Hey guys,

I've been negotiating back and forth with two companies for a particular service, and it's a pretty big deal, important to us and them. One company was very close to getting our business, pending the last component of the deal, but now it looks like they're going to miss out. The sales rep put in a hell of a lot of effort, driving a couple of hours down the highway and back to see us at our place, innumerable emails, leaning on product managers to get us the best deal she could, even wining and dining me in their box at a sporting event, and I get on well with her. So I feel absolutely rotten about having to tell her that she's missed out. I know that's the aim of the whole exercise in courting us, but she's a person too and I don't want to be seeming an ingrate or upsetting her. I have had a good rapport with her which I don't want to lose both for personal reasons (I think she's a nice person) and commercial reasons (we might need something from them in the future).

Is this normal? What do I do? I'd give her a big hug if I could...

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