limit wordcount in loop

Hey Guys Im Really having trouble trying to limit my wordcount on a loop i have in wordpress.

i use a plugin that has a custom section for putting deals, trouble is the deals dont come up as excerpts or features. this has made it hard for me to find any information on how to reduce the wordcount for this section only on homepage.

The code follows, does anyone have any idea how i could put a wordlimit into this bit of code???

Any help would be great!!

<div id="infodealoffer">
            	<div id="deal-<?php the_ID(); ?>" <?php post_class('deal_section'); ?>>
					<span class="section_title clearfix gb_ff"><?php gb_e('Information and Reviews'); ?></span>
					<div class="entry_content">
						<?php the_content(); ?>
					</div><!-- .entry_content -->
				</div><!-- #post-## --> </div>

Thanks Guys