When was the last time you saw a business presentation you enjoyed? Last month? Last year? Never?

The plain truth is that a lot of businesspeople are not very good at communicating with other businesspeople.

Nick Smallman is a former actor and the founder of Working Voices, whose clients include HSBC, Channel 4 and Cisco. He believes that, whether because of poor body language, lack of eye contact or simply speaking in a monotone, many businesspeople are failing to communicate effectively.

His company helps people "find that magic that helps them connect emotionally with an audience", he says.

Geoff Church, a theatre director who works with Dramatic Resources, a training company that uses techniques from the stage, takes a similar view.

"We work with people and help them liberate their self-expression. We're not going to turn you into somebody else, but we say that we help you to be yourself with more skill."

Both companies work with everyone from chief executives to interns, and claim to help clients improve body language, speak more clearly and even "neutralise" the heavy accents of non-native English speakers.

Exercises range from working to eliminate poor body language and doing "personality audits" to debating in the guise of top politicians. Less obvious techniques include reciting poetry and talking off the top of your head. Most people are not used to speaking in public and, as with most things, appearing effortless takes effort.

If you want a masterclass in the art of the possible, says Smallman, look no further than the remarkable transformation in Hillary Clinton's public persona. "She's so well controlled."

He says that sometimes it can just be a matter of making people realise that they need help. "We had one guy who spoke for an hour and said 'umm' 500 times. He was a managing director and what was most tragic was that he thought he was really good. We showed him the video and he said: 'My God - is that me?'"

Those in authority can face additional hurdles to improvement, says Sarah Sweet, a business psychologist at Organisational Edge. "People's constraints are often around position and authority. They feel that, because they have authority, they must be able to communicate well too. But it often isn't the case and, because they're important, they don't get honest feedback."

If someone has ever told you that your presentation was "fine", then you've probably experienced this.

The good news is that effective communication is a skill most people can learn. The bad news is that it requires application. Smallman draws an analogy with weight and dieting. "Almost anyone can be slim, but most people aren't."

The cliche of the salesman practising in front of the mirror evidently has a grain of truth in it. -