I guess your question was about when to select a slow start motor control circuit. Almost any motor can be used in slow start configuration. It is generally the application that determines if a soft start could be used or vfd. Soft starts would often be used if the motor, on start-up, is browning out the power supply causing problems. This also reduces the starting torque so if there is a load on start-up then this torques needs to be considered. Soft starts also dampen the harsh affects of starting a motor, most notably the inrush current which reduces the life of the motor each time it is started. I hope this helps some, if I did not address a specific question please let me know.