1.
customer; client; regular patron
A regular or valued customer or business client, especially one with an ongoing relationship.
得意先を回る。
To visit clients.
新しい得意先を開拓することが今年の目標だ。
Developing new clients is this year's goal.
長年の得意先との信頼関係を大切にしている。
We value the relationships of trust we have with our long-standing clients.
Combines 得意 (valued customer; one's forte) and 先 (destination, party). A business term referring to regular customers or clients with whom a company has an established relationship. The nuance is of a valued, ongoing commercial relationship rather than a one-time buyer.
USAGE:
- Primarily used in business contexts
- Implies a B2B (business-to-business) or professional relationship more often than individual consumers
- 得意先を回る (to make the rounds of clients) is a very common expression for sales visits
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 得意先を回る: to visit clients
- 得意先を開拓する: to develop new clients
- 得意先回り: client visits, sales rounds
- 大口の得意先: major client
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 顧客: customer, client — more formal; used broadly in business
- お客さん: customer — general; used in shops and service contexts
- クライアント: client — loanword; common in creative and consulting industries
- 取引先: business partner, trading partner — broader; includes suppliers as well as customers