Remember being a kid and in a constant state of urgency? If you wanted something, you absolutely had to have it now. Waiting was pure agony. The companion to that urgency was the passion we felt for whatever it was we sought. The more passionate we were, the stronger the urgency. And the greater lengths we would go to fill that need.

Some things don’t change. Even as adults, our passion for something correlates to our sense of urgency. Look no further than the Harry Potter book releases for proof. Hordes of people (the bulk of them adults!) pack into local bookstores until midnight, just so they can walk out with the new book.

What comes along with that sense of urgency is potent stuff. There is the level of passion that says “I must have XYZ and as soon as possible.” That passion also creates a certainty. People didn’t stand around their bookstore determined to buy just any book at midnight. It was the latest Harry Potter and only that book that would satisfy them. Another aspect of creating urgency is a resistance to being price sensitive. If I absolutely have to have something, I am not worrying about which store has it cheaper or if there is a substitute that will suffice. Just like when I was a kid … I want it and I want it now.

What does all of this mean to us as marketers? Plenty! Who doesn’t want customers who are so passionate for their product or service that they self-eliminate all the competition in a complete sense of certainty, while at the same time refusing to allow price to be a barrier?

In next week’s column we’ll explore how to create a sense of urgency that resonates with your audience.

Drew McLellan is Top Dog at McLellan Marketing Group and the author of “99.3 Random Acts of Marketing.” He can be reached at Drew@MclellanMarketing.com.