In his post today, Seth Godin talks about doing just five minutes of exceptional work per today. It’s enough, he says, because that would be five minutes more than just about anyone else.

In consumer electronics, this translates thusly:

• Call 10 consumers and ask them how they use your products today. Talk to each person for five minutes. That’s less than one hour total. Imagine the invaluable marketing insights you’d generate. Do this, and it would be 10 more consumer conversations than just about any other manufacturer has in our business will have today.
• Ask five people what words they use to describe your products. That would be five more than anyone else.
• Try to think about your products like grandmothers and grandfathers might. How would they perceive your devices, and the way you’re talking about them? Do that, and you’d probably be the only one doing that today.
• Come up with five single words — just five — that describe the lifestyle value of your products. (Helpful? Energizing? Simple? Intuitive? Freeing?) Do this, and you’ll have five more words than just about anyone else.
• Write a grammatically sound, interesting press release. You’d be the only tech company THIS WEEK to do so. Trust me.

I can write 50 more of these. Maybe one day soon I will. But for now, all of the above activities can be done quickly, and each will generate a significant competitive advantage for you. Because in consumer electronics, manufacturers rarely talk to consumers unless it’s about technical specifications.

Now imagine if you executed one consumer research activity every day. Just one. Time spent: no more than 15 minutes daily, on average. Resulting value and competitive advantage? Easily priceless.

What’s stopping you?