The author of the paper focuses on the importance of practical exercies in communication skills lessons when teaching students who major in economics. He utilizes his experience acquired in teaching at the Institute of Technology and Business in České Budějovice. Various methods are applied in teaching communication skills at high schools of economics. They mostly also include practical exercise. Communication skills are trained in three basic fields: rhetoric (verbal communication), non-verbal communication and communication barriers. In rhetoric voice control is emphasized, in non-verbal communication students practice reading gestures and in communication barriers the focus is on suppressing stage fright. Practical exercises in lessons cannot substitute for specialized training. However, students are prepared to improve their communication competence and to realize the importance of communication skills for their professional success.