I agree with the part of getting them talking about themselves. Go a bit further than that, even, and act interested, like you actually CARE what they say. And remember it, mention the things she said the next time you see her.
Hot chicks are so used to attention, they get special treatment everywhere they go, that being approached like that doesn't work unless you would have stood out anyway. Attractive women are always being flirted with, coddled to, given stuff, etc etc. The "no one ever has the balls to approach me" concept is a myth that unattractive guys cling to so they still have hope.
Confidence is everything, though. If you don't believe you're worth her time, you will never be able to convince her.
What always worked best for me, believe it or not, was confidence and indifference. I was the one guy who did NOT coddle, who did NOT flirt, who did NOT try to get them in the sack every time I saw them. I talked to them like a regular person, no different than I would anyone else, and THAT made me stand out enough to be noticed. But again, that probably only works if you would have stood out anyway.