The answer is maintain current clients. Milady states this directly, right after discussing marketing tools for attracting new business: the first goal of every business should be to maintain current clients.
The book backs this up with a specific figure: it takes at least three shop visits for a new client to become a loyal, current client. Upselling, adding services, and retail sales are all legitimate revenue tactics covered in the same chapter, but the book frames client retention — not any single sales tactic — as the actual first goal.
Milady Standard Barbering, 6th ed., Ch. 21 (The Business of Barbering), p. 778: "Many of these vehicles can help you attract new clients, but the first goal of every business should be to maintain current clients."
This is 1 of the real Business questions in FadeJunkie's Milady-sourced 300-question bank. See the Business practice questions page for a fuller sample, or try the Business practice quiz and flashcards for free. A one-time $15 lifetime pass unlocks the complete question bank across all 13 tested topics.
More real Business questions with sourced answers: How Should You Follow Up a Job Interview, What Is It Called When You're Paid Purely by Percentage of Sales, What Is It Called When You Don't Pay Back a Loan, Who Writes Laws, and 11 more on the Business practice questions page.
Browse every topic on the Practice Question Hub, or see the Texas Barber State Board Exam Guide for the full exam process — required hours, PSI scheduling, and fees.