The synopsis of a business proposal is also known as the executive summary. It's the first thing your potential client reads and often the most important part of your entire proposal.
When we looked at over $1,480,000,000 worth of closed deals, we discovered something interesting. People spend 38.2% of their time reading the introduction. Another 27% of the time goes to the pricing page. With clients spending this much time on your executive summary, it makes sense to put extra effort into getting it right. The good news? These tips will help you write a strong synopsis without needing outside help.
Step 1: Complete your business plan first
You can't write a good synopsis without having your business plan ready. Your business plan needs to describe what you're selling and give a clear picture of your industry. Include your sales goals and how you plan to market your product or service. Add a financial section showing where your business stands today and where you expect it to go. The key is focusing on two things: opportunity and execution.
Understanding opportunity
The opportunity section answers important questions. What problem are you solving? Who are you selling to? What makes you different from competitors? Explain the specific problems your clients face, how much money these problems cost them, and how you'll fix things.
Let's say you build webshops for businesses. Show examples of how your past clients benefited from the e-commerce sites you created. Understanding your potential client's real problems is critical to offering the right solution. Next, figure out your target market. Will you focus on B2B or B2C sales? Once you know this, identifying your target group becomes much easier.
Target audience vs. actual customers
Here's something many people miss: your target audience and your actual customers aren't always the same people. Think about children's toys. Kids play with them, but parents buy them. The same logic applies to B2B sales. Your software might be used by employees across a company, but the CEO or procurement manager makes the buying decision. They're purchasing something they might never personally use.
The best way to identify your target audience is through market research. Run a SWOT analysis to understand your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Ask yourself: is there space in the market for another company like yours? What will make you stand out?
Then dig deeper into your audience's demographics: age, location, interests, and lifestyle. When you map out these details, you create a clear buyer persona that guides all your future business decisions.
Planning your execution
The execution part of your business plan explains how you'll make everything work. What's your marketing strategy? What specific actions will you take to reach your goals? Base your marketing plan on real numbers from your research. Understanding the current market helps you build a realistic, step-by-step approach. All this groundwork makes writing your executive summary much easier.
Step 2: Work on your introduction
If you've had a good discovery call with your client, you're already ahead. You don't need to tell them your company's entire history or explain your business idea in detail. The most important thing? Show that you understand their problem. Describe their situation using their own words. Don't exaggerate or point fingers at anyone.
Your client needs to feel that you truly get what they're dealing with and why it matters. The biggest mistake people make is turning the executive summary into a story about themselves. This isn't about you. Save your testimonials and success stories for later sections.
Write with your client in mind. They're already considering working with you. Your job is to answer one question: how will you help them? If you want to share your mission statement, do it later in the proposal.
Step 3: Present your solution
Now explain your goal and how you'll solve their problem. You don't need to lay out every single step at this stage. Just show them you have a solid plan and mention how long it will take. This is the first truly new information your client sees, and it should get them excited about the possibility of working together. End your executive summary with a clear call to action that encourages them to keep reading.
Step 4: Polish and refine your synopsis
Once your synopsis is written, polish it to make it even better. If your approach is unique or custom-built for this client, highlight that. Anything that separates you from the competition is worth emphasizing. If you have a management team, ask them to review your executive summary before you send it. This helps you test your pitch and build confidence in your message. Getting feedback from fresh eyes often reveals things you missed.
For more tips, check out our complete guide on how to write a winning sales proposal.