ablett
+44 (0)7710 981 [email protected]