得意先(とくいさき)

Combines 得意(とくい) (valued customer; one's forte) and 先(さき) (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(とくいさき)を回(まわ)る (to make the rounds of clients) is a very common expression for sales visits

Common collocations

• 得意先(とくいさき)を回(まわ)る: to visit clients
• 得意先(とくいさき)を開拓(かいたく)する: to develop new clients
• 得意先(とくいさき)回(まわ)り: client visits, sales rounds
• 大口(おおぐち)の得意先(とくいさき): major client

Similar words

• 顧客(こきゃく): customer, client — more formal; used broadly in business
• お客(きゃく)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(とりひきさき): business partner, trading partner — broader; includes suppliers as well as customers