For me it was learning a formula for talking to anyone. You just have to have a few canned questions about them that you can ask to spur conversation. They're painfully boring to hear yourself asking over and over, and it feels like a transparent ploy, but it completely works. "How long have you lived around here? Oh, where did you move from? Really? Oh, what made you decide to do that move? Do you ever go back?" etc. Like, literally, this script right here has gotten me through so many otherwise-awkward social situations (including dates) that it's like gold to me. Because I am, at heart, really awkward. I think it basically amounts to A) showing an interest in the other person, which people love, and B) not leaving conspicuous awkward silence by always having something to kick the conversation forward.