The Golden Page: Executive Summaries that Turn Your Strengths into a Winning Story

An executive summary isn’t just a box to check—it’s the most strategic and visible page of your proposal. In this session, Kel Raleigh, Proposal Manager at K2, demonstrated how to turn this critical section into a persuasive, value-driven narrative that resonates with evaluators and sets the stage for success.

Crafting the Story That Wins

Kel guided attendees through a framework for building executive summaries that go beyond technical accuracy to tell a clear, compelling story. She emphasized the importance of connecting your solution to the evaluator’s goals and challenges, and showed how to shape messaging around the customer’s perspective—not just your capabilities. Participants learned how to identify their strongest differentiators and translate them into persuasive language that aligns with the opportunity at hand.

Avoiding Common Mistakes and Missed Opportunities

While the executive summary may appear simple, Kel highlighted several frequent missteps that can undermine its impact—from being too generic or jargon-heavy to lacking a clear value proposition. Through real-world examples, she illustrated how small changes in tone, structure, or focus can dramatically improve clarity and influence.

Telling a Story with Strategy and Structure

The session reinforced that great executive summaries don’t happen by accident—they’re the result of intentional planning, strategic thinking, and an understanding of the evaluator’s mindset. Kel shared best practices for balancing persuasive storytelling with succinct business communication, and how to guide subject matter experts when you’re not the sole writer.

Turning a Summary into a Strategic Asset

Attendees left with the tools to elevate its quality and purpose. By approaching this page as a strategic storytelling opportunity, proposal teams can set a powerful tone for the rest of their response—and move one step closer to the win.