While you are still learning to approach try to keep it simple. You probably won't get a lot of numbers, but keep in mind that it is just practice. Use this frame: open, number close, run like hell. Open: "I really like your style. I'm looking for [whatever store you were heading to anyway], do you know where is?" Number close: "I need to run, but can I have your number so we can grab a drink and get to know each other?". Run.
After you do this a number of times you'll get more comfortable, then you can start making longer conversations. When you get to this point, try to reframe your thinking a bit. If you have the confidence to approach and the girl starts talking to you, then you are past the scariest part. If a girl is there, talking to you, you really don't have that much to worry about. She has shown a huge IOI.
I'm going to take this opportunity to mention something I've been thinking about lately (lucky you).
If you are a confident man there is something you should notice. What is it? It's that 90% of what women talk about is SUPER BORING. They are horrible, the whole lot of them. They just talk and talk and talk. They are so boring that if you let them decide what to talk about they even bore themselves. They'll tell you the same story they told all of their other friends, or will tell all their other friends. That's why boring guys get friend zoned. They tell their stupid stories to so many people they can't even differentiate who they are talking to.
Being a nice guy and listening to this is my definition of torture. No wonder we call it AFC. Sitting there thinking about having sex with some girl while she goes on and on and on. Somebody please shoot me.
When you have plenty of girls in your life, you really lose patience for these kind of conversations. What happens is that out of sheer boredom you start to make fun of the girl. You're so bored you have no choice. You know it's the 37th time she has told the story and you take the conversation into an interesting place. This is done purely to survive.
So a new girl comes along. She asks you what you do and you are ready to fall asleep. Because you are so used to how boring girls are you just start playing around, because there is no way you are going to seriously answer that question.
Finally, to come around to making my point. All of this nervousness will go away as soon as you stop worrying about what you are going to say next and start being more concerned with what she says. Answer whatever you want, it literally doesn't matter, just do whatever you can to avoid the boredom of these interactions.
You: How are you?
Her: Fine.
You: Gosh you are forward. You think my ass is fine?
You: Where are you from?
Her: Cambodia.
You: Do you run a sweatshop? I wanted to find a really cheap place to manufacture some dynamite.
If that's too forward, then just make less forward remarks.
The point being: girls are boring, don't fall into their snare.