A question was recently asked,

"Many of the research questions are more like those a hired management consultant asks, and not typically associated with someone who just needs to sell some products. What if we get some push back on our questions?"

If this happens to us, we have missed the expectations that the research contact had of us (or of sales people in general.) We probably got into a personal or confidential area that we didn't intend to get in to. Our questions may have been deemed too insightful or too personal by the contact.

One strategy is to apologize and reiterate that you only intend to strengthen your understanding of their business so that you can be more effective in helping them be successful. You might add that it would be impossible for you to add value if you don't do your "homework" but that you didn't mean to cross the line.

Don't give up now! Keep going with your research. Ask some less threatening questions so that they see that your intentions are good, and avoid any potentially sensitive topics for the remainder of the meeting.