14 ELEMENTS of influence possible to get anyone to do whatever you want in eight minutes or less. in the real world, you cannot influence some people all of the time. nor can you influence all of the people some of the time, and you certainly cannot influence all of the people all of the time. People are more complicated than that, generally think for themselves, and may have many valid reasons for not doing what you want them to do or thinking the way you want them to think. the next time someone promises you that by following his secrets you can influence anyone to do anything, beware: He's trying to sell you snake oil. in fact, if you have a choice between buying his advice or buying real snake oil, buy the snake oil. it probably has some useful purpose. Influence attemPts and the range of PossIBle outcomes this chapter addresses the fundamentals of influence--what you need to know to understand how power and influence actually work, in life