Writing a good executive summary is important because it may be the only thing an investor reads to decide if they even want to bother with reading the rest of your plan. It should be able to grab the reader right away and entice them to want to learn more. Here are a few tips for writing an effective executive summary: Tailor it to your audience, change whenever needed Add a sense of urgency, make it timely to the market and ideal to move on now Include what needs it fills in the market, what real problem it solves Make it more personable by using language like "us" and "we" rather than "the company" Use confident and positive words and remove indecisive language Write it without worrying about the length and then shorten it as much as you can Avoid clichÃ terms like "best in the world" or "industry disruptor"—Show it rather than tell it Test it before you send it Write it after the rest of the plan is complete and well researched If you do not need to share your Business Plan with others, you may not need an executive summary. However, it is a good exercise for building your elevator pitch for times when you talk about your business with others.