This is Part 2 of our Slack AI series. In Part 1, we explained what changes after August 17, 2025 and how AI features shift across plans. Now, let’s turn that knowledge into action. This survival guide shows how each team (marketing, engineering, support, sales, ops) can keep the features that matter while staying on budget—plus a practical checklist, budget mini-calculator, and negotiation email templates.
Table of Contents
- 1) Who Needs What: Feature Priority by Team
- 2) Decision Flow: Pro vs Business+ vs Enterprise+
- 3) Budget Mini-Calculator (Headcount × Plan)
- 4) Rollout Patterns: Pilot → Expand → Govern
- 5) Admin Controls: Scope & Guardrails
- 6) Negotiation Templates (Email)
- 7) Team Survival Checklist
- 8) Reference & Internal Links
Table of Contents
- 1) Who Needs What: Feature Priority by Team
- 2) Decision Flow: Pro vs Business+ vs Enterprise+
- 3) Budget Mini-Calculator (Headcount × Plan)
- 4) Rollout Patterns: Pilot → Expand → Govern
- 5) Admin Controls: Scope & Guardrails
- 6) Negotiation Templates (Email)
- 7) Team Survival Checklist
- 8) Reference & Internal Links
1) Who Needs What: Feature Priority by Team
Use this priority map to decide which features you must retain after renewal. Mark each feature as A (must), B (nice), C (skip).
| Team | Must-Haves (A) | Nice-to-Haves (B) | Often Skippable (C) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Support / CX | Thread summaries, live translations, huddle notes | File summaries, recaps | Workflow automation (if not tied to SLAs) |
| Engineering / Product | File summaries, recaps | Thread summaries, automation | Translations (if mono-language) |
| Sales / RevOps | Recaps (deal rooms), search, translations | File summaries | Automation (if CRM covers) |
| Marketing / Content | Thread summaries, file summaries | Recaps (campaign debrief), translations | Automation (if MAP covers) |
| Ops / HR / Finance | Summaries (policies), huddle notes | Translations (global teams) | Automation (if other RPA covers) |
2) Decision Flow: Pro vs Business+ vs Enterprise+
Goal: keep critical AI with minimum spend. Follow this flow:
- List your A features by team (from Section 1).
- If most As are “summaries + huddle notes” → keep Pro for those teams.
- If you require translations or file summaries for specific departments → scope Business+ only there.
- If you need enterprise search, strict governance, or AI agents → scope Enterprise+ to regulated teams first.
- Mix & match: split by workspace or department to avoid org-wide upgrades on day one.
Rule of thumb: Upgrade the smallest surface that preserves A features. Pro remains your value baseline; add Business+/Enterprise+ only where ROI is proven. Enterprise+ uses custom pricing only.
3) Budget Mini-Calculator (Headcount × Plan)
Use this quick table to estimate monthly costs. Replace headcounts with your numbers.
| Department | Headcount | Plan | Unit Price (example) | Monthly Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Support | 25 | Business+ | $15 | $375 |
| Engineering | 40 | Pro | $7.25 | $290 |
| Sales | 15 | Business+ | $15 | $225 |
| Marketing | 10 | Pro | $7.25 | $72.50 |
| Total | 90 | Mixed | — | $963 / month |
Note: Prices are illustrative; replace with your locale and negotiated rates. Enterprise+ is custom pricing only.
4) Rollout Patterns: Pilot → Expand → Govern
- Pilot (30–60 days): Pick 1–2 teams with clear A features (e.g., Support with translations + summaries). Define success metrics (resolution time, CSAT, tickets per agent).
- Expand: If KPIs improve, expand to the next team with similar needs. Keep Pro elsewhere.
- Govern: Set retention, export, and data-access policies. Review AI usage per team monthly.
Tip: Avoid org-wide flips. Pilots build internal proof and strengthen your negotiation position.
5) Admin Controls: Scope & Guardrails
- Permission Scoping: Enable summaries/recaps only for target channels or groups during pilot.
- Data Boundaries: Use workspace separation for teams with stricter governance (finance, legal).
- Change Windows: Tie upgrades/downgrades to quarterly change windows to avoid disruption.
- Usage Reviews: Track AI feature adoption; deprovision where usage < 20% for 2 months.
Strong guardrails = fewer surprises at renewal and cleaner ROI tracking.
6) Negotiation Templates (Email)
Pilot-first pricing email (price lock request)
Subject: Slack AI pilot terms & price lock for phased rollout Hi [AE Name], We’re planning a phased rollout of Slack AI. For the first 60 days, we’ll enable Business+ only for Support (25 seats), keeping the rest on Pro. If KPIs improve, we’ll expand to Sales. To proceed, can we: 1) Lock current Business+ pricing for 12 months, scalable by department, 2) Enable co-termed billing for new seats, 3) Include a downgrade clause if usage drops below 20% after 90 days? Thanks, [Your Name]
Budget-cap email (feature scope with monthly ceiling)
Subject: Budget-capped plan mix for Slack AI features Hi [AE Name], Our must-haves are summaries, translations, and file summaries for specific teams. We’ll keep Pro org-wide and scope Business+ to Support (25) and Sales (15) only. Can you confirm: - Department-scoped upgrades on a monthly term, - A budget cap of $1,000/month for the first 6 months, - A re-evaluation checkpoint at month 6? Best, [Your Name]
7) Team Survival Checklist
- ✅ Identify A/B/C features by team (Section 1).
- ✅ Keep Pro as baseline; upgrade only where A features require it.
- ✅ Run a 30–60 day pilot with clear KPIs.
- ✅ Scope upgrades by department or workspace (not org-wide).
- ✅ Set admin guardrails (permissions, data boundaries, change windows).
- ✅ Negotiate price locks, co-termed billing, and downgrade clauses.
- ✅ Review usage monthly; deprovision under-used features.
8) Reference & Internal Links
Read Part 1:
Slack AI Pricing 2025 — Renewal Changes Explained + Checklist.
Use this Part 2 guide to choose your plan mix, run a pilot, and negotiate terms before your renewal date.