Every sale professional should know – life comes at you fast. That 30-minute PowerPoint presentation that you so diligently prepared may, at any time, have to be shortened into a 10-minute pitch. That’s why you need to be prepared for anything, says Patricia Fripp, a sales presentations skills training expert.

“You should have an hour version, a 30-minute version, a 20-minute version, and a 10-minute version of your presentation ready at all times,” Fripp asserts. She knows; she’s been there and offers these guidelines designed to help you react fast when you need to:

Begin quickly. Start with an attention-getting statement, such as, “Your job won’t exist five years from now,” or, “In the next five minutes I want to convince you that the best action you can take is to…”

Use your champion. Ask the person who helped you to set up the meeting with the CEO and the team to read five sentences about you as an introduction. These five sentences should say who you are, what you do, and how you’ve helped others.

“Now you don’t have to take the time to introduce yourself,” says Fripp. “Even if the CEO has to leave in the next five minutes, at least he or she knows that you have a creative approach, you are aware of their issues, and you are focusing on them.”

Start with the major reason or begin with the conclusion. Forget the little stuff – start with the bottom line or the major reason why the prospect would want to partner with your company. For example, “The ABC Company can benefit from doing business with the Fripp Company…” or “I guarantee that if you talk to Mr. Blank, he will tell you…”

“What you’ve done here is set up the talking points, the reason why they should do business with you, and you’ve already introduced a specific example in less than 10 minutes,” says Fripp. “If you can wow them in 10 minutes, it’s amazing how many people will find the time to stay longer.”

Don’t apologize or mention that you usually have much more time. Be confident that you can communicate in 10 minutes, says Fripp.

Use a strongly visual story. “Illustrate your points – how it is now, how it will or could be – with a story so vivid that the audience can ’see’ it,” says Fripp.

Divide your time into three parts. “Present a problem, a payoff, and your point of view,” Fripp says. “This will make your short presentation a complete thought. Think about what you will say in 10 minutes that will entice the audience to listen. Punctuate your speech with your point of view such as: ‘The number one piece of advice I can give you today is…’

“Perhaps you have three talking points and each one is a 10-minute segment of material,” explains Fripp. “If you have to cut your presentation, you have two choices. You can say, ‘There are three specific reasons why you should do business with us, but we only have 10 minutes, so let’s focus on one.’ Or you could say, ‘There are three reasons…’ and give an abbreviated answer for each one. Give a shorter specific.”

Fripp also says that you have to get in the habit of using “crisp” language. Don’t speak in “business speak.” “For each talking point, have what I would call a sound-bite statement,” she says. Include one client story. Even if you have a limited amount of time, Fripp says it’s an absolute must. “Use your clients’ words,” she advises. “Answer the questions that people will ask – know what the audience is thinking and talk to that. It’s a conversation even though they’re not doing the speaking.”

In summary, Fripp says that if you have time for only one sentence, talk about the big idea. “You need a central theme whether it’s two minutes, 10 minutes, or an hour,” she says.