Executive Summary

The written plan should begin with a brief summary of the main thrusts, goals and recommendations to be found in the actual plan. This allows top management to gain rapid insight into the plan without first having to read the whole document. The summary should, of course, include a table of contents.

Here is Bill Jones’s executive summary:

The 1998 marketing plan for the Tica-treat range aims at a marked increase in sales and profits over 1997. The profit target is R 200 000 and the revenue objective is R 2 000 000, an increase of 33.3% over 1997. I believe these increases to be feasible in terms of our improved pricing, more effective advertising, and the product improvements suggested. The required marketing budget will be R 400 000, a 25% increase over last year.