This is a common structural problem. Existing clients already have established trust, so retention is efficient—sales can discuss opportunities directly and close quickly. In contrast, new prospects require multiple steps from initial contact to first purchase—product trials, trust building—creating longer cycles and higher costs. Because of this, when resources are limited, many companies naturally lean toward existing clients, and new prospect development suffers. Then when existing clients are lost, they realize there's no successor pipeline. The healthy approach is to clearly separate the two sales types: for existing clients, pursue large deals and new projects; for new prospects, make "getting them to try the product" the first milestone. Don't measure both with the same KPIs—otherwise new prospect development will always lose in performance reviews when sales prioritize existing clients under evaluation pressure.