David Roche: The Book Sells You, Not the Other Way Around

40% of first-time CEOs fail within their first 18 months. David Roche has spent 30+ years around books, boardrooms, and businesses — as CEO of Borders and Books Etc., product director at Waterstones and HMV, and group sales & marketing director at Harper Collins. Today he's an executive coach and mentor at Grey Area Coaching, and the author of Become a Successful First-Time CEO (Rethink Press, 2024).In this episode of Book the Business, David joins Joe Gregory to unpack why he wrote the book, how one word in the title ("Be" vs. "Become") completely changed its impact, and why he believes leadership is ultimately about relationships — not frameworks. David also breaks down how the book has tripled his coaching business, why he refuses to charge by the hour, and what actually causes new CEOs to fail once they land the job.Whether you're a first-time CEO, an executive coach, or an expert thinking about writing a book to build authority in your field, this conversation is full of practical, honest insight.🔗 David's coaching/mentoring: greyareacoaching.co.uk📖 David's book: Become a Successful First-Time CEO (Rethink Press) — available on AmazonWhat You'll LearnWhy "being a generalist" is actually a specialist skill once you reach senior leadershipThe difference between coaching and mentoring — and how to know which one someone actually needsA simple technique for helping someone unstick their own problem (the "anecdote trick")Why David built his entire book around stories instead of frameworks or adviceHow changing a single word in the book's title transformed its impactThe real reason most new CEOs struggle — and it's not what the board prepares them forWhy David refuses to price his coaching by the hour, and what he charges for insteadHow a book can pre-qualify and pre-sell clients before you ever speak to themWhat it actually costs a company when a CEO fails — and why coaching should be a given, not a luxuryChapters00:00 Intro & David Roche's background01:01 Why "generalist" is a specialist skill (the conductor analogy)04:13 What Grey Area Coaching actually does06:15 The "anecdote trick" for stuck CEOs08:16 Why the book needed to exist09:28 Wanting 3-4 high-value clients, not scale10:44 Why David avoided the typical business-book format12:42 Seeing the whole picture as a leader13:18 The best leaders are the best storytellers16:11 Why legacy matters more later in a career18:28 How the book changed David's client pipeline19:55 The one-word title change that unlocked everything21:01 The four levels of a book's promise21:29 Why new CEOs actually fail (it's not the 100-day plan)22:23 The book as a client filter (plus a readiness quiz)24:03 Why David never prices by the hour25:31 How David structures a 6-month engagement26:51 The real cost of a failed CEO hire27:55 How much the book has grown David's business29:17 What David learns from his clients30:04 David's #1 tip for aspiring author-experts32:06 The Jimmy Greaves story: "I can't write a book"33:57 Experts don't need to be great writers34:24 Where to find David + free book offer35:19 Closing story: coaching vs. mentoring, free-diving edition