Simple steps to help you meet someone and score your next night out (without sounding like a pick-up artist).
This should come as no surprise. You should be presenting the best version of yourself and that means being well-groomed and well-dressed.
Stand up straight. Posture is one of the first things that will set you apart from the slouching masses. And smile—it's way more inviting and makes you seem that much more interesting. Then look for visual cues. If you've got your eye on someone and they keep making eye contact, take that as a positive sign.
This is where most men try and play it safe. Don't use a "line" or try to be funny. Be direct. Tell them you noticed them from across the room and wanted to introduce yourself. If they're receptive, then move forward.
Pay them an honest, non-sexual compliment—"You've got a great laugh" works well. Ask them questions about themselves and use their name as it will establish an immediate sense of intimacy. Then begin alluding to the next time you'd like to see them. Dating experts call this "seeding." Talk about your favorite restaurant. Really sell it, saying "you've got to see it," or "I'm going to take you there." It's not hard to get someone's number when you've already made quasi-plans together.
Don't just ask for a number. Rather, make tentative plans for whatever you were "seeding." This gives you a reason to say something like "Let me have your number and I'll call you this week and we can find a time to go." A word of advice, don't suggest a bar—it makes you seem uncommitted. And don't suggest coffee because it makes you look cheap.