This is something I posted in another thread... but it would apply to your situation:
This is something that ALWAYS works for me (even to this day). Go out with a mission of using the SAME opener on everyone that walks up to you.
Example:
I'd go to the mall and the very first man/woman I'd see I'd say "Do you know where the Express Men's store is?"
As soon as I got an answer I'd thank them and move on. The very next person...
"Excuse me, do you know where the Express Men's store is?"
Rinse, wash, repeat. After about the ninth man or HB that I asked this, my aniexty pretty much disappeared. So I approach yet another being, same opener, varied response.
It got to a point where I had approached 30 sets in twenty mins. I was exhausted, uh oh! There's the next person, same opener. I was creating a pattern in my head. It was almost as if I knew what kind of response I was going to get (Maybe in different words, but same meaning).
After an two hours had pasted, I realized what had happened. The repeition of the entire exercise made me create alternative openers, and those openers begin to fall into full-blown conversations.
I started having fun with it and didn't want the fun to end. When I go out today, its like jumping in that pool of water again. Initially its scary but I know how much fun it can be, so I do some warm up openers, and then start swimming with the sharks.
If I can better explain myself, let me know
CHAT
