In my dating days my friends and I used to play this game called "Go." It's very simple and a good way to meet people. Here's the rules:

1) Go! Whenever you're out, be it a bar or literally anywhere, and you see a girl your friend would like, you have to call her out to him. Example: "Blonde, red shirt, glasses, by the bar, go!" At this point your conversation stops and your friend has to go.

2) Talk. Once you go the actual desired outcome is minimal. You're not prying for a number. You're not trying to get them to sleep with you. You're just trying to talk. Every time try to hold on to a little bit more of their attention. Don't say the same thing to every girl, it's not a sales pitch. This will force you to think on your toes. Also, try not to go to every girl at a single location. This game is ideal for bar hopping but can be done on a day to day basis.

3) Be a good wingman. Stay on the lookout for girls your friend might like. Once you get him to "go" be ready to run interference if she has friends. My most successful attempt at this game was when I told my best friend to go talk to a girl who was sitting by herself. As they were talking her friend came out of the bathroom. I had to step in. The end result is that we all got lucky that night.

The desired outcome: what you really want to happen is for you to say "go" on your own. You don't need friends to spark a conversation with someone you find attractive, but if you're shy it definitely helps.