In asking this question, the Interviewer wants a very straight answer. While not necessarily a trick question, as mentioned earlier the Interviewer can sort through your response to find out a lot of information on your prior experiences and structure to see how much training you will need if hired.

To answer this question, think critically about what you would do if you were to cold call a client that you have next to no background information on. You would need to find out basic information - identify the best place to look. Think about how long you would need to really understand a new customer's business and if your approach would then change based on the time available.

By framing your answer with any one of these thoughts, the interviewer will know that you have considered multiple scenarios and therefore have an adequate understanding of what the situation may require and how it could vary.

It's very important to fully address at least one of these scenarios you ideate. When you describe what you'd do for research, talk about the steps you would take and the information you hope to gain from each! Let the Interviewer know the impact that you envision these actions will have to demonstrate the need for each.

Avoid providing vague answers or signaling that you don't usually conduct any research! Even if you don't have prior experience generating your own leads or preparing your own research, provide an answer on what you think would be necessary. Approach it as if you're cooking a new dish: where would you start finding out what ingredients you need and in what order to prepare them. The best answer would not be "the recipe," but instead to check a few different cookbooks or search online for popular websites and links.

"Before reaching out to a prospective client I also make sure I am familiar with their products and services. My first step is typically to do a deep dive into the company's website. I will learn their mission statement and go-to-market strategy. Then, I'll review the products and services that they advertise and begin to imagine where I could add value. I like to have at least a few concepts prepared to present, just in case the opportunity presents itself!"