$CUST_CONTACT just called and gave me the news. They are asking for a couple of changes to the contract, but if $COMPETITION has no big problem with this then it should get signed by Monday. The deliverability proofs of concept that took place on Monday and Tuesday produced identical results. Here is why $HI_PROFILE_CLIENT won the business.

1. $COMPETITION provided API documents that allow $HI_PROFILE_CLIENT to sync up with their own database. This eliminates the need for manual daily uploads.
2. $COMPETITION has $FUNCTIONALITY that not even $PRODUCT_THAT_WAS_SUPPOSED__TO_BE_RELEASED_IN_MARCH can match. It is very graphical, it provides a way to deliver all the reports at a single click rather than stitching spreadsheets together (something to note when dealing with $ANOTHER_CUST), and it gives different reporting rights to up to 100 people.
3. $COMPETITION dropped their pants big time. They were asking for $2500 per month. Eventually it went down to $1500, and $CUST_CONTACT was still going to go with us. Then they finally settled on $1000. Annual contract.

$COMPETITION and $MYCOMPANY were the only ones that were willing to give a free trial. $CUST_CONTACT did like us quite a bit, and $HI_PROFILE_CLIENT was prepared to give us the business despite not having points one and two. Unfortunately, their New York people are really excited to get started with something that does what they need doing. In the end, even though I tried to offset our lack of functionality with allowing them to $DO_SOMETHING_ELSE_FAIRLY_COOL, $COMPETITION offset the price advantage by a 60% reduction in price.

#CUST_CONTACT wants to be added to any $PRODUCT_THAT_WAS_SUPPOSED__TO_BE_RELEASED_IN_MARCH mailing list. I think that if we had that product, we’d probably have their business.