Going Live in 1–2 Weeks: What Makes a Betterbot Kickoff Call Move Fast

In Part 1 of this series, I covered consolidating the tech stack and what onboarding with Betterbot looks like. I don't see many vendors talk openly about the challenges of this journey, but for a lot of operators onboarding is the deal breaker, whether they're buying something new or sticking with the tools they have. So here is the next step.

Most communities go live with Betterbot in 1 to 2 weeks. Whether it's one week or two usually comes down to the kickoff call.

Three things to agree on at kickoff

On the kickoffs that move quickly, we agree on three things early:

1. What does "live" mean, and what does success look like?
2. Who is the point person on your side? They don't need to be technical, but they need to know your processes and challenges, and be able to walk us through your current flow.
3. How are we tracking deliverables, so everyone always knows what's next?

What you get from us

A dedicated team that stays with you the whole way:

• From the first demo through go-live
• 30-day, 60-day and quarterly reviews
• Including the technical team that handles setup

Ready to plan your kickoff?

Pick the right properties for your pilot

This step is critical, especially if you're piloting properties or rolling out a phased portfolio, and it's where I see the most back and forth.

Start with the problem you want us to solve. For example:

• Properties that don't have many marketing tools
• Renewals
• Collections

We agree on what we're solving first, then work on it in phases.

• Pick the properties where that problem shows up the most.
• Go live, and compare the results.
• Pick enough of them. Two or three properties won't tell you much. A pilot of 5 communities gives you real data to compare in 30 to 60 days.

What slows onboarding down

The delays I see most often come from skipping the basics above:

• "Live" and success were never defined, so nobody knows when you're done.
• There's no clear point person, so questions wait.
• Deliverables aren't tracked, so next steps get lost.
• The pilot is too small to show real results.

Frequently asked questions

How long does onboarding with Betterbot take?

Most communities go live in 1 to 2 weeks. Whether it's one week or two usually comes down to the kickoff call.

How involved does my team need to be?

You need one point person who knows your processes and challenges. They don't need to be technical; our technical team handles the setup.

Which property management systems does Betterbot work with?

Yardi, Entrata, AppFolio, Rent Manager and RealPage.

How many properties should we include in a pilot?

At least 5 communities. Two or three properties won't tell you much; 5 gives you real data to compare in 30 to 60 days.

Coming next: what we'll need from you before go-live, and what can wait until after.

Planning a pilot? Talk to our team: Book a Demo